2017 was one for the books. I can't believe how fast it came and went. About as fast as my pregnancy with Mia!
The biggest event this year hands down was the arrival of our 4th baby, Mia Claire. She arrived in May and we have been blessed to spend the past 7 months with her. She completes our Cruzan crew!
We have celebrated lots of firsts with Mia this year! It's crazy how much she has changed with each holiday!
I know the holiday craziness has commenced and we all have a ton of things on our to-do list but in the spirit of Thanksgiving I wanted to take a moment to share the things I am thankful for this year. There is always something to be thankful for.
thank.ful: adj.: pleased and relieved. expressing gratitude and relief.
Hello again! Need gift ideas for those hard-to-buy-for special men in your life? I always need help when it comes to buying presents for my husband. Today, I've put together some ideas to help make your shopping easier!
Today I'm sharing my 2017 holiday gift guide for her. Need ideas for all your special gals in your life? I have chosen some ideas that are also budget friendly! I hope this guide helps make your holiday shopping easier! Which of these makes it on your holiday wish list?
Last weekend I had the opportunity to meet- up with some other bloggers in the Savannah area. I remember last year when I was searched through the hashtag #savannahblogger not many were using the tag so it has been fun getting to meet more and more bloggers in my home town.
After a long week it was so nice to have a girls night out and meet-up with friends and meet some new ones too! We met up before our dinner reservations to take some outfit and group photos then had dinner at The Collins Quarter.
I wasn't able to go out with the other girls after dinner but I am hoping last Saturday was just one of many nights we will get together! Definitely go check out all the ladies over on Instagram and give their blogs a follow too!
Also, if you're a blogger from Savannah and want to come out with us just leave me your email address or shoot me a message!
(From Left to Right: Mary Elaine, Meredith, Kate, Kailey, Kristen, me, Megan, Kate (baby Max), & Kelsey)
There has been so much going on lately with work, school and everything that it's been awhile since I have been able to share what's been going on with the Cruzans lately.
School is in full swing and the girls have been thriving at their new school. We have attended our first school event recently and they had a great time! They seem to be making friends and I am happy they are doing so well!
Solar Eclipse Day- Ava's 2nd grade Class- Ms. Lloyd
Pirate Day- Lily's Kindergarten class- Ms. Herbert
Happy Friday everyone! Today I've rounded up a few Friday favorites. Some are recent purchases and some are items I am wanting to buy! Which ones should I pull the trigger on?
I love the striped sweater. I have been looking for a sweater like this and I love all the colors in this one from Old Navy.
The pink pearl sweater with the detailed sleeves is a recent item that I have yet to wear since the temperatures here in Savannah are not ideal. The last two days have felt like fall but still not cool enough for this gorgeous top. I can't wait to put this baby on and show you all!
The open front camel cardigan looks oh so cozy right? I am all about soft fabrics and cozy knits in the fall and winter. This color goes with everything and the price is great too!
I recently saw a blogger style some large gold hoop earrings and I love how it looked. I am a bit scared to wear them around my babies because I just know they will pull on them but I may get a pair to wear out or wear to work.
Ok, the next item on my list are these leopard block heel booties! They are a plush velvet leopard print and will be a fall favorite for sure! They just came in the mail this week and I can't wait to wear them!
Lastly, this chenille sweater is something I've had my eyes on. Chenille has been a popular fabric this fall and I know why. It's so soft! This top is on sale too!
Can you help me decide what I should buy this week?
Happy Friday everyone! It's been awhile since I have been able to post my Friday favorites! Thinking of pulling the trigger on those velvet shoes and chenille cardigan! Who's with me?!
LC Lauren Conrad Peridot Velvet Flat Mules can be found here!
There are no tricks here, just some beauty picks I've personally tried and like lately! It's fun discovering new beauty products and thought I'd share some with you.
If you come across something that you really like definitely let me know!
It may be fall but where I live, Georgia has not received the memo. The temperatures are still in the 90s.
Dressing for fall when it's hot outside can be challenging especially when stores are starting to sell fall pieces. Today, I'm sharing ways you can transition into fall using some summer items in your closet and new fall pieces!
I will be the first to admit I am not always comfortable in my own skin. I am pretty hard on myself about the way my body looks sometimes. And although I think a woman's body during pregnancy and after are something to be amazed at, it goes through some radical changes... Especially after three children. The thought of taking budoir style photos was a bit intimidating to me.
However, my experience with budoir and working with Ashley definitely made me change my mind about the whole idea. This was a way for me to jump out of my comfort zone and celebrate my body just the way it is.
I think it makes a difference when you feel comfortable with the photographer during the shoot. We had champagne and talked through our vision for the shoot. I didn't want the typical lace and pearls. I wanted cozy and I think it came out through these beautiful photos.
Be sure to check out Beschell Photograpy if you're interested in budoir photography. More on my session can be found on Ashley's blog.
Over the holiday weekend I was finally able to check out Kendra Scott's fall 2017 collection. The collection was inspired from Kendra Scott's trip to Florence, Italy. It's full of rich colors that will complement all your fall outfits. The ornate details, the romantic stones and architectural designs are just dreamy. I've linked my favorite pieces below.
I am constantly inspired by the bloggers I follow. I love learning how
they optimize the different social platforms to really build their brand.
Instagram Stories has been getting more popular than Snapchat these
days. I admit I only get on Snapchat because they have better filters than
Instagram at the moment. My kids and I have a lot of fun checking out what fun
new filters pop up.
However, I have noticed bloggers/Instagram ladies utilizing Instagram
Stories to grow their reach through product reviews, sharing real-life snaps
and just engaging their audience.
I enjoy viewing everyone’s Instagram stories because I get to learn
more about the people I follow. I love to hear the voices behind the profile
and seeing the behind the scene snaps of your real life.
There are some fun tips and tricks to making your stories more fun and
engaging and I wanted to share some of those tips and tricks I’ve learned recently
from reading different posts and from asking my favorite Insta-friends.
I cannot believe August is already almost over. Today I’m
just sharing what’s going on lately with my little* family.
*I started saying “little” family when Ava was born… add
three more babies and we aren’t that little anymore :)
1. Ava and Lily started school 2 weeks ago at their new
school. It’s been pretty great so far. They seem to like their teachers and
have made new friends already. I cannot believe I have a 2nd grader
and a kindergartener!
2. Mia turned 3 months old this month. She’s such a joy. I’m
so thankful she’s been a happy baby from the very beginning. She is nursing
like a champ and only really cries when she’s hungry or sleepy. She smiles at
our familiar faces and we even caught her first laugh during bath time last
night! She loves to coo at us and her cheeks are my favorite!
3. I am starting to feel like myself more and more with each
day. I had a bout of baby blues right before coming back to work and I think
with everything going on from baby to moving to going back to work, the postpartum
blues was amplified. I think since we have ironed out our new daily routine it
has helped me find some balance but I still need to work on myself. However,
that is for another post.
4. I’m getting excited to start decorating for fall. This
will be my first holiday in the new house so I am slowing picking up items here
and there to start gathering my fall collection. I am loving the fall farmhouse
vibes. I can’t wait to show you all. This photo cracked me up. Is this anyone else?
Happy Friday, y'all! Today I'm sharing my list of Friday favorites! There are a few items from the Nordstrom Sale that will be great for the Fall. It's hard to think about fall when it's so hot out but your fall self will thank you later.
It's been a hot minute since I've shared my Friday favorites! Between being in between sizes and then buying things for the house, I really haven't been shopping for myself. It's time to bring it back!
These are my favorite picks this week! What are you currently loving?
The end of summer is coming up with less than a month left until my girls go back to school. My maternity leave has come and gone and I went back to work a week ago.
So if you have noticed, I've been M.I.A. on posting on the blog and on Instagram since baby Mia arrived in May.
I'm living that mom life hard these days juggling four kids and adjusting to my new life. Y'all, four kids is no joke!
We also just moved into our new home and with that comes some adjustments.
It's been crazy hectic since the summer began with the new baby, new house, and us being on vacation. Throw in a hubby who went out of the country on business!
Life has been going going going and I can barely keep up. I've been feeling displaced and feeling like I've been missing out on a ton.
I'm preparing the girls to start a new school which means back-to-school shopping. I am slowly getting things settled in the house too.
For the most part our house is unpacked and we have the basics. I'm slowly decorating each room how I want them and I can't wait to give you all a home tour!
In the next few weeks I'm looking forward to getting our new routine down so I can get back to posting more regularly. I hope you stick around!
Savannah is filled with great restaurant choices. There's always a new place to discover and I love all the different flavors and options we have to pick from.
I love to try out new beauty products. Recently, I teamed up with Dove and TRESemme to share my thoughts on a few new products.
I just cut my hair and have been curling/styling it a lot more. I got to try out TRESemme's Extra Hold Hair Spray and I love the way my hair moves. It holds my curls while still allowing movement. It's the perfect amount of hold without feeling sticky.
TRESemme also sent over their Keratin Smooth Shine Serum. I thought it would make my fine hair greasy, but it does the total opposite. The non-greasy formula transforms dry hair into silky smooth tresses. I think it's great for those who using the blow dryer every day. I also use it for all my fly-aways too and it works great.
Another great product I was able to try was Dove's Invisible Dry Spray. I'm usually a deodorant stick gal but I was excited to try something different. I honestly love it. Not only does it keep me dry but it leaves no white marks and smells good too. My only suggestion is to spray it on in an open room because it can be a bit suffocating with the bathroom door closed.
I think out of all the products I've had to try my favorite would be Dove's new Shower Foam Wash. The body wash is super light weight and smells so fresh. It's gentle enough to use on my kids and my skin feels so great after each use. If you haven't tried it I highly recommend you give it a try!
There's not much that fits over this belly anymore. I think this adorable embroidered peplum top from She In barely fits but I had to show you guys!
The polka dot details and the lightweight material makes this top easy to wear even in the summer. I love the embroidered design and I can see myself pairing it with some cute denim shorts and wedges once the baby is born! It would make a cute outfit for Cinco de Mayo for sure!
I paired it here with some gaucho pants and my favorite flatforms.
I also found a similar top in a sleeveless option too!
Oh, man am I glad it's Friday. It feels like summer out and I'm already so hot! I am so happy I won't have to summer through the entire summer being pregnant. The baby will be arriving soon hopefully!
Anyways, wanted to drop in a share my Friday faves with you! I've been seeing so many Bauble Bar dupes and these are a steal for $12! They come in lots of colors too so check it out!
Also loving floral with leopard lately and I'm digging these wide leg pants and block heels! I'm ready to lose the belly so I can fit into regular clothes. You may have noticed I haven't posted many OOTD photos on Instagram lately and it's because I've been living in the same mix of maternity clothes lol! It will go back to regular scheduled outfits soon!
