Graphic Tee Roundup

One of my goals for 2016 includes making time for myself, which for me has relied a lot on honing in on my personal style. Last year I implemented a very modified version of a capsule wardrobe combined with a little bit of the KonMari "spark joy" idea and it's been awesome to actually love what I wear. The problem that I've run into the with the purge part of a capsule wardrobe is that after a while, it feels like I've worn all of the outfits so many times that I need to add to it for variation.

The easiest place for me to start when adding to my wardrobe is jeans and tee shirts. Jeans have not been my friend when it comes to shopping for them (having kids will do things to your body...) so I kinda put that on the back burner for a while. 

I love graphic tees. So that's where I started.

The conflicting thing about graphic tees when you are an almost-30-year-old woman/mom/person is that it's important not to pick the wrong shirt. It can either make you look like you're trying too hard to be young and hip or like an idiot; I don't want to be either of those. 

So my search for grown woman-appropriate tees began. Thank heavens for Instagram! I was able to find some wonderful shops and got my little hands on some awesome tees- here they be!

Tacos + Hot Sauce Tee

Wake Me Up Goods

                                                                 photo cred.: Wake Me Up Goods

This shirt instantly caught my eyes because, well, tacos. It's super soft, a little slouchy and has the high/low front to back design, which offers great coverage for me since I have a poky derriere.

Obviously I'm cray cray about this shirt; I dedicated an entire blog post to it.

The sizing with Wake Me Up Goods is pretty accurate. I asked for a medium and it fits loosely without being to frumpy. It does have a scoop neck that is pretty wide so depending on the bra I'm wearing that day, sometimes I have to use safety pins to make sure that my straps don't show. 

Madre Tee

Riley+Co

                                                                           photo cred.: Riley+Co

White tees with a black graphic are my go-to faves. I love the simplicity of the font on this shirt and obviously it's appropriate given my mom status. I actually requested this shirt as a Mother's Day gift (yep, I made a list and emailed it to my husband) and my hubs was happy to acquiesce. 

Their sizing is great. Derek ordered a medium and at first I was worried that it was too big; I emailed the company to see if I could exchange it but they were out of the smaller size. At first I thought I'd need to make some alterations but after I washed the shirt and dryed it on a low setting it shrank just enough to fit the way I like it. Personally, I prefer my tees to be a little roomy and this size has worked out perfectly for me.

I'm not the only one to fall in love with this shirt because it's currently sold out- boo hoo. But! Riley+Co has other adorable variations of this shirt in their collection; I'm considering the "Padre" shirt for Derek for Father's Day...

Pardon My French Fries

Friday Apparel

                                                                       photo cred.: Friday Apparel

Another winner in the white and a black category, this is probably my favorite so far. I love the cleverness of the graphic and the best part- this shirt is long! I have a long torso and in this age of crop top popularity, it's challenging to find shirts that offer enough coverage. I asked for a medium and it fits perfectly, not too tight, not too loose. Also the v-neck is super cool.

All of these shops are wonderful and I'm sure my fellow graphic tee lovers will not be disappointed when you try them out.

                                                                           *****

Friday Apparel was sweet enough to offer a free "Pardon My French Fries" tee to a special friend, so... it's giveaway time!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cinco de Mayo

Last weekend I got in touch with my inner supermodel so Derek could snap a few pics of me modeling this awesome shirt from Wake Me Up Goods. It's basically my new favorite because it involves two of my favorite things: 1) super comfy slouchy shirts. 2) tacos.

Sarah, the owner, is really awesome and you should totally go check out her store because she has a bunch of fun shirts and other goodies. She's also running a special of 30% off of orders over $25; it's good until Sunday if you use the code YAY30 at checkout. 

We'll be fiesta-ing with some awesome friends tonight and you better believe I'll be sportin' this shirt proudly with a margarita in hand. 

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Mommy Mornings+Tips to Start the Day

Before having kids, I was not a morning person. Like, at all. To this day it amazes me that I passed any of my college classes that were scheduled earlier than 10a.m. (I mean, I didn't pass with flying colors but I did pass, so... success). 

After having kids, I'm still not a morning person.

Am I right? Just ask Derek; poor dude has been the unfortunate victim of my morning wrath on numerous occasions. Like the time I basically melted him with laser eyes after he made the mistake of singing "The Wheels on the Bus" before the coffee machine was turned on. Yet he lived to tell the tale...

I don't want to steal the phrase "mombie" here, because it seems that the novelty of the word has worn off, but alas, it's just true; most mornings I am a walking mom/zombie. 

For whatever reason, most days I just don't feel ready to find my stride any earlier than 10:30 in the am. It just seems unnatural to me that some humans purposefully wake up before the sun is shining.

Preach.

It's taken some time for me to figure out a routine that works for this non-morning person. Morning time and I are pretty good buddies now, even if it is awkward sometimes. In the name of solidarity I'm going to assume that I'm not the only SAHM out there that struggles with anti-morning-itus. Or maybe you just need some ideas to find a little balance in the mornings. Here are my tips for starting the day.

Get up before everyone else.

Ok, hear me out. I know this sounds painful if you're not a morning person, but seriously it can make a big difference. On the days that I'm able to get up before everyone else is up (which is somewhere around 5:30 and 6) I usually feel much more accomplished. On these days I usually make my coffee and curl up on the couch for a little quiet time with a devotional; or I just sit in the dark and savor the opportunity to actually drink my coffee, instead of reheating it a thousand times.

But let's be real, it's just not always physically possible to get up that early on the regular. Zoe has spent a good part of her little life being a terrible sleeper (we're working on it...) so most days it literally makes my eyeballs hurt to get up before anyone else after I've spent most of the night awake. On those days I get up when the kids get up, somewhere between 6 and 7, and we go from there. 

Establish a self-care routine.

So it's basically common knowledge that us mamas don't always shower on the reg (I'm working day three right now... boom), but I am a firm believer that taking a few moments to make ourselves feel sorta human can make a big difference in our day. Maybe you like to squeeze in a quick workout, or actually putting on real clothes makes you feel ready for the day. Whatever it is try to make a little time for yourself in the morning. For me, I try to make sure to take five minutes to brush my teeth and wash my face before breakfast. It only takes a few moments, and simple as it might sound it makes me feel really good going into my day. 

Simplify breakfast.

I used to have dreams of being that mom that made pancakes from fresh ground wheat along with free-range organic scrambled eggs and berries that I picked myself early that morning.

And then I realized that I was out of my flippin' mind. 

So don't feel like you have to be Betty Crocker in the morning. Keep things easy and even try to get your kids involved in preparing breakfast. Toby likes to help make oatmeal and now that he's older I can put him in charge of getting out plates and utensils.

I do my best to make sure that we have healthy breakfast options on hand, but I've learned to keep things simple. Things like greek yogurt topped with granola, eggs and toast, or chicken sausage with fruit. Anything that can be prepared fast enough for my coffee to remain hot by the time I sit down at the table with the kiddos. It's also helpful because Toby is basically a hobbit so I almost always end up making another breakfast.

Set the mood.

After the initial morning rush to get breakfast made and Derek gets on his way to work, I like to turn on some music to help fill the atmosphere. We have a Roku set up on our tv in the living room and it has a Pandora app on it, which is nice because then the music can be heard throughout the whole house. Music is good for kids and it really can help set the tone for the day; for example everyone seems to be much more easygoing when there's a continuous stream of vintage jazz playing. 

Here's some of my favorite stations:

Rend Collective Experiement

Ray Lamontagne

Walk the Moon

Dave Brubeck

Adele

Hipster Cocktail Radio (no joke, that's what it's called)

Harry Belofante

Raffi 

Beauty and the Beast (for some reason just typing in "Disney" didn't pull up any actual Disney music)

Michael Jackson (for the days when we need an extra pep in our step; or for dance parties)

Play.

Making sure that I get real play time in with the kids can be hard once I get the day going, but I know how important it is to spend that time with them. For us, morning time is the perfect time in the day to sit down and play together; I can sip my coffee while we sit on the floor and build with legos, or put together a puzzle.  

Take time to connect with your wee ones, even if it's just for a little bit. Read some books, invite their favorite stuffed animals to join in for breakfast (in our case, it's any Star Wars action figure; Han Solo is a frequent visitor), or get the kids involved in planning the days events by making a checklist in crayon. Whatever fits your style, the point is to set aside the time to be with your peeps.

I'd love to hear from all you other mamas out there! What are some of your favorite "start the day" tips? Leave a comment!

To Zoe, on Her First Birthday

A little over a week ago Zoe turned one! It's been a bit of a whirlwind around here, so I didn't get around to posting about her special day until now. We got hit with a nasty stomach bug the week of Zoe's birthday (yuck) and in the midst of all the puke and poo I was trying to plan a party for our little gal. We're all much better now and I really wanted to sit down a write a letter to my little squishy girl on her first birthday.

Dear Zoe,

Happy Birthday Baby Girl! It's a little hard to believe that already a year has gone by. People say that time with our children goes by fast and it really is true. I'm so glad I've been able to be with you during this first year and witness how much you've changed in such a short time.

You are amazing, little one. When I look into your eyes I see the fullness of the name that God prompted your Daddy and I to give you- life. Your name means life and you truly have life within you. At the time when the idea came to my mind for your name, I thought it was fitting because of the significance of your arrival; you were the life after loss, the loss of your big sister. And while it certainly is true, I don't think I fully grasped the impact that you and all of the life within you would have on my wounded heart. 

You see God has used all of you, all of my children, to mold me in different ways in different seasons of life. Early on, God used your big brother to show me how much I needed to let go of control over my life and let God's plan be my plan. It was a struggle, and I'm still learning, but it's been freeing. After the two losses of your other siblings, God once again used Toby to help keep me grounded and motivated; for a long time I would put my feet on the floor every day because I knew he needed me. Toby brought so much joy to my heart in a really difficult time. 

And now there is you! God has used you to breathe new life into my heart. I will never forget the first time we met right after you were born. You were so alert! You came out and squealed, looked around and then stayed awake for two hours (looking back I should have known then that I would never sleep again, as that was just the beginning of a challenge to get you to accept that sleep is just a part of life, haha). The time that we spent bonding over the next few days and weeks were so precious to me, so soothing to my heart.

Zoe, you are wonderful. Your laugh is infectious. Your sweet little soft hands beckon me to fill them with my own. Your eyes sparkle with so much zeal. The way you say "ma ma" makes me melt- every time. Watching you and your brother play together, love one another and yes, annoy each other, makes my heart smile. Zoe, I love you so much.

There are so many things I can't wait to experience through your eyes. There are so many things I want to teach you and pass on to you. On this occasion, your first birthday, all I want you to learn is to love who you are. Love all of you, even the little rough edges. God made you just the way you are for a purpose. Never doubt that. Love God, love others, and love yourself.

I love you, my sweet little girl. You are the bee's knee's. 

Love,

Mommy

Two Years

Two years ago, I saw you. I already knew you; we had shared the previous twenty-two weeks together. I wanted so badly to meet you, but our meeting was premature. It wasn't supposed to happen like this, not in this way; this wasn't how I pictured it at all.

My heart swelled with wonder at the amazing work of God's hands.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Seeing the creation of life paused, stopped short; it was awe-inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time. I always valued the sanctity of every life. Seeing you only deepened this belief. Your life mattered, had value, worth, importance.

All of the things I ever wanted to tell a daughter of mine faded away, and the only words that came to my lips were simple:

I love you
I'm so sorry
It's okay baby
I'm here with you
I love you

I knew I had to let go. In a way I already had. I fought for you, for your life. I wanted to be with you so badly. I wanted you to live; to live abundantly, beautifully.

But the plans that we have for our children are not always to be.

We had to part on this side. You had to go beyond the veil. You had to go onward, while I stayed behind.

Oh, how I longed to see what you saw. Though our eyes could not meet on this side, what your eyes first beheld will never compare to the wonders of this earth.

My daughter, I love you so much. Ushering you into Abba's arms was the hardest thing I've done. It's because of how much I love you that letting go was and is so hard. Yes, is.

Two years later and still, everyday I have to let go and accept the physical distance between us; everyday my heart and arms ache from longing to hold you once more.

Two years later and yet every day I praise God that you are with him, securing my chance to see you again one day.

Two years ago, the most beautiful peace entered a room. The peace of your graceful presence. Though your life on this side was brief, it happened. As a fingerprint vaguely lingers, so did your life leave its mark.

And so we said goodbye.

Two years later and I still miss you.

As I watch your big brother and little sister playing in the warm sunlight, I think of you.

A song plays in the background:

Oh death, where is your sting?
A resurrected King has rendered you 
Defeated

Death is defeated, because of God's sacrifice. Because of His sacrifice, I know the tangible distance between us is just temporary. One day all will be right and we'll be together again.

Until then, I will do my best to make you proud. To live how I hoped you would have lived. To love how I would have hoped you would love. Until I can hold you again, I will hold my heart in hands and feel everything that connects me to you, even if it hurts.

Until I can hold you again, I will remember that on this day two years ago, you were born.

Happy Birthday, my sweet and beautiful Zuri Rose Carlson. Mommy loves you.

A dear friend of mine, Kelcey, made this beautiful painting for Zuri. 

2016 + Goals Are Good

I'm a little late to the game when it comes to publicly sharing my goals for the new year. I say "goals" because let's be real: for most of us, when we say "New Year's Resolutions", we know there's about a .000023159% chance of actually trying to maintain said resolutions, and an even higher likeliness that we'll be dropping those suckers like it's hot by January third.

Show of hands?

If you didn't raise your hand, well, then good for you.
(yes, that's a bit of sass you're detecting)

We can still be friends... I guess...

Anywhoo, the last couple of years have brought on some tough situations that required me to mature in many areas; I'd like to think that I've grown and learned what I needed to. I decided that 2016 is the year that I'm going to set aside fear and be the grown up that I need to be. For me, the best way to start making that happen is to make some goals for the new year. I think goals are good for life in general and sharing them with others can be a good way to stay motivated to stay the course.

Personally, I like to set some ground rules for my goals; it just keeps me from being an overachiever and subsequently hosting a pity party with the invite list consisting of me, a bottle of wine, and french fries.

Usually my rules are as follows:

-Be reasonable! Don't set goals that you know you can't keep (e.g. vowing to loose 10lb.s by Friday... when it's Tuesday)
-Be honest with yourself. Again, don't set a goal that you know you can't keep; but don't be afraid to stretch yourself a little. The trick is to challenge yourself enough so that the goal is definitely attainable, but not so lofty that if you're unable to hit the goal, sadness will ensue (see aforementioned pity party with wine and french fries).
-Taking the above rules into consideration, also be sure to set the goal high enough so that you will actually have to work for it (saying that you won't binge watch "New Girl" on Netflix when the remote is sitting in your lap is just plain dumb)
-Don't set too many goals. Yes 365 days is plenty of time to do some cool stuff (insert Morgan Freeman voiceover here: "get busy livin' or get busy dyin'". ) but it is totally possible to set too many goals for that amount of time. It's easy on the ego to add new goals when you've reached the ones you've already set; missing a goal is just, well, depressing.

Note, for all of the above...

So! Without further ado, 

Goals for 2016

1. Embrace rest.

As a stay at home mom there is always something or someone that needs my attention. It's hard to remember that God rested on the seventh day and He commanded us to do the same. 

A really great quote that has stuck with me from this book has helped me to make rest time a priority:

"Life isn't an emergency"

Whoa. 

So it's okay if the laundry doesn't get done every day. It's okay if we eat chicken nuggets for dinner- sometimes more than once a week- so that I can spend less time cleaning up and more time with my family. It's okay if I sit and actually enjoy my morning coffee, instead of reheating it ten times in the microwave (who doesn't like their coffee with a side of radiation?)

2. Be the adult I want to be.

So this one sounds kind of vague, but actually it's a big deal. It requires me to get over any internal analysis paralysis and just be the woman God created me to be- even when it feels awkward. It means not letting the fear of what others might possibly think about me hinder me from stepping out with confidence. It means being secure in the decisions I make in how I take care of my home and family. It means figuring out all that God has instilled in me to do the job that I love most- being a wife and mom.

3. Making "me time" a priority.

I'll admit it: I'm totally guilty of falling prey to the old cliche of being "that mom" that fully gives herself over the frumpy side of The Force and doesn't really do anything that remotely resembles the woman she was B.C. (Before Children). 

Before I had kids, I used to paint. I used set aside time every week to give myself a pedicure. And I wouldn't be caught dead leaving the house without makeup.

Oh how the mighty fall.

Just thinking about my former self gets me feeling all the feelings...

But! There is still time to course-correct. I've been choosing to make an intentional effort to set aside a little time here and there to do things to care of me, and make me happy. Things like trying new fashion trends, reading a book during the kids' nap time instead of folding laundry, and being creative.

4. Blog it up.

For reals! I have a dream of being a regular blogger. The dream is for this blog to be a source of not only pride and joy, but also income. I'm not expecting that to happen quickly, or even this year, but my goal is to just be more consistent. 

I've said it before- I'm an insecure blogger. But I'm hoping that by making some of the previous changes I'll be able to step up my game and really give this blogging thing the 'ol college try. So if you guys could do me a solid and leave a comment every once in a while to let me know that someone out there is actually reading this (hi mom!), that would be super cool. It helps to know I'm not just shooting words out into cyberspace.

5. Party, party.

When I was growing up, my parents invited people over for dinner often and as a result, I have a lot of fond memories of sitting around our dining table over a yummy meal with lively conversation. My mother has an amazing gift of hospitality that she has graciously tried to pass on to me. 

I love having people over for dinner or for a party or just to hang out. Unfortunately, I've let fear and apprehension get the better of me and thus preventing me from extending a welcoming hand to our home. But that is coming to an end. 

I'm learning to let go of shame over how far away we live and just say "hey, come on over". You want to know what? It's really fun. I love the anticipation of preparing to fellowship with others in the comfort of my home; there's something really deep about building relationships within the sacredness of one's home. 

***

Well, that about sums it up. I hope that you all are off to a good start with your goals for the new year, and hopefully you've found a little motivation/inspiration from this post.

What are your goals for 2016? What are some things that you're doing to help you reach those goals? Leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

Here's to 2016, whoop whoop!

Hello From the Other Side

AAaaand now you're going to have that song playing in your head all day. 

You're welcome. 

It's been a while. Things have been a little challenging in the department of adjusting to life with two kids to care for (cue laughter of moms of more than two everywhere). Not helping my quest for balanced womanhood is my sweet baby who does not sleep through the night at. all. Thus rendering me a zombie on the daily.

I finally hit that point in sleep deprivation where I've accepted the state of my life and the fact that I'll never sleep again; it's the sweet place of feeling like I'm always on Vicodin and everything is funny. 

But don't worry. I only operate motor vehicles when absolutely necessary. 

Anywhoo...

One of my goals this year is to be more focused and intentional about setting aside time for the things I want to do- like blogging. Believe it or not I really do hope to grow this little 'ol blog into something sustainable. 

So maybe if you think about it, y'all could send me a little love/encouragement or motivational memes or blog post ideas or chocolate or wine or maid service or all of the aforementioned to help me on my quest? *insert deranged smile here* 

Too much? Sorry. It's the sleep deprivation talking.

I'm currently recovering from the plague aka cold (fyi- headcolds and menstruation do NOT mix, but you didn't hear that from me...) so I'll leave you with a few recents snaps of my cute kiddos. 

(he wanted to look like Linus from "A Charlie Brown Christmas")