Baby | Neutral Nursery

When planning our son's nursery I was at a total standstill for the longest time. Styling a girl's nursery is much easier than a boy's nursery. It's not that boys items are not cute or less cute than girls. I would say that it is much harder to find simple, classic designs for boys. Finally, I landed on a mix and match theme of simple blues, grey and white. No footballs or dinosaurs for this boy. Well, at least not just yet :)

All images from my Pinterest board. 

Art Work// Chest// Crib// Lamp // Curtains// Light// Rug

Now, it's time to get working on this nursery! Our goal is to have baby boy's nursery transformed by the end of August. This is quite a task seeing that it is functioning as a storage/ guest room right now.

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Professional Makeup Under $20

After being introduced to Limelight, I quickly realized that their makeup was significantly different than the mix of drugstore and department store products I had been using. What helped me make the jump is that you can try any product with a 30 day money back return policy. Limelight features professional grade makeup products with many items under the $20 price range. Today, I'm sharing my favorite products that won't break the bank! Real life picture of me wearing all of my favorite items below.

1. Perfect Mascara- Currently my favorite Limelight product. There are built in fibers which eliminates the two step fiber/mascara process that I was using previously.

2. Perfect Eyeshadow- I am a quick and easy eye girl and the highly pigmented colors make application a breeze. My current favorite shade is Peachy Gleam.

3. Perfect Eyeliner Pen- The pen application can be used to draw a thin line for everyday or a more dramatic thick line for nights out.

4. Signature Lip Gloss- I'm currently loving the shade Grace and have been rocking it every single day. The formula is not sticky and has a wonderful sweet scent to it!

5. Enduring Lip Colors- When I want to look a bit more put together, I'll swipe on a layer of Cream Brûlée before topping with lip gloss. It truly does stay all day!

Most days I just swipe on some mascara, tame my curly brows and top with lip gloss before heading out the door. But when I have the time to put a few more minutes into getting ready, it makes me feel more confident and put together!

What is your favorite makeup product under $20? 

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Friday Five

So excited to finally be back in the swing of things this week and catch up some more today! I'm popping in to share five things I'm loving this week. I desperately need help with maternity photo ideas and would love feedback on good outfits. Don't even get me started on tying to coordinate with Caroline's outfit as well. Ah, choices choices!!

New Venture. Alright, most exciting news first. A few months ago, I shared about a new to me line called Limelight by Alcone. I loved the products so much that I decided to become a beauty guide! Can't wait to share more about my new venture next week! 

Nordstrom Sale. While I have tried my best not to give into the Nordstrom sale because we have very little wiggle room in our budget. I'm having all the heart eyes for this bell sleeve pullover which would be perfect post part wear. 

{Shop Here}

Favorite Target Mom Finds. File this under things I never thought I would blog about. I picked up this fresh pod from Target the other day for Caroline's diaper pail. Amazing. Caroline's bathroom does not smell at all even when the diaper pail is filled with dirty diapers. The fresh pod plus my favorite diaper pail hack have eliminated all bathroom odors. 

Maternity Photoshoot. 

I've been on the lookout for a simple dress to wear for my maternity photos in August. I've been recycling most of my older pregnancy clothes which were hand-me-downs and I'm already sick of the same 3 outfits. Especially in this 100 degree heat! I would love to hear your favorite store for maternity wear if you have one! 

Web Favorites.
 These simple hairstyles are wonderful for when my hair just wont cooperate. Paired with my favorite dry shampoo.
 My favorite salad ingredients, goat cheese and beets combined together in one amazing salad.
We bought an IKEA Play Kitchen a few weeks ago and dressed it up using this simple hack. I can't wait for Caroline to play with it come Christmas!

What are your plans for the weekend? We are hoping to stay cool inside and grill out tonight! 

Other Sales Around the Web.

Guessing by now you have heard all about the wonderful deals happening at the Nordstrom Sale. If your anything like me your overwhelmed with all the sale recaps! If not, just check out Insta-Stories. They are everywhere! I love a good sale just like the next girl but honestly just can't afford it this year. I think I have gotten a bit too used to shopping at Target because $60 for a sweater does not seem like a steal to me.  

Thankfully Old Navy is always having an equally as amazing deal with products at half the price. I scored great fall staples for 40% using the code EMAIL. The great thing is that you can combine discounts if your a card holder for an even better deal. 

I realize that the sale ends soon. However, I know that they run these deals every few weeks! I'll be sure to share next time they run a sale.

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Life Lately

Well, well, well. I have been pondering picking back up with the blog for some time now. Each time I give it thought, I become a bit overwhelmed with catching up on everything that has been going on. I am also wondering if posting 3-4 times a week is realistic right now with everything that is going on. I hope to commit to 2 times a week for the rest of the summer. 

There has been a lot going on lately.  I thought the best way to share it is just a few bullet points with pictures and I can share more details over the past few weeks.  

Shared we are expecting a baby boy at the end of October. I am thrilled that Caroline is going to be a big sister. Also, a little overwhelmed thinking about life with two under two. 

Spent many weekends enjoying Falls Lake with Caroline and the grandparents. 

Celebrated my 30th birthday with friends in Charlotte complete with an IKEA shopping trip. 

Hosted several girl’s nights/watch parties for my favorite reality show Southern Charm. 

Visited Asheboro Zoo with Caroline and our friends. Loved seeing Caroline's reaction to all the animals. 

Celebrated a wonderful Mother's Day with the greatest treat of all. Caroline started walking that Sunday! 

Enjoying lots of playdates with friends. New favorite place to explore is Marbles Kid's Museum. 

I'd love to hear what has been going on in y'alls lives. Looking forward to catching up with everyone and jump back into sharing more life soon. 

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Memorial Day Weekend 2017

Well, hello there friends! How is everyone? Today I am sharing our fun filled weekend. I will be back with a few life updates and excitement later this week. I hope everyone made the most of the holiday weekend and soaked up every minute of extra time with friends and family. Just so thankful for the individuals that gave their lives for out freedom and the individuals that continue to serve our country.

Our weekend was spent enjoying the beautiful North Carolina sunshine and spending time with family and friends. Saturday, Caroline enjoyed her first trip on the lake on my parent's boat. My dad, Caroline and I went out to Falls Lake for a few hours on Saturday afternoon.

Caroline loves the water and it was so neat to see her take in all the sights on the lake. She was happiest when we tied off on the shore and she could explore the water. The lifejacket was her least favorite part. The bulkiness of the life jacket caused her balance to be off and she had a hard time staying upright! Hopefully with a little practice she will get used to it!

On Sunday, we grabbed coffee and went to church as a family. Joe and I are happy to find a church home and are trying our best to make it a Sunday tradition. After church, Caroline took a mid day nap and I got everything packed up to head to the pool!  Caroline woke up around lunchtime and we headed to our friend's pool. We both had a blast cooling off in the water and catching up with friends. Caroline is such a little fish and loved handing out in her float while splashing in the water.

After a few hours, we cleaned up and headed back to our friend's house for a cookout. Everyone enjoyed bratwursts, broccoli salad, pasta salad and watermelon. Caroline spent time chasing their beagle around the kitchen. She is fascinated with dogs and loves doggy kisses. 

We were both quickly worn out after an afternoon in the sun and headed home around 5 for an early dinner and bedtime.

Monday was another great day on the water with my entire family. My parents picked us up around 11 to head out on the lake. We enjoyed exploring around the lake and then anchored off to enjoy some lunch. After a few hours, Caroline was worn out and was able to settle down for a quick nap. She is not one to give cuddles frequently so I savored every minute of her napping on me.

Thanks again to a day out in the sun, early dinner and bedtime was a must. After Caroline was asleep, Joe and I grilled out and enjoyed dinner on the porch.

I hope you all had a great weekend!!

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A Day in the Life | April 18

Blogging has the unique platform to give insight to individual's lives beyond posting on Facebook or Instagram. I think that is the fun part of lifestyle blogging getting to know people at a deeper level and gain insight from others experiences. I love finding anything from new makeup favorites or activities for Caroline based on other's reviews. One of my favorites is getting a sneak peak into the daily life of others. So, today I'm sharing a bit more insight into my life as a part-time stay at home mom. I haven't shared a day in the life post since Caroline was a little bitty baby at three months old! Here is a peek into my day yesterday.

6:15
The alarm clock goes off and I start to hear Caroline stirring in the monitor. She typically wakes up anywhere from 6 to 6:45 each morning. Joe gets up and starts to get ready for work and I head upstairs to grab Caroline. Quick diaper change and we start our morning playing and hanging out on the couch while watching the news. Caroline enjoys her sippy cup of milk while we hang out.

7:15

Both Caroline and I start to get hungry and we head downstairs for breakfast. Caroline enjoyed a spinach muffin with grapes and cheese while I had a protein waffle. I also quickly emptied the dishwasher and got ready for the gym. I also got Caroline changed and ready for the day. 

8:00

We play for a bit downstairs before heading to the gym. I have been going to Burn Boot Camp for a year now and both Caroline and I love it. She is always inthralled with all the musical toys they have since we do not have many at home. The 8:30 class has been my go to since last summer. 

9:20

We head home from the gym and Caroline immediately goes down for a nap. Right now, she will nap anywhere from one hour to over two hours. I can never tell how much time I have so I always try to squeeze as much as I can into her naps. While she slept, I quickly showered and started on laundry. I then tackled some ironing while catching up on the Today show. I also quickly straightened up my car and cleaned up around the house from the weekended. Caroline was still sleeping so I made a batch of apple sauce & sweet potato puree to place into pouches. Then I prepped for dinner tonight by starting mashed potatoes in the crockpot. 

 11:50 

Caroline's up from her nap and it's lunchtime! I grabbed a goddess bowl I prepped yesterday with with quinoa, edamame, chickpeas, carrots and beets.  I got the entire meal inspiration from Sarah Fit's recent ginger dressing recipe. Caroline tolerated the chickpeas but that was about it. I try to offer different veggies to her each day even though she frequently refuses. She ended up also eating some of the apple sauce & sweet potato puree as well as grapes and kiwi. 

12:45

I loaded up the car with Caroline and Charlie to run a few errands. Afterwards, we head to a local park for a walk and playtime. Caroline absloutely loves the swings. She gets so excited when she sees them at the park and will cry every time it's time to leave. 

2pm 

Back home and head upstairs for some playtime. Lots of chasing, stacking towers and practicing walking. Her favorite toy right now is the busy box and could stand there playing with the beads for a few minutes. Which is impressive since her attention span is a bit short! 

3pm

Caroline started to get grumpy and quite tired. So I took her into her bedroom for a nap. Lately afternoon naps have not happened and today was the same. She played and rolled around for about 45 minute before becoming upset and throwing her pacis out of the crib. I went back in and calmed her down and gave her back the pacis. After about 5 more minutes of her not winding down I got her back out to play. 

4:30

The no afternoon nap really started to wear on Caroline and she was getting quite upset at every little thing. So we headed downstairs for an early dinner to buy a bit of time before bedtime. She looked at books while I cooked some chicken breasts and finished making the mashed potatoes. She had chicken, mashed potatoes and then kiwi for dinner. 

5:45

Early bedtime for Caroline and she goes down without a fuss. After she is asleep, I head back to the kitchen to finish our dinner and clean up the kitchen. Joe is working late tonight so I place his plate in the fridge. 

6:15 

Relax on the couch for a bit while watching the news and enjoying dinner. I'm a old lady at heart and look forward to Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune each night. After dinner, I start working on this blog post and catch up on reading a few blogs. 

8

Joe is finally home and we catch up while he enjoys dinner. Then we watch a few episodes of The Crown before I call it a night around 9:30. 

Shop some of my favorite daily essentials!

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Easter Weekend 2017

The joys of any celebration seem to be amplified 2x when you see it through your child's eyes.  A our church service on Sunday,  a young boy shared his testimony of his parents teaching him about Jesus and how He died for our sins on the cross. While Caroline is too young to understand the meaning of Easter. I pray everyday that she grows to love Jesus and that I provide an example for her through teaching. Sometimes it is really difficult to get out the door and to church on time due to nap time. I'm thankful that this Sunday we were able to celebrate Christ's resurrection by attending church.

The rest of our weekend was spent enjoying the beautiful springtime weather. Friday I took Caroline on her first egg hunt with her playgroup friends. She really did not understand the concept but enjoyed piling the eggs in the basket and then dumping them out again.

Saturday Caroline enjoyed her final introductory swim class. We signed her up for a 3 class session at our local YMCA. She loves the water and splashing during swim time. The only thing she did not like was going underwater. I can't wait to practice some of these skills in the pool once it opens!

We celebrated Easter a bit at home before church with a little Easter basket and family photo. Caroline's basket was filled with 2 Easter books, a light up bunny wand from the Target dollar spot, hide and squeak eggs and a few hair bows. 

Sunday after church we headed to have Easter lunch with Joe's family. We grilled steaks and enjoyed baked potatoes. I made this delicious broccoli salad as a side. Caroline enjoyed her first bite of watermelon and hunted Easter eggs in the yard. 

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