Dear Kristi, 

This morning while scrolling through Facebook, I came across your video clip of "Kristi Gordon: responds to haters criticizing her pregnancy wardrobe." Being a mother of one, and a recent prego, I was interested to hear your response. 
What I was not expecting though was to feel as much emotion as I did while watching the video, nor did I think the comment/emails you had received would be as ridiculous, ignorant, cruel, cowardly, and down right mean as they were. My heart broke for you, and every other woman whose joy of being pregnant and growing a wee one could be stolen by someone's so called "jokes," mean words or ridiculous expectations.  

Now I will start by saying I have no idea what it feels like to be in your shoes. I don't get any regular hate mail that I have to scour through in my email, nor did I receive any mean comments about my weight or wardrobe through out my pregnancy minus the few "you are wearing that again?" comments. I will say though if I had, I would have most likely broken down and cried... on camera. I am happy you are strong, I loved that you laughed at them. But it does not change how unacceptable and horrible these letters are. 

Yes, I am sure it was some, pardon my french, jerk-face who was just making a practical joke to get themselves on what they would call "Global News." But I was surprised by these people's lack of integrity and need to make themselves feel better about themselves through a sick joke. I am sad our world is not filled with men and women who always open doors for each other, comment on how well you are doing as mother of as many children as you have, and are always willing to give you a helping hand while carrying your many groceries to the car. I am thankful for the people we do have like this.

If this was a joke, no one is laughing. Those words were down right mean, and as happy as I am that you, Kristi, are so strong... there are many people out there who are not. Words have power, and if these people continue down this road, there will be consequences to their words one day, even if they never put a return address on any of their letters.

Now for the important part: Kristi, as you probably know, you do/will look beautiful no matter what you wear. But let it sink in. You are carrying the most precious gift ever given, which I am sure being a Mother already you are well aware of. I can almost be 100% certain that the very person(s) who wrote those emails are not parents and, if they are, sadly they probably have a lot of work to do on becoming better parents, because everyone who has been fortunate enough to have experienced the miracle of a child and the 9 month process beforehand would NEVER say what these people said. I am certain of it. Life really is too short to worry about the "haters," and there are too many people who see it how it really is. It is sad we live in a world with cruelty and horrible people, but the great thing is we also live in a world with amazing, kind, courageous, brave, supportive people... with incredible souls (and wee babies that take our breath away and give us more joy then we ever could have imagined). 
My family and I are thinking of you, and pray for a healthy, safe delivery. 

Love, Julie

Project Life

Project Life: Core Card Kit and Pocket Photo Pages

Alongside all of the DIY crafts I am in the process of completing I took on yet another task that I have been so excited to share.

I am all about simplicity. Although I am quite perfectionist I like to do things quickly and efficiently.

One thing I talked about in my post "when a 1000 photos just isn't enough" was this idea of starting an online scrapbook. I loved the idea of creating a book that was clean and polished at the same time not having to invest in a ton of supplies. I took a look a couple of sites online such as MixBook and MyPublisher (which by the way I would go with MixBook over MyPublisher any day) but once again it just did not seem to do the trick for me.

A few pro's of an online scrapbook:
1. Clean and polished
2. Simple minus the cropping and stretching of photos which could take time
3. Can add text
4. Pretty cheap compared to investing in scrapbook materials
5. I think the whole process is a lot faster

A few cons of an online scrapbook:
1. Uploading can take forever (although MixBook was much faster then MyPublisher)
2. Often cropped too much of my photo off
3. Could only fit so many photos
4. Could, but thought it would not look as nice, hand write events on the pages.
5. Did not find it simple to sort through my photos
6. Can't add memorabilia

I had finally kind of put aside the thought of making a scrapbook altogether until I came across Project Life.

If you are anything like me, you like to do things quickly and still like to see amazing results, Project Life is for you. It is made for anyone on the go who doesn't have a lot of time to cut, glue, paste, etc. You will see below the end product looks clean and neat.
It is a bit of a investment in the beginning but I feel it is well worth it (approx. $125 not including developing photos). Here are the steps:

Project life:
1. But a Core Card Kit... there are lots too choose from (29.99 USD online)
2. Buy the Pocket Photo Pages (29.99 USD online for a large package which is what I got)
3. Buy an album (range in price online, I already owned one)
4. I bought an edge rounder cutter because I am that perfectionistic and wanted all my photos to look the same
5. Pick out your photos and order them at any photolab close to use (no larger then 4X6 to fit the pocket pages)
6. Cut them as you like to fit the smaller pocket pages
7. Add the cards from the card kit however you like
8. Write on the cards as you like
9. Can easily add certain memorabilia

There are tons of free cards online as well if you are looking for something specific. Below is my start to Project Life. I have yet to order photos... so my book is just filled with the cards so far but take a look.

Album I actually already owned which was a money saver

The start to my book 

Work in progress

Corner Rounder

I'll be sure to share more of the project as it progresses. I am so excited about the end project! 

My Drugstore Top 10

Hey, ladies! Here’s a fun little change of scenery for you—a makeup post! Lately, I’ve been exploring how and when I can spend time on things that refresh me (and as a mom, that is a LOT harder than it sounds!) One of the ways I’ve been exploring my time flexibility and “me-time”  is by doing a month-long makeup challenge, trying new and different ways to apply products and colors that I usually skip over in my hurry-up-and-get-ready-so-I-can-get-everyone else-ready routine.  I’ll admit, it’s been much as I expected—some days have been easy and fun, and others have been harder (for instance, my daughter had a high fever one day—a makeover wasn’t on my radar). But overall, I’m happy with the daily little something that I am doing just for me, even if it’s only an extra five minutes in the grand scheme of things!

So, since I have been thinking about fun makeup products almost every day this month, I thought I would share some of my drugstore makeup favs! Part of what made this challenge do-able for me was the rule that I had to use what I already owned—no buying new makeup to meet any of the daily challenges. I wanted to learn new skills that I could keep using and not need to spend extra money going forward. So most of what I have is from drugstore brands (or Ulta brand, which is basically drugstore quality/price). 

Let’s get started! Here's my Top 10:

1. Anything Burt’s Bees. I am regularly reaching for the Radiance Day Moisturizer, the Intense Hydration Eye Cream, and the Radiance Facial Cleanser as the mainstays of my skincare routine. (I waited and got all of these on sale, budget-conscious moms!)

2. EcoTools makeup brushes. I mean…guys. These are so good. I have the Fresh and Flawless five piece travel brush set, and I just use those for my everyday applications, rather than saving them for my purse or travel times. They blend all of my products amazingly well. Every time. And you can buy them anywhere…Target, Walmart, pharmacies, Ulta…I just can’t say enough here!

3.  Maybelline FIT Me Shine-Free Foundation Sticks. These apply smoothly and quickly and allow me to spend the bulk of my get-ready time TRYING to perfect the different eyeshadow/eyeliner techniques that I somehow have no natural talent for…here’s looking at you, cat-eye liner. :) 

4. BB Creams/CC Creams. I love these and will love them forever. It’s like old me (no makeup whatsoever) somehow sent wishful notes about sunscreen and skin perfecting and anti-aging and LIGHTWEIGHT coverage to future me (makeup for fun—almost daily), and I discovered the perfect makeup for me. It’s all of those amazing things, but it doesn’t feel heavy (which I cannot tolerate, even for SPF--gasp!). The ones I have pictured here are from Physicians Formula and Ulta brands. Both are awesome. But basically every drugstore brand carries these formulas now.

5. Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powders. They cost like $3 and work like a charm. I consistently repurchase. Enough said!

6. Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hr Wear Cream Eyeshadow. I only have this one shade (creamy beige) and it’s pretty close to my natural skin tone, but here’s the magic. It works as an eyeshadow primer, keeping my eye makeup on ALL DAY without creasing or fading or smudging. It’s awesome, and WAY cheaper than those expensive brand eyeshadow primers!

7. Physicians Formula Powder Finish Concealer Stick. They have colorful ones to eliminate redness or dark spots, but I just have a light tone one for my under-eye area. It applies smoothly and gets the job done! Also, for those of you who are looking for a bargain, I happened to see a Walgreens ad for this week, and they are on sale for $3.77! WHAT?!? Check out the Walgreens website!

8. Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Kohl Kajal Eyeliner (the formula for Brown Eyes). Is it obvious yet that I really like this brand? Haha.

9. Revlon CustomEyes Eyeshadow palette in Naturally Glamorous (020). Love how pigmented these shadows are, and the palette includes all the shades necessary for adding dimension to a neutral everyday eye look, even a nice highlighting shade. It’s getting to be my go-to option, especially if I am doing my makeup in the car (from the passenger side, people!). It’s super portable, conveniently sized, and even includes a tutorial graphic on the back.

10. Model Co. Cosmetics Blush in Peach Bellini (02). It’s highly pigmented, blends nicely, and is a pretty universally flattering shade.

I’ll stop here—I don’t want to put so much information on here that it ceases being helpful. Basically, I wanted to make some products accessible, just in case some of you only have five minutes in CVS and that wall of cosmetics is alluring but too overwhelming. I’m finding a lot of fun playtime in this lately, and I definitely want to share it with other moms! Sometimes the things we do in our spare moments as moms don’t actually reflect self-care any more than our busy moments do—we are tidying up or planning out tomorrow rather than relaxing or taking care of ourselves. I picked a challenge that would actually require me to pamper myself a little everyday, and maybe when the challenge is over, I won’t have to give myself permission to keep it up.

Join me in allowing yourself time for self-care? Even just five minutes/day?

Have any good ideas or ways that you practice self-care as a mom? Leave me a comment! I’m always open to new ideas. :)

<3, Courtlandt

Another Milestone

Well I promised a few posts back a few DIY's were on there way.
But sure enough life happened and I have yet to fully complete any of them! Every day nap time arrives and I think... I need to take some photos of these DIY's in progress. But sadly something catches my attention like the sink full of dirty dishes, the laundry that is still in the dryer or the little cries I hear coming from my son room... awake a little early.
So finally 8pm comes along and I try again but at that time there is not a single ounce of natural light coming through a window (a necessity for good pictures... the perfectionist in me as a photographer).

I don't think I can put all the blame on the stack of dirty dishes or the unfolded laundry for hogging all my time. Last week something special happened it our house... and truth is it is making our house a lot more active.

This past week my Dad came over for dinner, as my little guy cruised around our house while holding our hand my dad challenged us to let him walk on his own. Sure enough with a few tries and little a bit of encouragement our little man was taking his first few steps by himself. We were beyond ecstatic.

Now, everything has changed. Every day his confidence grows more and more, he gets stronger and stronger, and everyday my husband and I find ourself needing to keep just a bit of a closer eye on him. So three weeks ago I could place him nicely in front of stack of toys and sure he would crawl around here and there (he was never much of a crawler but he gets around a bit) and this week he is pulling himself up onto everything and at times taking the risk of walking on his own.

I could not be more excited for Summer with this new milestone our little guy has tackled. Our house makes me go a little crazy going around and around our kitchen and living room with a nearly running toddler. So the dirty dishes and unfolded laundry will most likely have to wait just a little longer while my little guy perfects this new skill.

Now for a bit of a heart to heart, in all honesty I do not know how so many Mothers of one or MORE do it. How easy so many make parenting look. And for all the Mothers who don't know where the days go, see the dark circles under their eyes and not sure when the last time they washed their hair was... I am with you. Girl you are doing great!

Yours Truly,
Julie

10 Things Every New Mom Wants You to Know

1. She may just fall of the face of the earth
We all know babies are all consuming. She will spend a lot less time on social media, she will loose her phone 4 times a day, and she may just decide at times it is "family time" instead of talking on the phone/hanging-out-with-you time.

2. She may always be late
Seriously, as someone who was never late for anything I am surprised how often I am late now. Everything takes twice as long, so just have a little grace when maybe not only the first time, but the second time and third time she is late.

3. Baby is all she will talk about.
Many moms have nursing problems, colicky babies, and babies who wake up very often at night. When you ask her how she is doing, don't be surprised if it is often the same topic. Yes, she should try to ask you how you are doing and possibly talk about something more then her life but truth is it will come up and if you truly care about how she feels you will listen and be patient.

4. Don't be surprised if she always asks you to come to her house.
Babies nap, babies go to be early, babies need to nurse and a lot of these things are just done better at home. But don't worry as her kids get older it will change again and she too will completely understand when you have your own kids.

5. Make her a meal or two when baby arrives
Out of every single thing people did for us when we have our first son it was making us a meal that was the MOST helpful! Were starving!!! No need to explain, just do it.

6. Don't tell her she looks exhausted, because she is and she does not need the reminder!
No one likes to hear they look exhausted it really is just another way of saying... you look bad! Truth is she is exhausted and instead of pointing out how she looks instead, come over, watch her baby (if she is comfortable with it) and let her take a nap.

7. Support her if she has to cut a coffee date short.
Before I had my son I judged people all the time for not having their kids on a nap schedule! But truth is, it is not that easy. Your baby changes every day and I would have to say it is not until now (10 months later) that we have a pretty consistent nap schedule. Till then I had it was all up in the air. Baby woke up early, slept later, wouldn't eat blah blah blah. I had to come late to breakfast dates and leave early from friends houses, that was just the way it was.

8. Accept things will change and either adapt or move on, her life will never be the same.
Things have changed forever. She has a child now and that is her priority. Don't get me wrong it can hurt when your friends aren't there like they use to be or when it starts to feel like they don't try very hard. I don't think it is right that you are always the one making the effort, that friendship needs some reconsideration or a good talk but having some understanding is key. By all means through it all I hope she appreciates you!

9. Her house may never look the same, don't judge.
Just don't judge. She may not have time to clean it and its ok! As her baby becomes a toddler her sink may be full of dirty dishes, laundry all over the place and her house not cleaned for weeks. She may just live in yoga pants and her kiddies may be running around in just a diaper every time you come over. That is just life for now. Just love on her as she is!

10. Don't examine her baby when you come over.
If you didn't already know, all babies develop differently. So don't come over and point out why your other friends baby is crawling and hers is not. You get the point. All babies are different and instead of examining them just love on them.

Yours Truly,
Julie

Party Planning + DIY's

As many of you already know I have already started to plan my little guys first birthday.
I know, I am crazy. It is beginning of March and the planning is nearly complete. And in all honesty, I started in February, right after I finished planning for this baby shower above.

As I have already shared I love to decorate. I wish someone would pay me to decorate. And even better decorate and take pictures of the decorations!
But for now I will keep dreaming.

Back in February I had come up with the idea of doing a vintage lemonade party, however I lacked a lot of decor and knew it was going to be a bit of an investment to make it work. Luckily a dear friend of mine (who loves to plan parties as much as I do, and her parties will be on my photography blog soon!) came up with the idea of doing a milk and cookies party! BAM! That is what I want to do!

It has been tons of fun scouring pinterest, browsing Michaels for ideas and creating things at home. I am defiantly the type of person who sees something and most of the time says: I am going to make that. I have a hard time spending money especially on decor and feel as if I am being super thrifty if I DIY. But hey if you hate to craft and want to buy it, do it!

One of my all time favorite things to do is sit down in the evening with a good show on, sip tea and creating something!

So on that note I thought since we have so many moms interested in this blog it might be fun to do a few DIY crafts on here. Simple things all of you can do! For instance: a wooden growth chart, tissue paper tassel, paper pennants, chalkboards and maybe a few more.

So that is what I am hoping to share in the next couple posts to come. Always feel free to leave a comment or write us an email if you have any questions as all! Look forward to sharing with you all!

Yours truly
Julie

Making Me-Time a Priority

I saw a book lately that I immediately wanted to buy. It was called “The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You” by Jessica Turner. Hours? For me? I immediately chuckled to myself over the idea. But it was so appealing, this idea of Jessica Turner’s. She wants moms to practice self-care and do the things they love, so that they can then feel refreshed and ready to care for their families, but she suggests this: what if moms did this within the context of the already-existent pockets of time in their days?

Now, there are not many extra hours in any mom’s day, if any. Sometimes, there doesn’t feel like there is a spare minute. When my little girl was a newborn, there didn't appear to be a spare second. I remember thinking that my whole 24 hours per day had suddenly been swallowed by this very tiny body that somehow kept me from ANYTHING else, especially sleep! I didn’t know how to pull away and take a shower, how to cook a meal, how to maintain my home, or how to do anything except meet need after tiny baby need during that time. There was no time for myself. There was no time for anything except baby and trying to catch my breath and a few extra winks!

But over time, things changed. I began to predict her sleep better and grab my showers during those windows of time. I began doing chores and cooking meals again, whether my baby loved the idea or not. Life had to move forward, and motherhood wasn’t the only hat I was supposed to be wearing. This is the lesson we moms have to live out—that we all have the same job, that of a Professional Multi-tasker. We are moms, we are wives, we are employees, we are daughters and sisters, we are carpool drivers, we are educators, we are homemakers, we are cooks, etc. 

I am a dedicated mother. But over time, I learned to make time for other responsibilities beyond the baby, time for just about everything that needed my attention, except one thing. There was still no time for me to focus on me. There was no regular time to pick up old hobbies, or relax alone, or leave home and do things I enjoyed by myself. My awesome hubby helped when he could, watching our little one while I caught up on dishes or cooked or went to my prayer group. I knew this was a luxury. We were all busy during that time, especially him.

Don’t we feel kind of guilty as moms when we admit to spending time on ourselves? Don’t we sort of consider it a mark of dedicated motherhood when we spend all available time tending to the kids and run out of spare time for self-maintenance? I think a lot of us have a little bit of a martyr complex when it comes to motherhood, thinking we need to shelve all of our self-care or else we aren’t being good enough moms. I have known a couple of moms who seemed to have it all together from the beginning: everything in their homes was kept tidy and they somehow magically got dressed and did their hair and makeup every day. I just didn’t know how to be that well-balanced mom for a long time, and I felt guilty if I prioritized me-time over my daughter or husband or home. I’m still working on balancing my life, and I probably always will be.

But I’ll admit it. I’m spending time on myself these days. My daughter’s almost four years old now. It’s been a long lesson in the making, but I’ve learned over time that while I may not have a lot of available time to spend by myself, it is possible to do things that refresh me a few minutes at a time. I can read a little something, or even a big something, a few pages at a time. I can paint my toenails. I can do a quick devotional. I can take a tiny catnap while my daughter sleeps. I can cook or bake something really fun (hard to believe for some, but I LOVE cooking!) And I have also learned this: I need this time. I am a better, more fun, more successful mom and wife when I am doing things that feed me, even if I am sneaking it into my days or late nights. It’s really fun to pick up old hobbies. It’s really fun to introduce them to Austen, too.

I’ve picked up an interest in beauty and cosmetics. It’s a funny thing, too, because I was never a makeup person prior to getting married and having a daughter. While we were dating, my husband almost never saw me in makeup unless there was some special occasion. The interest just came to me over time, I guess. Now I’m pretty crazy about it. I love playing with all the different colors and brushes, and the packaging is just so fun. And something about it feels refreshing—spending a couple minutes doing something totally superfluous just for myself somehow makes the day so bright for me.

I’m starting a March makeup challenge. I’m celebrating my own “fringe hours” and allowing myself a few minutes each day this month to get ready. I claim no talent in makeup application—a result of totally avoiding cosmetics for the first 25 years of my life—but I do have an interest, and it’ll be fun to experiment with different styles and see how much I can learn this month. I have a good friend who wants to do it with me, and I’m excited about actually planning me-time in advance.

Do you have any time in your day in which you can cultivate your interests? Are you in a phase of motherhood in which there very few extra minutes in the day? Please be encouraged, Moms. If you are practically swimming in the demands on your time, don’t despair. Seasons change, and perhaps there will be more time soon. If you find five minutes during the day, do a tiny something for yourself. And when you do, celebrate those “fringe hours!” I’ll be here celebrating with you, and maybe I’ll even read that book. :)

<3, Courtlandt