It’s no surprise that my “momiform” is always on repeat over here. Gimme alll the basic tees and jeans! If you are going with such a simple look, the key to making it look and feel put together is the accessories! Surprisingly, this is one of the things I get asked about the most both on Instagram + here on the blog. Where are mine from + what are my favorites, so today I’m tackling that by sharing all my must haves with you!
simple necklaces – are defiantly my go to!! I love that they are delicate and my “h” has meaning behind it.
bracelets – are for sure a fun extra + keep the babies entertained.
rings – add so much. You can add a few simple ones or go for one big thick ring like I usually do.
earrings – I don’t always wear these…because with my hair being down so often you hardly ever see them. Plus it’s the one thing Harper likes to pull on.
sunnies – of course these are a no brainer! haha. A good pair of sunnies always make any look (even sweats) look like a stylin outfit!! Plus i love that they can cover your tired eyes – if needed.
I round up a bunch of my favorite accessories from Nordstrom below. These are my go-to’s on a daily basis
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks over here. The house is coming along well + I can’t wait to show you all a house update next week!! The weather is still warm (well it hasn’t snowed yet) I guess people here are still calling this warm. haha. We are missing the southern california weather right about now – but we are loving the fall leaves and all that goes with it. I rounded the past few weeks outfits (most of them are on sale) + all of this weekends sales!! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and check back next week for some of the first gift guides of the season!!
With 5 little people in tow, you could say our schedule is a little crazy! You can often find us trying to get ready, eat breakfast, and finish a few last minute school projects all at the same time. With being busy and on the go so often, I’d like to think I’ve kind of mastered getting myself put together quick! As much as I’d love to stay in my robe all day everyday, I always get more accomplished (and less awkward looks) when I pull myself together. That being said, it doesn’t have to be hard, so today I’m sharing my busy mom’s guide to getting ready I use just about every day!
HAIR…
DRY SHAMPOO IS A GIRLS BEST FRIEND! … You know that question you always hear in “getting to know you” games.. “If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you take? Guys..I think Dry Shampoo might be one of my picks! haha! It is the one product I use more than anything else, and can be such a game changer. Curls can last for days, but if your roots are looking greasy, you aren’t fooling anyone! Dry Shampoo is a quick way to freshen up yesterdays hair in a flash. And it does not have to be the high end salon brand either. My go to is this super inexpensive one!
HATS AREN’T JUST FOR BOYS…Growing up, I always felt like boys had it so easy! Messy hair? No problem! Just throw on a hat! I am loving that hats have become so much more on trend + popular for girls because they are for sure another one of my quick getting ready hacks. Whether its my favorite ball cap or a a more girly hat, I love to throw one on and be out the door in no time!
MESSY BUNS, YES PLEASE …It’s not secret the messy bun is on repeat over here. If I don’t have time for my everyday curls, it is straight to a messy bun. It is so quick and easy, but looks like you put a little more effort in than a typical ponytail. My favorite way to where it is more on the side so I can throw a hat on top, but whatever way you go for, it is sure to cut your hair time in half!
FACE…
5 MINUTE MAKEUP … If you follow me over on Instagram, you have already heard all about my quick and easy makeup routine with Maskcara. I rarely have time to sit down and put my makeup on in the morning before we need to be out and about, so having something I could pull together quick in the car was a must for me. I’ve timed it a few times and it never takes me more than 5 minutes. It gives you a really natural look, but still enough of a boost that you look more awake and freshened up. The fact that it is all together in one easy to grab compact is so helpful too.
EYELASH EXTENSIONS … I wouldn’t call myself a high maintenance girl at all. My beauty + fashion routine is really pretty simple and nothing special, but there are a couple things I am willing to kind of “splurge on” for myself, and one of those is eyelash extensions. I can’t say enough good about these, and they might be my number one trick to getting ready quick, because with them, I really don’t have to do much to look awake and ready to go, and sometimes I never get around to putting makeup on because they do enough. I would 100% say they are worth every penny.
EYEBROWS … These are my other “treat yo self” splurge that I absolutely love! Something about having your whole eye area feeling put together without any daily maintenance is soo nice.
my colors: (top left) stone – walnut – aura (top right) nude, baby watermelon, petal
CLOTHES…
JOGGERS, THE FANCY PJ’S… If I could fill my whole closet with joggers and basic tee’s, I probably would in a heartbeat. It had to have been a busy mom that first designed these because they are perfection. Just as comfy as wearing your pajamas all day, but presentable to the world. I love pairing them with a basic tee and my favorite tennies.
JEANS + BASIC TEE ON REPEAT… We’ve talked about it before, and I like to call it my “momiform”, but you can’t get easier to throw together than jeans + a basic tee. I like to stick to a neutral tee to keep it clean and simple. One of my favorite things about this look is being able to switch out the tennies for heels + adding my favorite leather jacket and I am ready for a work meeting or date night, with almost no effort.
DRESSES… It’s no secret I tend to collect t-shirt dresses, especially in the summer months. They are so easy to quickly throw on, and so so comfortable. Now that Fall is bringing some colder weather, I’ve been pairing them with my favorite cardigans for a quick cozy look.
I don’t know how it happened, but I swear I blinked and my Hunter grew right up! Her birthday is coming up next week and it has me feeling alllll the feels! Wasn’t she just barely my first little babe, teaching me how to be a mom?! It is crazy! She has been starting to ask all kinds of questions. From if she can shave her legs….to when she can start wearing mascara (shoot me) and I just don’t know if I’m ready for this, but I thought I’d share an update on what is new + a few things we are trying!
Like I said, growing up has brought up so many questions + topics she was never interested in before! She is asking to shave her legs, and I told her once you start there is no turning back! haha! So I think we are now holding off on that for awhile. She also has been begging to wear makeup too! I keep telling her it will give her zits and to just wait, which totally worked because she saw that I just recently got a zit and asked if it was because I wore make up everyday and of course I told her YES!! but I think she has me convinced to let her start with mascara in the next year or so.
She has also started asking a lot of questions about my prenatal vitamins….like what it does, and how it is different from the kid gummies they usually take. We’ve talked about how they support healthy hair + skin, can give you more energy + a stronger immune system. Since we’ve been talking about them so much lately, when OLLY reached out about their new Multivitamin for Girls, we thought it was the perfect time to give them a try. So far she has loved them, and feels extra grown up graduating from the gummy the rest of the little people take, to something more like mine. I’ll be sure to share an update once she’s tried them a little longer!
In addition to all the questions, she just keeps getting busier and busier! She is an amazing soccer player and spends the majority of her free time practicing and playing for her competition team. On that same note, she has already started talking about soccer scholarships (what 10 year old does this?!) and I’m over here remembering her first tiny pair of cleats! Hunter also LOVES tending kids and is such a little mom. She has been asking if she can start tending for neighbors and friends, but for now I just want to keep her and her skills all to myself! haha.
So at what age did you start wearing make up? Or when did you let your girls start shaving + doing the make up thing? I really want to know. I honestly didn’t even wear maskcara until 10th grade!! Can you see why I’m so hesitant on all this talk? I really love hearing from you all and taking in all your advice!!
Last week on Instagram, I mentioned that I was finally taking the steps to really up my skincare game. I’m getting older whether I like it or not, and that + having 5 little people has taken a toll on my skin so I decided it was time for me to put some more focus on it.
I had heard so many good things from my close girlfriends about Form Med Spa here in Utah, so I knew it would be a great place to start! Before starting any treatments, I started using their skincare line. It is a multi-step process, but really easy to follow and I am already noticing my skin changing and reacting to it after only using it for a month or so. Once I got that going, I decided to try a few treatments they recommended and have been loving them! I can see why they had such positive reviews!
The first thing I tried was the Hydrafacial. It is a facial designed to clean and really exfoliate your skin, and moisturize with antioxidants and other nutrients. I could not get over how amazing my skin felt after this. It really cleaned out alllll my pores and it seems like it even made them smaller.
The other treatment I have done (last week) was the Photofacial IPL. This one focuses on age + sun spots. Which if you saw my story I’ve gotten more brown spots on my face since having the little people. I was a little more nervous about this one being painful since it uses a laser like machine, but it actually wasn’t bad at all. They put a cooling gel on your skin before doing it so I didn’t think it was too uncomfortable at all. It takes a few treatments to see the full results, but I’m excited to see how it works!
The spa also offers dermal fillers and botox. I’m considering trying them out…ahhh you guys why is that so crazy/scary to me?! Have any of you tried these to help with under your eyes? I just don’t know! haha!
Anyway, so far I’ve decided to commit to 6 months of the facial treatments so I can really see the effects and how my skin changes. I made sure to take some before pictures, and am excited to see the afters and share them with you in another update around February! I’d love to hear what you are doing to help up your skin care game! Let me know in the comments below and we can do this together!!
If you know me at all, it is no secret that my favorite color is black. Whether it’s in decor or fashion, I just love what a classic bold statement it makes. Since it is a color I naturally gravitate to, my closet seems to be full of it and it’s always the color I grab first when shopping for a new basic tee or pair of shoes, so I wanted to share some of the reasons why an all black outfit is one of my favorite go to’s! Plus it’s a great color for fall!!
Black is SLIMMING…
I don’t think there is anyone that can’t get on board with this reason! Wearing all black is slimming for any figure and is a great way to helping you look long and lean. It gives your body one nice line and there aren’t other colors drawing attention to any specific areas.
Black is Easy to Style…
Black is by far the easiest look to dress up or down. I love taking the same black skinnies and basic tee and pairing them with my tennies and a ball cap for an easy day look, and then switching it out for some fun heels and a leather jacket for a more dressed up evening look. By just switching your accessories, but keeping that solid canvas, you can transform your look completely.
Black is CLASSY…
Black is a color that no matter what, it is going to be on trend. (it’s not going anywhere ladies) haha. It is so classy and timeless, and will make you look + feel put together with little effort. Which who doesn’t love that.
Well hope you all have a great weekend with your people!!
So this subject has been weighing on my mind a lot lately and when I reached out to all of you guys and asked your feelings about it the response was crazy!! So many of you feel this on the daily. Honestly, I couldn’t believe how hard we are on ourselves. I was filled with soooo many feelings that it took a bit longer to put all these words together.
So most importantly, I want you to walk away from this feeling stronger + knowing that you are doing your absolute best! Also know that YOU are enough + exactly what your little people need. I shared a few ways to help us all push through mom guilt below.
5 Ways to Push Through Mom Guilt
1. Ask yourself if it’s really worth feeling guilty about.
I think we are all so hard on ourselves even for things that really don’t matter at all in the scheme of things. For example: you didn’t stay up all night making the perfect “All About Me” poster for your kindergartner vs completely forgot about the “All About Me” poster.
2. Realize as much as you want to, you can’t do everything
This one might be the hardest for me. I want to be able to do absolutely everything how I “should” for myself, my job, and my family, but any realistic schedule is not going to allow it. For me this means…take out often fills their bellies more than a home cooked meal so we can all make it to cheer Hudson or Hunter on at a game. It means my house is often not the picture perfect clean I wish it was when Joe got home. Because instead we made it to school on time without cleaning up. You know?
3. Give yourself a mommy time out to reset and just have a breather.
Sometimes all it takes is a few minutes to just breath. To take care of your kids you have to take care of you too. Taking care of you includes focusing time on you. Whether you need gym time, quiet time, spa time, or my favorite, date night. Growing stronger as an individual + couple always results in a better you for your kids.
4. Remind yourself the grass is NOT always greener on someone else’s Instagram feed.
I have such a love/hate relationship with Instagram. Of course it plays a big part in my career which I’m so grateful for. Plus I’ve made some of my closest friends through its connections. At the same time, it is a comparison trap. I know a bunch of us often find ourselves scrolling through thinking “I should’ve done this or that” better as a mom because so and so did. We need to remember, it’s just ONE SECOND in someones life. For most, it is a place to document the happy joyful moments they want to remember, and rarely includes real life baby blowouts, messy cars, or fighting kids.
5. Make simple changes to daily life to avoid the guilt provoking moments.
A lot of the things we feel mom guilt over, can be decreased by making small changes. If you feel a lot of mom guilt about having a clean house, try scheduling a “power hour” with your kids. Turn up the music + you each bust out cleaning assigned spaces in a fun way, or come up with another cleaning schedule that will help messes from being your focus.
If your guilt stems more from not spending enough time with your kids, or giving them individual attention, schedule date nights once a month with each child so you can focus completely on them and give them the extra love you are feeling guilty about. Or I think we would all be surprised what just 10 minutes of one on one time during the day would do for our people.
It’s not always easy, but taking a step back and making simple changes, can really eliminate the negative from creeping in. I’m really trying hard to just make small simple changes and focus on the good. I want to thank you all for your dm’s, emails and suggestion about this subject. I really tried to include everyone’s suggestions and opinions. Thank you for your love and support here in this space + for all your friendships!!
One of my favorite things about Fall weather are all the chunky cardigans that go with it! I love a good chance to layer pieces, and my favorite way to do that is with cardigans! Also I love any chance to be comfortable but look put together at the same time. And that describes a cardigan in a nut shell! haha! They are so easy to throw on over a t-shirt and your favorite jeans when its not quite cold enough for a coat, and they are a great way to dress up a simple t-shirt dress! Because they are definitely an item I turn to on a daily basis, I wanted to share my 10 favorites this season with you! Enjoy!!
Fall is the time of year that just screams fashion to me! From the layering, to the darker colors, (you know my love for black) to the booties, and of course comfort. It’s full of looks + trends I can’t get enough of! We really haven’t experienced a true fall season for at least five years – because California doesn’t believe in fall. haha. Second I’m praying our Utah Fall holds out for at least another month before I have to whip out the gloves and snow boots. So today I rounded up some of my personal favorite fall outfits below + these will for sure be on repeat!!
One of my favorite trends that works all year round, is STRIPES! Whether it is on a top, a bag, or incorporated into a pair of shoes, gimme allllll the stripes! I really can’t get enough of them and I think they are so fun to add in to just about any outfit. They give the look a little more dimension + variation from the plain tee/jeans look, which is my go to around here!
The balanced pattern catches the eye, but still looks effortless with your solid staple pieces and can be just the thing to add something new and change up your outfit completely. The best thing about stripes is they really won’t ever go out of fashion, so you are investing in pieces that will be with you for the long haul! I have so many striped pieces I love, but wanted to share some of my current faves with you today! Hope you all have a happy day!!
One of my favorite things about being back in Utah is being able to enjoy the beautiful mountains! So as much as we are struggling to remember what its like to live in cold weather, it is so nice to be somewhere we get to experience all 4 seasons. But I am still not ready for winter. So if you’ve never been to Utah in the fall, you need to come and experience it! It is absolutely gorgeous! So with that in mind, we loaded up all of our people this weekend and headed up to the mountains to see the leaves. It was so amazing, and freezing! Ha!
I’ve mentioned already that we have all our winter clothes packed away, so it is the perfect excuse to do a little fall shopping and of course our first stop was Rack Room Shoes for some cute new booties + boots for the whole family!
I always love Rack Room Shoes because it is one place I feel like I can find the styles I love for everyone from Joe down to Harper in the same place. (and usually on sale) Also, they always have the best prices. So when my little people are constantly growing out of shoes, we aren’t breaking the bank!
What are some of your favorite fall family traditions? We can’t wait to start making some of our new traditions here in Utah! I would love if you would share any of your fun all traditions or activities below!! Thanks friends!!
First of all how is time flying by and this little girl is already NINE months old?! Can you believe it?! I swear I blinked and we got to this point! She is such a happy baby, and we can’t imagine our lives without her. We still fight over who gets to hold her, feed her, and all things Harper. And I wouldn’t have it any other way! I love sharing updates with you guys and hearing how you relate with your own babes, so here is whats new with chunky girl!
MILESTONES…
Unlike my other little people, Harper girl completely skipped the traditional army crawl stage and jumped right in to full on crawling everywhere! If she sees something she wants, she is on the move.. and fast! She is even starting to pull herself up to everything, and loves to stand up. She loves to clap and her brothers + sisters think it is so fun to get her to do it. Teething is in full swing around here too, which as taken away a little bit of our happy girl, but she already has 3 teeth on the bottom and 2 trying to make an appearance on the top! If you have any teething remedies I am all ears!!
EATING…
As you can see, she isn’t struggling in this department! ha, She is already just about the same size as Houston, and we are loving her chub! We started feeding her the Gerber Baby Food cereal a few months ago and she loves them! Her favorite is definitely the fruit with oatmeal mixes they have. Since they keep her fuller longer + are already mixed together it makes things easier when we are out and about!
Since we had a few food struggles with Houston, we have also been trying a new food mix-in with Harper called SpoonfulOne. The idea behind it is to include the main 8 allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, soy, + wheat) in her everyday meals. So that her body can gently get used to them, and build up an immunity before they become allergens. It comes in little single serving powder packets (which are great for on the go) and we just stir it in to a single serving of whatever we are feeding her. Whether its baby food, yogurt, or one of her favorites…lasagna! I love that a product like this has been created, and are excited to see how it works for her!
SLEEPING…
Oh man..this one makes me tired just thinking about it! Harper is no longer sleeping through the night. So you can cue the tears from me! haha! If you’ve been around here for my other little people, you know that I love getting them on a sleep schedule early, and they have all slept through the night by around 3 months. Harper was doing great, but with the move, traveling, + the joys of teething, she has started waking up again at least once. I’m hoping to try sleep training again in the next couple weeks. Two game changers for us that I’ve shared before, especially for good naps, have been her sleepsack (and this one) + white noise machine. She loves getting all snuggled in and already recognizes them as a cue that its time to sleep.
WEARING…
She is growing fast so she is flying through all the clothes we had for her in between the move! Since I can’t say I’m complaining because I love a good chance to grab a few new baby outfits – but man this is crazy! She is already wearing 12-18 month clothes in pretty much everything and has already moved up to a size 2 in her Freshly Picked Moccasins. Just like with Houston, I am obsessed with these moccs for Harper. I never have to worry about her feet being cold, and they just keep coming out with more colors + designs I love! Plus they stay on!!
So I think that’s just about everything Harper. Most of all, I wish she could just stay little forever so she would snuggle on me more. Isn’t sad they have to grow up? Hope you all have a great weekend!!
