High Five For Friday

This has been an interesting week with a couple frustrations, but through it all I constantly strive to focus on the fun and positive.
Here are some top fun moments from my week:

1.) As my Dad was opening his birthday presents, Baby K took it upon herself to help him in opening them. I guess opening presents at least four different times over Christmas made her think that all wrapped presents are for her.

2.) I FINALLY got to see Into The Woods. My mom and I went on a girl's night out with dinner and a movie and we even got a private showing of the movie! It was so neat to watch the movie with her since we saw the play together about 8 years ago.

3.) While my Mom and I were out, Baby K decided to play salon with her Daddy.

4.) I tried Jamberry Nails for the first time this week. This is a very different look for me (I normally pick reds or pinks) and I really like it.

5.) I took Baby K on a Mommy/Daughter date to Sweet Frog for some frozen yogurt. We split a cup of yogurt and I'm pretty sure that she ate as much as I did; she loved it!

I'm linking up this post with Bright on a Budget, September Farm and Style Elixir.

Giving Valentines

Do you remember handing out Valentines to your classmates and friends on Valentine's Day? It was one of my favorite holiday traditions during the school year. I loved decorating a mailbox to have at my desk and I loved watching it fill up with fun Valentines and candy from all of my friends.

Even though Baby K is not in school and still quite young, I love introducing her to all things holiday, all the time. In fact last year, when she was only 7 1/2 months, we sent out Valentines to her friends and family. It is just so fun to do, plus snail mail always puts a smile on my face and it is my hope that we can do the same for others. Who doesn't love getting a Valentine from a sweet, little, sassy girl anyway? Minted has some awesome Classroom Valentines that you can use to give out to friends and classmates in person. Their selection is incredible and I love that you can personalize them by adding a picture. Check out this cute little Valentine I created of Baby K on Minted. I used the Sweet Nothings Valentine's card...super cute.

This is the front and the back...I love those XOXOs.

In a rare turn of events, I had a ton of friends give birth to little ones from September thru December. And it impressed the heck out of me that so many of them still sent out cards for Christmas (y'all are my heroes!). BUT here is an idea...If you weren't able to send out Christmas cards because you had a baby or you moved or you just plain ran out of time - then send a Valentine's Day card! Minted has so many full size options too. Good luck deciding on a design, they have so many good ones I just couldn't decide which one I liked best. I want all the cards!

But here are some of my favorites


A Simple Love Valentine

I'm a sucker for gold foil

Valentinegram

For the instagram lover.

And as a special early Valentine's Day treat, Minted is offering 20% off all foil pressed Valentine's Day cards and Classroom Valentines cards. So hurry up and order - the deal is only good through Monday!!!

Lady Maintenance Night

When I want to feel extra girly, I throw myself a lady maintenance night. What is that you may ask? It is a night totally devoted to little ol' me where I beautify and pamper myself, making me feel like a lady. :) I like to throw these nights for myself quite often; it is a great way for me to relax and to get myself prepped and ready when I know I have a lot coming up. When I have all my beauty stuff taken care of, I feel great and ready to take on the world!

Before I start, I normally select a playlist on my phone - either by letting Pandora play DJ for me or I'll select an artist I like and shuffle their songs. Music should be at the start of any event!


Here is everything I do on lady maintenance night (in no particular order):

-Exfoliate my face

-Tweeze my eyebrows (overtweezing my eyebrows in college resulted in the lucky happenstance that I only have to tweeze my eyebrows every couple of months!)

-Deep condition my hair

-Exfoliate my legs and any rough spots (like my elbows and heels)

-Take a bath

-Drink some wine

-Shave my legs

-Give myself a manicure and pedicure

-Apply sunless tanner (if its warmer weather and I know my legs will be shown)

-Experiment with different ways to wear accessories and discover items I forgot I had

-Read a beauty magazine


What about you? Are there any beauty routines that you do?

Baby K Fashion

I will keep saying this over and over, but I really want to trade wardrobes with my daughter. I love so many of the things that Baby K has in her closet. Plus, I wish I could pull off purple skinny jeans the way that she can!

It is so fun to dress her each morning. And Baby K is starting to turn into a clothes horse and shoe lover herself. In fact, she likes to help when it comes to picking out her outfits. I will let her decide on which shoes she wants to wear first and then we will pick her outfit to match. More often than not she wants to wear her "boops" (boots). But there are other days when she will decide on a fun colorful shoe or her Sperry's. This child has developed quite the shoe habit thanks to the guidance of my mother and myself. :)

Baby K's outfit details:

Shirt, Shoes and Pants: Garanimals.

Vest: Carter's.

Hair Bow: Claire's.

High Five For Friday

We did it! We made it to the weekend. WOO HOO! And today is a very special day because it's my Dad's birthday. Happy Birthday DAD!!! We are so glad that we get to spend so much time with you and that we actually get to celebrate you on your birthday this year.

After traveling for two weeks over the holidays, dealing with sickness (yes, we all got sick on Christmas Eve) and trying to declutter and put the holiday decorations away, it sure was nice to have a slow and normal week! Here are few fun moments from our week:

1.) Tolar and I took Baby K to the play area at the mall and she could not get enough of the fun little slide. She kept trying to climb up it too.

2.) We finally got cable installed at our new house and I celebrated by watching the Today Show. I have missed me some Savannah and Matt!

3.) This picture has nothing to do with me, but it made me laugh so hard when I was scrolling through facebook the other day.

4.) Tolar's Dad and I pulled off a pretty great surprise visit for Tolar, his Dad is here with us for the weekend. And it has already been great seeing all of the cuddle time that Baby K gets with her Pops.

5.) We went out for dinner and the hostess gave Baby K a balloon. She had so much fun playing with it, ahhhh the little things in life that bring our children joy.

I'm linking up this post with Bright On A Budget, September Farm and Style Elixir.

Things I'd Like To Say To My Younger Self

Now that I'm into my thirties (ahhh, did I really just type that?), I feel like I've been through enough to have some sort of outlook and profound thoughts on life. :) And as I watch my daughter grow and become her own person, I often find myself thinking of things I want to tell her. Since Baby K doesn't fully understand everything I want to tell her, I have decided to offer some thoughts to my younger self.

-Don't be so dramatic! That thing that you are obsessing about right now will be a fleeting memory very soon. Think about how you look freaking out in front of other people. Your mother is amazing for dealing with your frequent dramatic episodes.

-Who cares if some of your friends got married at 18 or 23? You still have a lot of growing up and learning to do and you certainly don't want to be with someone who has even more growing up to do than you. He's out there, don't worry.

-Yes, your Dad was correct when he told you that you should take some business classes in college. Even in the administrative office of a theatre, you are going to need those skills, listen to him.

-Don't buy clothes just to buy something, buy what you really like. If you can't find anything that you are absolutely in love with, don't buy anything. In about 6 months you are going to clean out your closet and find that the majority of the things you get rid of are the clothes that you bought just because you didn't want to walk out of the store empty handed. Wasted money.

-Trust your mother when she tells you that pinning only your bangs back and therefore showcasing your very square forehead is not a flattering look.

-Also trust your mother when she tells you that your skirt or shorts are too short. Seriously a pencil skirt is so much more flattering (and it's a timeless piece which will last you a long time).

-Don't be afraid to ask your professors or advisor for help and advice in college. They are there to help and educate you. What's the worst that could happen, they will actually get to know you? Just do it.

-You will get through everything, there will be hard times, just keep pressing forward. You will make it.

-Don't stress every single semester in college and worry that you are making the wrong move by majoring in theatre. You are going to end up working in theatre as your career and loving what you do. Trust yourself and trust your parents - they wouldn't steer you wrong.

-It is totally ok to say no to things. Pleasing everyone and always saying yes doesn't always please the most important person - you.

-Find friends that are caring, helpful and who will buy you a pinata when you are sad. They will be in your life for years and years.

My Beauty Sidekicks

Beauty favorites, we all have them. But I have three products that I consider even more than favorites, they are products that I use extremely regularly (two of them daily) and count them as beauty sidekicks. Because I'd be lost without them...well maybe not lost, but I'd definitely cry if I forgot to pack them for a trip!

1.) Dry Shampoo - If you've been reading this blog for awhile, then you know all about my love affair with dry shampoo. I love it because it really lifts my roots and gives my flat, fine, thin hair some extra volume. I wish I knew about this stuff in high school!!! It also provides texture to my silky locks. Yes, silky hair is a nice thing to have, but not when you are trying to curl and tease your hair and get it stay put. The dry shampoo adds some grit to my hair so I can manipulate it and have a better chance of getting it to lay the way that I want. I use dry shampoo every single day. I apply it to my dry, clean hair - right at the roots - to help add lift. There are occasions where I also use dry shampoo for its intended purpose - on those days when I'm short on time and don't have an extra twenty minutes to wash and style my hair. It soaks up the oil from my hair and helps me look like I actually did just wash my hair. Dry shampoo is amazing!
My fave: Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo, under $3!!!

2.) A Vented Paddle Brush - I curl and flat iron my hair a lot. My poor hair gets put through the ringer, so I definitely try to take it easy on my strands when I can. Too much heat styling messes up my ends so badly. Enter the vented paddle brush. Thanks to the vents, this cuts my hair drying time in half, meaning less heat on my hair. I still get the same desired look from blow drying, just without damaging my hair as much. Genius!
My fave: Ecotools Smoothing Detangler Hair Brush, $10

3.) Lip Microdermabrasion Stick - Dry, cracked lips are lipstick's worst enemy. And the winter dryness is not doing me any favors. But now I have a secret weapon - a lip microdermabrasion stick. I apply this just like I would chapstick and I slough away all of the dry skin leaving a perfect and smooth pout. My lips have never been smoother and my lipstick glides on so easily. This is a must have for any beauty lover's makeup bag!
My fave: Rodan + Fields Lip Microdermabrasion, $17