Five on Friday - Back to Work

Hello, friends! I'm here to tell you that I survived my first week back to work. I am full of lots of emotions - thankfulness for my wonderful administration and team for the support this week, love for so many coworkers who have become friends, sadness to leave my baby, stress to get caught up and pump enough to feed my hungry boy, joy for doing something I love and am good at, desperation to be at home with my babies full time, tired. I'm just running on moxie at this point, but I wanted to at least post my five, because I really do love keeping up with this little blog. 

Also, so many of you filled me in on what's to love about Lularoe and one of my girlfriends from high school is a distributor, so lucky me - she was willing to come down to host a pop-up next Saturday, April 15th at 5 PM. She has a huge inventory and I'm so excited to try on and find some fun items. Let me know if you want to swing by and I'll send details.

On to my five.

One.



How we felt about the weekend ending and the work week beginning. Luke has done an outstanding job at school this week though. He's gone through about 900 onesies and has really enjoyed socializing with the other babies. He's falling into a routine and getting comfortable enough to take longer naps. Very thankful for a loving environment to bring him and Zoey to each day.

Two.



The mornings are a marathon. Wake up at 5:30, 5-10 minutes for make-up and hair, change and dress Luke, feed Luke, pump, get dressed, wake up Zoey, change and dress Zoey, make sure the pumped milk makes it into the fridge, brew coffee (decaf due to nursing, but I like to pretend its caffeinated at least), pack lunches, snacks, bottles, load work bag, pump bag, my lunch and sometimes Zoey's lunch, 2 backpacks, jackets, and breakfast for me and Zoey, buckle Luke into his car seat, load Luke in the car, negotiate Zoey into her seat depending on the level of threenager that day, and roll out. By the time I get both kids safely dropped off at school and I'm heading to work, I've accomplished enough for the day. It'll get easier, right? right?

Three.



I'm thinking about ordering a couple of swimsuits from cupshe. I've read some decent reviews about the site and their suits are well reviewed. Any thoughts? These are the two I had narrowed it down to a while ago. I'd love a one piece too. Basically anything that won't be pulled down when I'm in the pool with the kiddos - learned my lesson during swim lessons with Zoey last summer. Yikes.

Four.



I just ran across this on Instagram. So true. I sometimes try to connect with the mommy's at daycare and this is pretty much what I sound like. Making new friends is hard!

Five.



Oh. My. Word. - I just got a {fix} and Jamie really outdid herself (hey, girl!). I love every single thing she sent me. This outfit actually got a glowing review from a normally very sweet, but not overly enthusiastic Chris. I'll post the whole fix sometime this weekend - it's by far my most favorite fix and I've had...a few...over the past few years.

Bonus.



Cute kids. I love the heck out of these two.

This weekend we are relaxing, getting ready for a FOUR day week (woohoo, Good Friday!), and having some fun at the Journey of Hope Breakfast with the Easter Bunny event.

Linking up!



Have a fab weekend. See y'all soon.

Five on Friday - I'm back!

TGIF! I am sure looking forward to the weekend. This is the last weekend where we don't have a single thing planned for a while. Let's dive right in to my FIVE.

ONE. 

Source

Chris got me a hot stone massage for Valentine's day and I think I just might redeem it this weekend. I am beyond excited.

TWO.



I'm currently in the process of starting a supper club with some girlfriends, in an effort to take back girls' night! I'm very excited about our monthly get-togethers and can't wait to spend time with old and new friends.

THREE.

This weather! We had an 85 degree day yesterday and spent our evening on the backyard play set. I would certainly not hate it if winter made an early exit. This is the life.

FOUR.



This is about 1/6th of the clothing I purchased for the kids this week (insert embarrassed emoji). Kohls had a STELLAR sale with 20% off all baby and kids and it was stackable with a 30% coupon code AND free shipping. I earned Kohls cash with my first order and went back for more. We were in need though - Luke is outgrowing his 3 month clothes already (?!?!) and Zoey is moving into 3T for spring and summer. By the way, shopping for boys is HARD. I am just not a fan of all the sports, construction, monster, etc. stuff out there. Where do all my boy moms find appropriate little gentleman clothes?

FIVE.



My amazing Stitch Fix stylist, Jamie, nailed it again. She sent these crazy hot jeans and I fell in love. Sadly they were just a little too small and they didn't have the next size up available. I'm still looking for a good distressed pair for weekends, but I bought this pair from Old Navy for $25 with 35% off. They're now 40% off with code MIDWEEK. They arrive today and I'm anxiously awaiting them - I hope they look half as good as these babies did. I also bought an off the shoulder top for $13. I loved this trend in college (10 years ago, ah!) and I'm hopeful I can still pull it off!

Linking up with some lovely ladies - check out their blogs below and have a fantastic weekend!

Mindful Monday - Let's Catch Up

Quick post to let you know that I'm still alive. I hope to rejoin the blogging world consistently soon - I have so much I feel like sharing with you and not enough time. I've actually had to start keeping a list when topics come to mind. Hopefully, I can start knocking them out now that we are sleeping nice stretches at night. (hallelujah!)

On December 31, 2016 - Our little man decided to make his appearance just 3 days shy of his due date. My labor (one blog topic) was extremely short compared to my 72 hours with {Zoey}. Just a little over 12 hours of labor and we got to meet our son, Luke Christopher, weighing a whopping 8 pounds 9 ounces!! 24 hours later, we were given the all clear to go home early and took our sweet boy home to meet his PROUD big sister.

My heart explodes every time I look at these pictures.

Since then it's been a whirlwind month of very little sleep and trying to keep everyone healthy (Chris and Zoey went down with colds - you try telling a 2 1/2 year old they can't kiss their brand new baby brother or touch them with their saliva drenched hands). Just when I was feeling like I had this mommy thing down....having two kids just rocked my world (another blog topic). We are a month in and I'm starting to feel like it's going to be okay though. I wouldn't change anything for the world, but it hasn't been easy and I just felt a little lied to when people told me it was "like they'd always been a family of four from the start" and "their heart immediately expanded exponentially", etc.

This boy though, he is everything. We just have the two very best kids in the world and our family is most definitely complete now. 

PS. Shout out to my {Stitch Fix} stylist, Jamie! She's been making me feel human with a couple postpartum fixes (another blog topic). I had the best maternity fixes with her too - she's awesome.

For now, I'm going to resume cuddling my baby boy and binge watching all the Netflix (another blog topic). Talk soon. xx

Five on Friday - It's been a while!

My triumphant return to blogging sure lasted long, huh? I have just been having WAY too much fun with my kiddo, and while she naps, I've been binge watching so many shows that I fell behind on during the school year. AND knocking so many items off of my to-do list. Best. Summer. Ever.

I've been thinking a lot about my little blog and there is just so much I want to share with you. Some of my most favorite bloggers are those who just talk about life and what they're doing. That's what I want for this blog.

So the easiest way to dive back into blogging? Five on Friday, of course. Let's go!





One. We finally finished Zoey's playset enclosure! We (mostly Chris) built this playset last summer and Zoey enjoyed it during our gloriously mild winter. When the "grass" (read: weeds) started growing again this spring, we bit the bullet, ordered 2 tons of rubber mulch and built (mostly Chris, again) this sweet enclosure. I love how it looks and the extra safety it provides for our fearless climber and her friends. Chris loves not having to mow under it.



Two. We discovered our athletic center's indoor play pool this summer. The outdoor play pools put it to shame, but it's pretty awesome and not highly attended in the AM. Such a great way for Zoey to expend some energy without the sunscreen battle.



Three. I'm still Stitch Fixing! I kept all five from my latest fix - my stylist really knocked it out of the park! I'm obsessed with the shoes. If you haven't tried it yet, give it a shot: {Stitch Fix}.



Four. I made my first burlap wreath last week! It is not my favorite, but the thought was to make it plain so I can change out the decorations with some of these more fleeting holidays. I'm thinking, if I add some color to the bottom right, it will look more complete.









Five. Motherhood has been throwing me way out of my comfort zone this summer. As an introvert, it is very hard to do anything that is unknown; my natural instinct is to stick with what I'm comfortable doing. The demands of an adventurous two year old have thrown me into some big unknowns and I'm so thankful! We've discovered all of the "free" swimming places, just completed our first week of swim lessons, played in a Chick-Fil-A play area (my personal hell), done story time at the Library, and played in the mall play area (my second personal hell). With another month left of summer, we still have so many places to check off our list. What are your recommendations for toddler friendly fun?

Six. Because I can't ignore the hurting in my city or anywhere else today.

My prayer list for the families of those senselessly killed by fearful and hate-filled people grows too long. I know my ongoing struggle is judging others, but maybe if I work harder to love instead of judge, I can be a better example for my daughter. Let's all choose love, our world needs it right now. 

{source}

                    Linking up with a few of my favs - April, Christina & Natasha!

Happy Friday! See you next week!

Five on Friday

Hi there! I'm rejoining the world of Five on Friday so I went back to my last Friday post so I could recall the format. Let me just share a small snippet of how far back this goes....

March 21, 2014
1. Our Car Seat

We ordered our car seat from {Diapers.com} when they had a fabulous sale going on Chicco products. We chose the Chicco Keyfit 30 after it received several 5 star reviews from friends and family but we also liked the look of it better than the other options out there. I'm excited to have it installed this weekend during our car seat class at the hospital!


Back to the present...

It was a little bittersweet to see this post and remember all of the anticipation and excitement to meet our baby girl. Gosh, I love her so much!

So let me wrap up the week with some of my current favorites!

1. I "said yes to the dress"!



If you read {this post} about my recent Fix, I asked for opinions on this dress. Thanks for the encouragement to keep it - I wore it today and really love it! It's comfortable and effortlessly stylish. Plus, it looks great with my Kendra Scott Elisa necklace from {Rocksbox}!

2. Speaking of Rocksbox...



My new set arrived Thursday and it's another great one! What a perfect day for this little box of happy to arrive. I'll share the goods in a post next week. Remember if you're interested in trying it, you get your first month free with the code: stephaniepbff4

3. Teacher Appreciation



One of my sweet babies brought this to me for teacher appreciation today. Although she's not such a baby anymore. My first group of kiddos are headed to high school in a month and I'm taking it really hard.

4. A pretty new color



Target made me do it. I can't wait to get this color on my fingers and toes!

5. New Teacher Planner



I received this in the mail several weeks ago and it is just sitting on my nightstand patiently waiting until July to be loved! I ordered the Erin Condren Teacher Planner this year after spending a year with the Plum Paper Teacher Planner. I'm excited to do a direct comparison soon!


                    Linking up with a few of my favs - April, Christina, Darcy & Natasha!

Have a FABULOUS weekend, everyone! See you next week!

Stitch Fix #22

If you haven't heard about Stitch Fix, read about it {here} and sign up if you're interested! If you use my link to sign up, I get a $25 credit and once you sign up, you can share your link for $25 credits too! I wear my Stitch Fix purchases ALL THE TIME and after TWENTY-TWO fixes, my wardrobe is filled with amazing, quality Stitch Fix pieces. I always feel good in my clothes, which is a fairly new feeling for me. I just love it. I'm also happy to say that everything I've purchases has held up really well despite machine washing EVERYTHING.

I have had 9 fixes between now and my last Stitch Fix blogging...I've got some catching up to do but first, let me fill you in on this sweet little box I just received Saturday. Fix #22! Blessedly, it arrived after my hair appointment...Shout out to my hair stylist for spending HOURS to make my hair look amazing. She's truly THE BEST.

Before...



After...



I left a note for my stylist, Elizabeth, to let her know I was desperate for some knit tops and dresses I could throw on during the weekend. That's the area I struggle with most right now, having anything to wear on the weekends that's casual enough for Costco and Kroger. She delivered, as usual! She's just the best and I think she's local to the Dallas area.

#1 Moon and Sky - Errol Crochet Detail Top - $48
 

I was highly skeptical about this top as I pulled it out of the box but I am loving it on. It has a sweet little v-neck back too, which I really think I'll love come the heat of the summer. The fabric is also very soft and cool.

Status: Keeping

#2 Kut from the Kloth - Kate Boyfriend Jean - $88

These are great jeans and that's the great thing about Stitch Fix, I never would've tried on a pair of boyfriend jeans at a store. I just happen to have a pair of Mavi Jeans that are very similar that I adore from a Fix about a year ago.

Status: Returned

#3 Skies are Blue - Theodrik Tie Neck Kimono - $58

In the note to my stylist, I requested a specific, gorgeous Kimono - The Paradigma Gwenifer Kimono. Seriously, gorgeous. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so as my stylist tells me this is the most requested item ever. She was so sweet to send this Kimono for me to try but it's a definite no. Definite no.

Status: Returned

#4 Skies are Blue - Zendaya Crochet Yoke Knit Top - $54

This is a great knit top and I love the color! Definitely what I had in mind for throwing on when we are headed out for the weekend but it could totally be worn to work with a cardi or blazer. I'll have fun styling this one.

Status: Keeping

#5 Brixon Ivy - Linda Dress - $68

I had this pinned on my Pinterest board and it's even more beautiful in person. The fabric is lovely - very soft and cool feeling. I wear dresses all the time during the summer months so my stylist really hit the nail on the head with this dress. I'm slightly concerned with the waistline though. What do y'all think? Is it a keeper or should I pass?

Status: Unsure

If you are a fellow fixer or you're ready to {sign up}, I'd love to hear about the items you've received and kept!