I Must Admit

I must admit I wore this outfit a few weeks back, but I'll you what, these kick crops from Loft have been on constant rotation around here. I also have them in black and white. When I finally find a pant I love, it's time to stock up. The red and white are currently 40% off too!

I must admit part of reason I'm wearing pants and skirts so much is because nursing and dresses don't go together well. I have so many dresses I'm dying to wear, but it's just so awkward.

I must admit my taste in jewelry has been shifting. Most of my bold statement necklaces are going unworn and I'm more drawn to long pendant necklaces or more dainty short necklaces, but this necklace from Stella and Dot is kind of the best of both worlds. I like the glam look of it, but it's not crazy and overpowering. I've had it for a few years now and it's still one I love to wear. It's pricey, but it can be worn five ways, which is pretty sweet!

I must admit I am VERY excited to have the day off Friday. Hannah is going to daycare and I have school. I don't really have anything planned, but I'm totally ok with that!

I must admit that devotions have not been happening consistently in the mornings. Hannah must be going through a growth spurt because she's been up twice most nights for the last week and a half or so. I've asked the ladies at daycare to increase her ounces per bottle, and she's drinking it, but still up twice. I'm sooooo tired most of the time and pushing snooze twice when I really need to be getting up. I'm really hoping that I can try a bottle with cereal once at bedtime once Hannah has had her four month check, and I'm hoping that does the trick like it did for Grant. I miss starting my day with devotions and really want to get refocused!

I must admit it's been really nice having a few days at school to get caught up on grading while the kids take there state test. The piles were mounting!

I must admit that even though I was gone for two months, it seems like this school year is going on forever. I'm definitely feeling ready for summer break!

Life Lately

Here's a look at life lately, via Instagram!

For the record, if you saw me on a Saturday, I'd look like I was going to the gym, but it's a hoax. I haven't been to the gym since Hannah was born, I'm just boycotting real clothes on Saturdays, it just seems like too much work, quite honestly and this top and leggings, both from Target, are soooo comfy!

A New Phase

Grant has had a great year in Kindergarten, however, the week after spring break was a tough one for him. Evidently "Chatty Kathy" was spending his work time in class visiting and not getting his work done. The teacher emailed me and said he's very smart, but just too busy talking. Great job, Grant..... So, last week he was moved to his own desk for work time. Grant said he likes it, because he's distracted by his friends and wants to get his work done. However, the kid needs to have the self-control to work at his table with classmates like everyone else. 

His teacher set up a goal of getting his work done for the week, then getting to move back to his table starting today.  We also added an incentive at home. He's been begging for an ipod for music and I happen to have an old one that's been sitting in my desk. Meeting his goal at school meant earning the ipod, with the expectation that if bad behavior arrises again, he'll lose it until behavior improves. He earned it, which is great and I'm excited to hear how his transition back to sitting with the other kids works too.

As for at home, right about the same time Grant started to argue with us and try negotiate too. The tipping point was when he wouldn't listen to his Grandma when she game to visit. So, we added some new things at home too. Each time he argues means he has to go to bed 10 minutes earlier, and if he doesn't argue the whole night then he gets to go to school breakfast the next morning, which he loves. This is also going pretty well, but it's all about consistency. With Grant's spring break being nearly two weeks long (it included the Friday before Easter and the Monday after too), Grant had a lot of down time and a looser schedule between spending a few days with Hannah and I, a few days with Grandma, then a day at Kids Club. The lack of routine and consistency definitely didn't fare well for my kid. 

We're continuing to work on being consistent at home, and luckily I'm able to use some of my teaching experience as it relates to correcting behavior to help us at home, but it's not easy.  Just when you get into a nice groove, things change. I can only imagine how things will evolve as Grant gets older. I definitely feel a sense of urgency to do my best to take care of these "small" issues before they get big.

This shirt from Target a couple of years ago is one of my favorites for spring. I wore it last week with my red pants and today with white.  These white jeans continue to be a favorite.  A white skinny leg is not flattering on me at all, so this straight leg works really well and they don't stretch out through out the day either.

#BecauseKindness

"The time has come when we cannot just rely on others to make the world a better place-each one of us needs to do our part." This quote is from an article I shared with my kids last Friday and it's the start to a kindness project we're working on during this next month.

What started this you might ask? Well, when I came back from maternity leave I noticed a shift in the kids. They were still being pretty good to me, but man, they were not being very nice to each other. This really bothered me, so I decided to try to do something about it. I found an article, with this quote from about in it, as well as the idea that kindness can make our world a better place.  I also show them this video, which is pretty sweet.

So often we are so focused on ourselves and what's in it for us, we don't think about how a simple act of kindness can change someone's day. So, we brainstormed and did some writing, then I encouraged them to do one kind thing each day to help make our school a better place. They are coming in each day and quickly writing the nice thing they did, how it made them feel and how it made the other person feel. I recognize great examples and am posting them in the room too. The kids are loving checking out the cool things their classmates are doing.

I'm really excited about this and hope it helps make a difference in our school! I've told the kids I'm in on it too. If we don't spend time looking for ways to help, we won't see them. I'm already noticing some kids getting really into it, but honestly if it makes even one kid think about the needs of others above their own, this project is totally worth it. Kindness is free, but the way it can make someone feel is priceless!

These kick crops are pretty much my favorite thing right now. I also just ordered them in white when they were on sale for 50% off last week. So excited to wear them! Today I paired them with this fun sailboat tee I got from Target a few years back, I love this tee shirt version

How I Shop

I recently had a reader ask if I could create a post about how I shop and keep track of things on my wish list and when I choose to buy.  I thought it would be a fun post to share with you all today.

Shop Online
First off, in the last year or so I've really had a major shift from shopping in stores to shopping online. Now I know this isn't for everyone, but it's the stage of life I'm in-with two kids I don't have a lot of free time to go out and shop on my own.

Know Your Body
I feel like I'm able to shop more online because I know my body and what looks good on it. I did a series of posts on this, you can check them out here and get some tips for how to dress for your shape. I do try to avoid buying pants or jeans online, though. They fit so differently, I will scope out what I like online, then try on in stores. I know some people will just buy two sizes online and return one, but often times its the fit I have to worry about, not just trying on two sizes.

Get Inspiration
I don't spend as much time on Pinterest as I used to, but I do pin outfit ideas there, you can follow me here. Pinterest can be a time suck, but I really only pin outfits if I already have similar pieces in my closet for inspiration or tips on how to style it.  Take these flares for example.  I love that flares are on trend again, but it's like I'd forgotten how to wear them, so I pinned some flare jeans looks to gain inspiration.

Shop ThredUp
If you read my blog regularly you'll know that I'm a huge fan of thredUp (Use this link to get $10 off your first purchase). It's honestly my go-to site.  I like that you can search by type, so if I need a "cream sweater" I can search that and it'll show me every one they have available, and the prices are so affordable too. You can also search by brand, which I like to do too. They also put the measurements of each piece, so I know if it will fit, since sizes can vary from brand to brand.  I created a post with shopping tips for the site here.

Stick to a Budget
In most cases I have an unwritten rule that I don't spend more than $30 on any one piece of clothing, that rule doesn't apply for shoes, or with purses, where I really look to use them for an extended period of time and will wear them frequently. However, with clothes I usually follow this rule.  To help me stay within that budget I sign up for emails to my favorite go-to places, like Loft, J.Crew factory, Old Navy, and Target.  Loft and J.Crew's clothes never fit my budget if I pay full price, but if I wait for an email blast with a sale, I can score what I want at the price I want.

Shop with Purpose
For me, a lot of shopping is about patience, as I want to get as much value for my money as I can. Waiting for sales really helps, and honestly staying out of the stores keeps me from shopping the sale racks and buying things solely because they are on sale and not because they fill a hole in my closet or are uniquely special or different. This is definitely a shift for me, because a few years back my closet was full of "it was on sale" clothes that didn't get worn.

There you have it, do you have an tips to help me shop better you think I missed? I'd love to hear them.

Sometimes you put on a piece of clothing and it feels like it was made for you, that was true with  these flares. I knew I wanted to get a pair of flare jeans, and found these at the Loft outlet for $20, sold! I love how they feel on and think the shape is very flattering too. For me, the best styling has been with a simple look on top to keep it fresh, no long cardigans or non-sense. I got this top last year from Target and it's one of my favorites! I love the ease of these pieces together!

3 Months Old (Almost 4 now!)

I'm a few weeks behind, but I wanted to share an update on Little Miss with you all.  It's hard to believe she's over three months old!  We are having such a good time with her!

Currently she is smiling and cooing like crazy.  She's definitely realized how to use her voice and will have periods during the day where she just talks and talks!  

She is also doing a pretty good job of sitting up with just a bit of assistance.  She think the Bumbo is ok, but prefers my lap, who could blame her. She also is completely content to sit on my lap for extended periods of time, Grant was definitely not like that. 

Hannah also is a big fan of the bouncy chair and love to bounce and kick her legs. She does want a captive audience, though. If not that, then she likes to be put in front of the the patio door, so she can look out at the world.

We also went to the park recently, really it was her first time outside, since it's been so cold. She was not a fan at first at all!  The wind and the sun were too much for her, luckily, once she got used to it she was good.  It's so different from Grant who was a summer baby and we were outside all the time.

I'm looking forward to Hannah's four month check up to see how much she weighs. She has grown out of most of her 0-3 clothes (except for the leggings), she is still waking up once at night though.  It's not awful for me, she eats for about fifteen minutes, then goes right back to sleep. I reallllyyy would like to get her sleeping though the night, though. Grant did at 6 weeks and Hannah has twice, but obviously they were flukes. I do remember Grant started waking up again around four months and we switched to a bottle of formula with rice cereal in it, and he was back to sleeping through the night.  I'm just waiting on the go ahead to try this with Hannah from her doctor once she's four months old. 

Overall, I feel like we've settled into a pretty good routine at home. It helps that she's pretty predictable and easy. Dinner is made each night, the house is (mostly) clean, and we are all pretty happy. Life is good!

Sibling Love

I wore this outfit to church for Easter and am in love with this blazer I got from Jane.com. The first time it was on there it sold out before I had a chance to buy it, when it showed up again I "favorited it" in preview (previews are live at 4:00 the day before you can buy), then bought it first thing the next morning.  I have a few outfits lined up for it and excited to give them a try.

As I was dressed up in church with the family, holding Hannah while we sang songs, Grant just kept hugging us and saying how much he loved Hannah and I.  These are the sweetest words and fill my heart with such joy, and I'd like to end the sentence there but everything Grant does is "big."  He is loud, can be rough, as well as up in your face. He's a boy and he's five. So, his words and his heart are so big, but I can find myself saying, "Use a quiet voice," "Be gentle with your sister," and "Not so close to her face," about a hundred times a day. 

However, as I stood in church listening to Grant's words all I could think was, "Man, I hope he always loves Hannah the way he does now." Grant had the lime-light all to himself for more than five years, now he has to share it, and I'm so thankful that he loves Hannah and has only complained a few times about not getting attention because I need to take care of her. I do think the age gap is to their advantage, they'll always be in different stages, but just like Grant loves Hannah, she is just infatuated by him and you can tell she is crazy about him too. 

So, even though everything Grant does is "big" and it can drive me crazy, I hope he continue to love "big," and I don't want to be the one to squash that by constantly correcting him.  His heart is in the right place, and that's definitely what matters!