Lovin on this Fall

We recently moved into a new house and are thinking we are all grown up and adult like. We are loving it and the extra room is so nice and was very much needed. It was sad to say goodbye to our first home together, so many happy memories. I hate major changes...but this was a good change. In the meantime our little one is coming up on a year! Where has the time gone? Everyone told me to really soak in the infant/baby stage since they grow up so fast...and I sound like a broken record, Im sure you have heard this over and over. This past year the hubs and I have really tried to get out and get pictures of our family doing what we love....being outside and enjoying each others company. Cheap entertainment one might call it. We are soaking in the fall days....I don't know what we are going to do when the snow starts flying, red box anyone?

Shirt // Pants // Sandals

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Fashion Friday - Are you a Mom like me?

While I don't know anything about you or what your day entails as a Mother. I do know what one looks like for me. Yesterday that day was spent cleaning up an entire tube of toothpaste emptied around my bathroom. It was a long walk in the heat to get to a park so the kids could "get some energy out" and a fight to get them back in the stroller to go home. It was a lost beloved flip flop on the way home from the park, looked for by me on a bike at dusk up and down the route we took several times. (Which would result in a trip to several Target stores this morning trying to find a replacement when they are sold out in the middle of summer. Go figure.) It was a giant box of Cheerios emptied out on my couch and thrown all over my house. It was no naps, epic tantrums at the grocery store, and a visit to a sick neighbor that ended up in her laundry detergent begin poured all over her laundry room floor and dripping down her heat vent, and me leaving embarrassed and adding her soap to my grocery list so I can replace it. It was a near sleepless night the night before and the night after. It was spent with the endless messes, requests, and demands. 

The few moments I stole for myself to scroll through my Instagram left me feeling like a deflated balloon as it showed picture after picture of "Moms like me" playing with their children while looking immaculately perfect. Captions like "playing blocks before nap time," "chilling at the pool," and "breakfast in perfect pi's on a perfect bed in a perfect house" while the mothers in these pictures appear to have just returned from the Oscars and slipped out of their evening gowns into a slightly less fancy picture perfect outfit. Did you just return from family pictures, a wedding, or a 5 star spa? Is your Mom on the way over to babysit for the night while you and your husband go on an anniversary date?  Do you have a full time nanny who does the childcare? Who looks like this on a daily mom basis because I sure don't. Sometimes I wish I did. But I don't. A year ago I took a 60 second bathroom break and returned to the wood and glass panel door being ripped off its hinges by one of my children. I can only imagine what would happen if I left them long enough to look as good as some of these moms do because I do know it takes some serious time to look like that. 

Are they bad moms? Are they wrong to look like that? No. Beauty is defined differently by each of us. Children are different ages, stages, and temperaments. I've learned that my "dressed up" is a whole lot different than others definitions of "dressed up." I've learned that looking like a million bucks is not real for me on a daily basis, and that is ok too. For me I have found out why moms like tee shirts and jeans. Its easy, comfortable, and cleans easily. I do have my days where I look better than others, as I sit here makeup less, hair in a messy braid, and holes the size of grapefruits in my jeans that I've been wearing for over a decade. But, I hope that if you truly are a "mom like me" you too realize that Instagram perfection is maybe not what it seems and we shouldn't think it is. We all put our best selves forward on social media and it's not fair to judge your worst to someones best, or your best to a fantasy that is not what it appears. Be YOU. Be Happy. Dress up or dress down, whatever that may mean for you. But don't feel bad about it, and wonder where you are falling short. You are doing the best you can and that is all that matters. Be your kind of pretty. You'll be happier that way. Promise.

So for this fashion friday, embrace the graphic tee, wear your jeans, holey or otherwise with pride, rock that ponytail, or cover it up with a hat. Free your feet in flip flops, leave the jewelry in your closet, and top it all off with a smile. You are a babe, just the way you are!

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Fashion Friday - Shoes of Summer

Few things can compete with walking along a sandy beach barefoot, dipping your toes in the water, or wading in a lake, river, or waves of the ocean. That is until you step on an odd shaped rock or shell and want to cry like a baby. Any who, as much as we love going barefoot whenever possible, especially in the summer, when shoes are required these are the three you'll find on us most often.

Explorer Shoe

Hiking boots for days spent exploring trails, mountainsides, and waterfalls. Boots are ideal for you if you will be in rough terrain, packing a load of 20-30 pounds, and/or you are looking for support for bad ankles or knees. They area also recommended for beginning hikers and those who don't hike often. While some pick a hiking shoe over a boot thinking a hiking shoe will weigh less, many boots weigh mere ounces more than a shoe and may be better suited for you. Shop around and find a pair that is comfortable and gives you the support you are looking for.

SEA Shoe

The beloved Flip Flop for days spent seeing the Sea. Sea what we did there. Beach side at the beach lake, reservoir, or just bumming around town we typically burn through a pair a season, sometimes more until one of our husbands introduced us to Rainbow Sandals. Their claim is a better glue to hold straps, a special sponge rubber with "memory" to mold to each owners foot, and a parachute stitch to hold the whole bit together. Supposedly this combination results in a longer lasting sandal that is not only comfortable but  environmentally sound because they do last so long. So far we are believers. While they are a bit pricier than a regular flip flop, the comfort and fact that you don't have to buy a new pair each year make the price worth it. The pair pictured was $38 before tax.

Move It Shoe

Tennis shoes. Running Shoes. Whatever you want to call them they are the work horse workout shoe and stand in for any other shoe when needed. I often hike in mine. A few tips for buying this well used shoe; take a close look at your old pair and figure out where they are worn most. This will help you figure out how you walk and help lead you to a shoe that will better fit your foot. Also before buying any old pair on the wall of shoes figure out what you'll be using it for the most. Running, walking, cross training, hiking, etc. Shoes are made with a certain activity in mind. Buy for that activity and they'll suite you well. Ignore brand names. To a point. If you have positive recommendations for a certain brand sure give it a try. But don't just purchase a brand because you like the look or the symbol on them. Choose a pair that matches your foot and activity needs rather than your style and your tootsies will thank you!

And for those moments when shoes are optional.... we hope we find you BaReFooT, because,

 bare feet are happy feet! :)

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Fashion Friday - Holiday Hiking

Growing up the fam always spent time in the great outdoors during the 4th and I too want to make that a tradition with my little family. The canyons always are packed during the 4th every year so we decided to hit it a few days early to get our outdoors fix. I felt like we were the only ones up the canyon, it was so nice to have everything to ourselves....so a word to the wise if you want a trail to hike on that you are not competing with a zillion other people, head up a few days early. 

As far as my outfit goes, when it comes to summer clothes I am a frugal Nancy. Why spend money on play clothes that will get sweaty wrestling babies in the summer heat, that will wear out fast, and washed one too many times. My shirt a $4.00 find at Walmart, shorts are old cut off Joes Jeans, and shoes were a $12 steal from Ross. You might be looking at the outfit thinking "she is a hot mess", but hey if you want to save an extra buck try it out and pull out some of your old clothes to makeover. 

Shirt // Shorts // Shoes // Sunnies // Backpack // Baby Pack

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Fashion Friday - Red, White, and Denim

For us, the kick off to summer is hitting the local rodeo. As you drive into the town each of the houses along the streets sport freshly mowed lawns, immaculate flowerbeds, and cars in every driveway, which leads one to believe family is in town for the weekend of activities. It reminds us of a small town in Colorado we went to each summer as children. It has that exact same down-home, everyone knows everyone, country feel. 

Every year our family gets together, sits in generally the same area, and has a great time watching every event. Dad grew up on a ranch in Colorado and knows all about each event so when we have questions, he has answers. We leave happy at the end of the night with sticky fingers from snow cones, dirty jeans from wrestling kiddos, and another year of happy memories spent with the family.

It is also fun to people watch and see all of the different cowboy/cowgirl looks from both those that are true cowboys/cowgirls and those who "dressed up" for the rodeo. Here is our take on a "rodeo look" from what we had in our closet.  Boots, white (one of my beach sundresses), denim of any kind is a must, turquoise jewelry, and of course top it all with a hat! Yee haw! Happy start of summer Y'all! 

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