Happy happy Friday friends! I feel as if the week following a vacation is always a little hectic… playing catch-up on life… and battling a cold… with a limit testing toddler (not sure what got into her this week….)… I’d say this week kicked my booty and I’m officially ready for the weekend. No plans over here… and that sounds amazing. Hope you all have something fun planned… whether that’s doing absolutely nothing or something fun and elaborate…..
Sharing my monthly Q+A below!
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1. Can you list some cute sweatshirts that can be worn for casual, everyday wear?
I wear this basic, crewneck, blush sweatshirt all the time (super soft on the inside)… I also bought this distressed hoodie back in May and love it for the fall temps too. It can be worn casual, or with jeans. Annnd, I’m obsessed with this leopard print sweatshirt. I think it’s super cute for fall and can be dressed up or down. I also think this hoodie, with a small little heart, looks so comfy.
2. Going on a trip to Europe, any recommendations for a great black pant?
Have so much fun! If you’re looking for a great jean, I recommend these from Madewell (I have a distressed pair in the same style and love the fit). If you’re wanting more of a trouser, this cropped wide legged pair is cute, and I also like these slim fit black pant (I’ve always had success with LOFT pants).
3. Blogging question: how and when did you start reaching out to brands for collaborations?
When my sister and I first started, we began reaching out to brands for “product exchange” collaborations when we had around 1,000 instagram followers and about 150-200 views a day on our blog. Product exchange is a simple “I really love your products and would love to share with my followers….” the understanding was that we’d feature their products in exchange for them sending an item to us. As following grew, on both instagram + blog, brands began to reach out to me, but it took about 2 years to get my first “sponsored” collaboration (where the brand essentially paid me for services)…. and fittingly enough it was a spirits brand and I was able to create a fun cocktail. I’ve personally never reached out to a brand to inquire about sponsorship (others have no problem doing so), but you can become a part of several affiliate programs that act as third parties between brand + blogger… they set up campaigns and coordinate the marketing.
4. Any tips on how to navigate friendships you don’t feel are worth keeping without hurting anyone’s feelings?
That’s always a hard one. As I look back on my life, most of my friendships that have ended, have simply faded due to lack of common interest, distance, or just growing apart… a natural process that if I were to see them again, there would never be hard feelings or animosity. I think there are always options…. you can address differences and the fact that you feel as if you’ve grown apart or you can accept the changing/evolving friendship and allow it to unfold as it may. If it’s a toxic relationship, a more forward conversation may need to be had, depending on the situation. In that case, feelings might be hurt, but protecting yourself is the best thing to do.
5. What is your favorite part of living in California? Can you ever see yourself moving?
Favorite part about living in CA is easy access to so many beautiful places. The beach is a 15 minute drive away…. the mountains are an hour and a half… the desert (depending on which city) a mere hour drive…. beautiful Santa Barbara and San Diego are two hours away… wine countries (Napa is a quick hour long flight and then another quick drive, and the Central Coast is easily reached after a few hours in the car….)… I feel as if there is so much to do, and that a healthy lifestyle is heavily promoted with lots of hiking areas, workout studios, and healthy restaurants. If I ever moved it would likely be to a city…. but whenever I say “I could live here” I come home and realize I’d likely never move.
6. Any advice on age appropriate discipline and chores for a 2.5 year old?
Same age as Harper… so I guess I have a general sense of what you’re experiencing! I always hesitate to share discipline + chore ideas on the blog because I know that there are SO many different opinions as to the “best” way to do so. That being said, most of what I use was gleaned from my days as a therapist… and try to remind myself that every behavior is a teaching moment. Given that, I try to use logical consequences. For example, if she’s throwing a ball in the house (a no no) I give her a warning “If you throw the ball again, I will take the ball away…” (that goes with anything… blocks, toys, etc)… or “If you don’t clean up your toys now, and mommy has to, then you will lose them for ‘xyz time.,” and then I set a timer and if she doesn’t start by the time the timer goes off then she loses them (one of those basic countdown timers that she can see). It sometimes requires a little creativity, but I often find that it works really well…. of course, we have our moments and days when it doesn’t as well. We use time outs occasionally, when we know she’s doing something just to test the limits (I feel lie parents can tell) and then its a quick minute and a half-two minutes. Something I distinctly remember from a training I had was to always do a “repair attempt” after a time out. Depending on who put her in time-out (TJ or myself) that individual will get her out, give her a hug, say I love you, and something along the lines of “let’s start over again.” The basis behind this was that the child knows what they did, knows why they are there, and there isn’t a need to harp on the situation. We use that and we’re fans… again, might not be for everyone though.
As far as chores go, I wrote a post here on that topic… but I believe in having her “help” where she can. When she takes her shoes off, I ask her to take them to her room and put them in the basket (sometimes they don’t make it in the basket, but they’re in her room, #smallvictories)…. if we have to vacuum something up, she loves helping with that (supervised of course)…. someone recommended having them “water” a succulent with an ice cube and I loved that idea…. having her help put silverware away…. she likes to get Captain (our labradoodle) his food…. I think there are so many great, natural, ways to have toddlers help out at this age. It also gives them a sense of independence, accomplishment, and boosts their self confidence!
7. Is the home you just purchased going to be your forever home?
Yes! TJ and I have always said that we want to buy a home we could live comfortably in… forever. We’ve never been the couple who needs a huge home… and wanted to make sure we kept our monthly payments at a comfortable rate so that we could continue to travel. So while this home isn’t huge it’s something we see ourselves living in forever…. well, after the renovation that is…..
8. What are you most excited/most apprehensive about as you begin to renovate?
Um…. is everything an acceptable answer?? Haha. I think I’m most apprehensive about those “hidden” costs… and by that I mean, what’s in the walls that we can’t see right now. I trust that the design process will all come together, but we have some large projects, like creating a master bathroom from scratch that makes me a little neurotic when I think of everything that can go wrong. All that to say, I feel blessed that we even have this opportunity and overall I’m incredibly excited for the journey and to see the outcome!
9. Do you count macros? If so, what is your ratio??
I don’t count macros. I tried for a day and it was a little to much for me. I know that people see amazing results doing so, so I’m not opposed to the idea.
10. I’m in need of a fall bootie. Looking for something neutral, flat, can be worn with dresses, and under $150.
These chelsea boots in a chestnut color, this black bootie, and these textured grey booties are all great neutrals for fall, and would look great with a dress.
11. Do you have any suggestions for a cute outfit for a concert or Vegas? Heading to the Drake concert on October 6th in Vegas. My husbands big idea!!
SO fun! TJ would be so jealous about the Drake concert! Hands down I recommend faux leather leggings, a band tee (didn’t find any Drake ones out there….) or black top, distressed denim jacket, and black studded or leopard print booties. Top it all with some gold accessories and you’ll look 100. I always love a good jumpsuit for a night out in Vegas too. A few favorite options include this one, this one, and this floral one.
12. I wanted to ask you if Harper went through any type of nap regression? My son has been on a schedule since day one and slept like clock work, really such a great sleeper. Once he turned two he has been so hit or miss when it comes to naps. There have been no changes to his routine and it happened out of no where. I have tried everything… moving nap time up + back, tweaking our morning routine… but he just goes into his crib and talks/rolls around the entire 2 hours (no crying though). Some days he will go down after a while but he just seems so restless. He has also started some night waking… which we never dealt with before. I am just at a loss and was wondering if you’ve experienced something like this with Harper. Any type of advice or insight is helpful!
Sleep regressions can be so very frustrating! We’ve had a few along the way, and are likely going through one right now with her afternoon nap. I don’t think I have any specific advice on how to get through it, as it looks like you have tried so many different techniques. I always chalked them up to a growth spurt… either physically or mentally… or just a phase… and prayed that it would pass soon. I’d have to say that Harper is hit or miss on her afternoon naps right now…. sometimes she sleeps for an hour and other times she sleeps for the entire 2 hours. I figure she’s just like me… somedays she’s more tired than others and needs a longer nap.
13. How do you find balance… workout, sleep, relax, you time, husband time, etc…..??
I don’t… jk… kind of. I feel as if “perfect” balance is something that is very hard, if not impossible, to obtain. For me, when I’m doing exceptionally well in one area, another area is typically lacking… and that’s kind of natural balance I guess…. because life can’t be running perfectly, at 100%, all time. All that to say, I’ve found some ways to ensure that I maximize the most of my days so that I can fit in most of what is mentioned above. I schedule our days pretty tightly, and wake up before everyone (between 5:30-5:45am) to get in a workout + early morning work…. when Harper naps, I work some more…. and when she goes to sleep, I work some more and then when I’m done with that then TJ and I try to allocate at least 30 minutes to unwind and connect about how our days went. I feel as if the weekends are the best time for husband + family time.
14. I know you are a California girl, but any fall wedding guest dress recommendations? My brother-in-law is getting married in St. Louis Thanksgiving weekend.
How exciting! Lots of beautiful options out there for a fall wedding. I love jewel tones for a fall wedding, and a few favs include this beautiful wrap dress, beautiful ruffled one shoulder dress, this long sleeve marigold dress (I wore it in New York), beautiful lace dress, and depending how adventurous you’re willing to be, this black lace midi dress is a statement maker.
15. Any favorite cookbooks you can recommend?
I don’t have a lot of physical cookbooks, because I look at a lot of recipes on-line (love Skinnytaste, Pinch of Yum, and Minimalist Baker)…. the ones I do really like include the For Love + Lemons Cookbook + Healthyish,
16. I know you do acupuncture… what has your experience been with it and do you recommend it?
You can read all about my experience here.
17. Can you talk about your day job?
I get a lot of questions asking me what I do for a “job.” Blogging is my job. I both blogged + worked my 9-5 job simultaneously for 3 years, and made sure that I could match my “blog salary” (which comes from commissions + freelance brand work….) to that of my regular 9-5 salary for 4 months before I officially quit and became a full time blogger. I have a flexible schedule, yet still spend about 30 hours a week (give or take 5 hours depending on the week and specific campaign deadlines) on my blog (e-mails, social media, post conceptualization, taking photos, editing, scheduling, etc….)…. my “work” hours are non traditional…. early mornings, mid-day, evening, and weekends, but it also allows me to be home with Harper at the same time and I feel blessed that it has all worked out… and I am beyond grateful for all of your support, because I wouldn’t be doing this job without it!
18. Would love your advice for a first timer who is looking for a good therapist.
Check out PsychologyToday.com! You can search for a therapist in your area, and also specify specific search requirements such as gender, years of experience, and areas of expertise/specialization. Once you’ve found a therapist you’d like to make an appointment with, pay attention to how you feel in your first appointment. Do you feel comfortable? Do you feel as if this is someone you will be able to talk to openly? What does your gut say?
19. Would love any advice or thoughts you may have on how to handle or adjust your mindset when it feels like so many women close to you are becoming pregnant while you are trying to conceive. I am over the moon happy for my girlfriends and sister-in-law but it’s been tough to keep up all the joy with my own disappointment. New outlook is needed!
That’s always a hard situation… being filled with joy for your friends and family, but longing for the same thing for yourself. It’s easy to say something cliché but I think, for me, the best perspective is to remember that you can have two completely competing feelings at the same time, and that’s okay… even healthy. It can be hard when it feels as if everyone around you is moving into a phase where you want to be, and to deny your own feelings doesn’t help (it’ll likely make things worse). So I guess my best outlook would be that the way you feel is completely ok… your not mad at them, or resentful towards them… you’re just acknowledging your own feelings.
20. How many times a week do you run and how do you schedule your workouts??
Check out this post here for all that info.
21. How do you meal plan? Do you just search Pinterest or just usually know what to make?
I follow this grocery list on a weekly basis, and then I have some regular go-to recipes I turn to… if we feel like trying something a little different, I try to search pinterest for simple ingredient meals… basic spices, etc… that I likely already have on hand.
22. What’s your tip for staying healthy on the go?
Meal plan, healthy snacks, and booty bands (if you’re traveling). If you have healthy foods ready to grab and go, you’re more likely to make healthier options. Having these workout bands handy makes it easy to squeeze in a little resistance training here and there.
23. What’s the hardest part of motherhood for you?
Hmmm, that’s a hard one. I think mom guilt is the hardest part…. and I’m typically my hardest critic.
24. What do you splurge on and what do you save on?
I splurge on handbags + shoes, and find that they last a very long time… I typically don’t splurge on clothing items. A good rule of thumb if you’re going to splurge is cost per wear. I always use that thinking if I’m thinking about a “splurge” purchase.
25. Would love a roundup of dresses to transition to fall. Short/floral/casual, thanks!
One of my favorite dresses for fall is this super casual free people dress… love the shape and it can easily be worn with a jacket or cardigan. I also love this denim button up dress. I’ve worn it with a cozy cardigan. This sweatshirt dress looks super comfortable…. and this is one of my all time favorite casual, long sleeve dresses (I’ve had it for years).
