Real life.

I got hit by an unwelcome truth bomb this morning: if you were to look at my half of of the bathroom countertop, you might think I'm 476 years old and also very smelly. Here's why:

Legitimately that hot mess contains no less than 11 different age-defying moisturizers and serums (none of which are actually doing anything about my early onset oldness), 4 brands of deodorant (necessary?), 5+ hair products worthy of Rapunzel's locks and enough Birchbox samples to get me through the next Polar Vortex.

I know. I have a problem.

But you see, this problem is SO SATISFYING...and I know that most of you probably share the same problem, amirite? As for me, I'm a product whore and am TOTALLY ok with it. So, I thought that today I would share my top 3 body, skin and hair products. Try to find them a-la-Where's Waldo in the above photo.

1. Aquaphor. I know what you're thinking, and no, it's not just for the childrens anymore. I use it for all the things. Under and around my eyes before bed, as a cuticle moisturizer, on my feet (with socks!) as an overnight softener...and pretty much anything else. It's the bomb dot com of moisturizers in my world.
2. Marcelle BB Creme Golden Glow. The underexaggeration of the century would be that this stuff has changed my life. For real. I got it as a sample in my Birchbox last year and it's one of maybe 3 things that I've actually purchased in real size. It's a BB creme + bronzer but not in an "OMG I look like a Kardashian that got stuck in a tanning booth then went to a rave and got blasted with unicorn dust" kind of way. It's a universal shade, so it works for all skin types, which is necessary for me, as when I have to pick the shade myself I either end up looking like Casper the Ghost or Kevin Hart. In summary, it's the perfect mix of all things--moisturizes and gives that little extra glow to perk up my tired face.
3. And for the hair, Chi Silk Infusion. On any given day, my hair can be my bff or my worst nightmare. More often than not, it's a hot mess and I wave the white flag and just rock a ponytail like it's my job. However, when I actually put 2.5 seconds into a real blowdry and style, this stuff rocks my socks. It's lightweight and smells absolutely devine. 

And for my next trick, I will attempt to organize my bathroom. But we all know that's not happening...

Kindness is King.

What kind of world do we live in that kindness is no longer considered the "norm"? Let me tell you a little story...

I was in Costco the other afternoon (maternity leave leads to a VERY glamorous life, I tell you). The lines were a little cray since it was just a few days after the recent Snowmaggedon here in the Midwest. Anyway, Harper and I were about 6th or 7th in a long line of people with full carts.

I noticed the man in front of me didn't have a cart or anything in his hands to purchase. Instead, he was on his cell phone frantically trying to reach someone. I assumed it was whoever had his cart elsewhere in the store filled with bulk wine, toilet paper and frozen pizzas and he was just simply holding their place in line. As he got closer to the cashier, his calls got more frantic to urge whoever was on the other end of the line to get to checkout ASAP.

Sure enough, just as it's his turn to hit the conveyor belt, his other half strolls up with a cart full. No biggie, right? They put their stuff on the belt, pay, and then it's my turn.

As I started to put my items on the belt, another woman came up to me and grabbed my arm to get my attention. I'm rather used to this when I have Harper with me--people stop me in the most random of places to tell me how beautiful she is, or to comment on her big eyes and mound of hair. But not this lady. She had other intentions.

She stopped whatever she was doing and came to tell me that she was SO surprised and proud of how I reacted to what had just transpired. She said that she would have read that man the riot act and told him to get to the back of the line. "You handled that so well, with such grace--and with a BABY in tow!" she said to me.

I thanked her because her words were genuinely kind and her intentions were true. But really? Really?!? What kind of world do we live in that having patience and treating others with kindness is considered NOT the norm? That when you witness something that seems so normal and so mundane that you go out of your way to compliment someone on it because it's NOT what you expected to witness? I was in a line, waiting my turn...just as others were. I had my child with me because I CHOSE to bring her to the store with me. It was just regular, normal life at a busy store.

Don't get me wrong, I was appreciative of the lady's comments and I do love that there are people in this world who go out of their way to lift up and compliment others. But I didn't do anything special. I did something that everyone else should have done...something that didn't deserve kudos or compliments. But my every day patience was viewed by others as being different or special. Have you ever experienced that?

I struggle with what happened not because it was bad or wrong, but because I want to be certain that in all things I am setting a good and right example for my children. And beyond them, that I am living my OWN life in a way that is calm and true to myself. Imagine if Harper had been old enough to understand the situation and I had acted the way in which that lady "thought" I should have reacted. What kind of example is that? What kind of world is that?

I'm not super sure where I was going with this post, other than it was something I wanted to share to encourage others to practice every day patience and kindness. Slow down. Be kind to others. Say "please" and "thank you" - - because, after all, you never know who you might inspire and you never know what sort of battles those around you are fighting. Be blessed!

Halloween costume cheats 101.

Here's my "Mom of the Year" tips on creating a mediocre and mostly reusable Halloween costume for your 4 year old, knowing 13 days previous to the holiday your other child will be sliced from your womb. AKA, preparedness.

Own this movie and watch it 3 times a week, minimum.

Take him to see this movie so it instantly becomes quotable and his favorite and he begs to be a minion for Halloween.

Buy this hat on etsy for $15.

Buy overalls on ebay for $8. (Unless you already own overalls for your toddler, in which case, I'm sorry for your toddler. Listen, it's not personal. I just have a hate/hate relationship with overalls.)

Buy this pin for $3.50 to put on the overalls. Yes, even though you "could" make it yourself out of felt and super glue for like a penny. But this is easier. And you'll swear less.

Buy this shirt for under the overalls.

Put it all together to make an adorable Minion costume that is 50% post-Halloween reusable.

And that, my friends, is how this internet-loving Momma (see also: lazy and crafting-avert) does an easy-peasy Halloween costume for her Minion-loving boy.

The very definition of 'oxymoron.'

Whilst stumbling over the pages of Old Navy's maternity section for some new miu mius clothes to wear over the next 2 months, I came across this:

  It's as if Old Navy just gave me a big, virtual middle finger. Right back 'atcha, ON. Right back 'atcha.

On general laziness and shopping problems.

My sister and her family are coming for a visit next weekend, and I had very, very good intentions on having Harper's room all set up so they could see it and generally "ooh" and "ahh" over all the things.

And then I remembered I would probably rather sleep and eat ice cream than set up a room that I legitimately have at least 2 more months to procrastinate over.

So I compromised with myself and put everything I'd been hoarding/buying/saving/planning that was scattered about the room and "organized" it in the closet, instead.

It's kind of the best of both worlds, because Kelli can still get a glimpse of all the things and I get two more months of procrastinating and ice cream eating and Joey gets 2 more months of figuring out how in the hell he's going to mount those giant yellow ceiling tiles on the wall. See? Everyone wins.

But the real winner in all this is Miss Harper, 'cause her room is totally going to be the jam. Here's a sneak peek at the collection currently stashed in the closet.

It's a dizzying and colorful spell of dots, flowers and chevrons and while sometimes I find myself blinking and confused that it's not all trucks and cars and planes, it is what it is: girly and fab. Joey opened the doors and I think he stopped breathing for 19 seconds, but that's fine.

Christmas in July.

If you've known me for a minute, you know I LOVE Christmas. It's a borderline unhealthy obsession and my house looks like the garland fairy threw up all over it from December 1 (respect the Turkey!) until mid-January. It's fine.

You might also know that the secondary centerpiece of holiday decor (next to the tannenbaum) is the stockings hung by the chimney with care. I've been waiting five years to buy a personalized family set, and now that bV has a real name, I took the plunge.

I know. They make my heart smile and I'm so jazzed for all the years I have ahead of me to fill them with things that will make my children smile. THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS.

Oh, and if you're wondering, I got them at this etsy shop. Jackie was GREAT to work with and she's even running a sale right now - $5 off each stocking.

All the things.

I'm doing some significant purging of late--call it nesting, call it OCD, call it just wanting to get the boxes of things out of my basement. Regardless, the hours and time I spent carefully boxing and labeling everything of Alex's from NB-3T was nothing short of a waste of time. Because this?

Is all going to friends that are having baby boys. Before you question my insanity, I'd rather try to shave my legs at this stage of pregnancy than even THINK about having a Mom2Mom sale or a garage sale. It a'int happening. 

Sure, I went through a few of the NB, 3 and 6 month boxes to pull out the things I want to save--like the gender neutral stuff, Christmas outfits or things that were just really special to me. But the rest? Goodbye!

And please say hello to the items that are taking their place. Specifically, the holiday items I cannot resist!

ebay

ebay

etsy

I will probably need an intervention at some point. But all of this is GREAT news for friends or family who might have a baby girl in the next 2-3 years...it will all be yours!

Thrifty Momma.

If you've known me for a minute, you know that I don't pay retail. To be honest, I'm not sure why anyone would. Sales, coupons, thrifting, and even stores like Marshalls and T.J. Maxx make retail seem like such robbery...and the thrill of the hunt gets me every time.

Anyway, I swung by one of my favorite resale shops in the area, Regeneration, on the way home from work today to peruse the little girl's section as therapy after a particularly insane week at work. For less than $50, I scored the following:

Nearly 10 complete outfits (5 of which are new with tags--a variety of baby Gap, Guess, Carters and Circo), 4 bloomers and pair of Robeez. Um, hai. And please die over the bottom picture. The ruffle bloomer outfit? The tutu/leggings with the kneepatches? I CANNOT.

P.S. - The even better thing about stores like Regeneration? It's a really easy solution for selling your items, too! They offer 30% of the retail value instantly in cash or 45% in store credit on your own stuff that they are willing to purchase and resell, so it can almost be like a fair trade!

Hump day, bump day!

bV is the size of a papaya!
During month five, the average fetus measures about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and weighs about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces.

bV at 22 weeks:
- Now that she's got more developed eyes and lips, she's looking even more like a newborn.
- She's sleeping in cycles -- about 12 to 14 hours per day (hint: they're probably those times you're not feeling any kicks!).

Ooohhh baby Sheila is riding HIGH. As I remember it from what was mostly a 9 month sleepy stupor, Alex was really low. I felt his kicks and movements below my belly button for sure, but Sheila girl is all up in my stuff. Literally. I've heard terrible, uncomfortable stories from other mothers about rib cage kicks and other below-the-boob shenanigans, and I fear that's what I'll be experiencing as bV starts to run out of expansion room over the next 17 or so odd weeks.

In what comes as no big surprise to anyone, I continue to purchase girly things like an insane woman, partly because the Internet is the greatest thing ever invented, and partly because girl stuff is irresistible. Three words: BABY LEG WARMERS.

In summary, I'm sorry in advance if etsy is sold out of all.the.things, because everything is currently en route to my house, instead. A few examples:

hat | poms (i got different colors, obvi) | changing pad cover | onesie | closet dividers | baby leg warmers

P.S. - We're NOT naming her Sheila.

And so it begins.

If you are my pal on Facebook, you are aware of my recent shopping binge for girly bedding and accessories for bV's room. I can't stop.

The thought of standing in an aisle filled with baby bedding from floor to ceiling in a brick and mortar store makes me break out in hives and get all itchy and scratchy, so I've been managing most of my shopping addiction online. Thank you, Mark Zuckerberg and other creators of the interwebs for things like free shipping and online coupon codes. I'm the master of these things.

Baby (pastel) colors mostly make me want to vomit, and I want her room to be bright and cheerful and full of polka dots, chevrons and sunshine. I'm struggling with her bedding, because the Queen bed we currently have in her room will remain, so I want it all to go together but not in a matchy-matchy way.

In no way am I exaggerating when I say I ordered no less than 15 options to be delivered to my front door. Half of them arrived yesterday:

everything pictured is from target.com

The pastels will be returned immediately and the front runner is the polka dots. The one you can't really see in the upper left is a crib bumper that has multi-colored polka dots, which I'm also loving but I don't want bV sleeping in a dizzying mess of polka dots. What I'm saying is I need to restrain myself.

The pièce de résistance of the room has to be this:

I know, right? It's 4 tin ceiling tiles mounted together and painted a cheery yellow color with pops of teal poking through what kind of looks like a "weathering" process. It was a gift from my parents for my 30th birthday from one of my favorite home resale shops in Bay City, The Loft on Johnson, and I think it will be perfect hung in bV's room. The pennant bunting is from etsy.

I also have this, which I was considering spray painting hot pink, but it might be too much for the room with the yellow piece. We'll see as it all comes together!

frame. print. but I'm probably going to get this print instead.

For my next trick...

Like most (all?) women, I have a love affair with purses. And shoes, but that's a story for another day. Today, we're talking purses.

I have my fair share of Vera Bradley prints, 1154 Lill creations, Target finds and Marshalls gems--and I like to switch it up often. Lately, I've been eyeing some handmade options on various etsy shops and other boutiques for a really different summer option...and then I stumbled across Better Life Bags.

The funny thing is, it's practically in my own backyard--HQed out of Hamtramck (pronounced Ham-tram-ick), Michigan. But the BETTER (get it?) thing is that Rebecca's business is built on something greater: a platform to help others.

From her website:

Since Better Life Bags started, I had been giving a percentage of the profits to low income entrepreneurs in developing countries through Kiva.org. I still plan on doing this in moderation. However, I also want to invest in the community God has placed us in currently. We moved to Detroit in April 2010 to invest in a small community here called Hamtramck. With 27 different languages spoken, a median income of $23,000, and housing values falling by 80% there is much need here.

We hire women who otherwise could not work to work for us. We pay them a living wage and watch them gain dignity, honor, and respect. Watch our video here. We also give 10% of our monthly GROSS income to low income entrepreneurs in developing countries through Kiva.org.

What makes this whole thing even BETTER is that her bags are beautiful - and totally custom - with leather (durable!) options. I'm rather loving the Beverly and the Molly.

I'd really love to stay and chat, but I've got a new bag to design. Have a great long weekend, loves!

Look ma, I'm human!

On Sunday for Alex's party, I thought it best to not wear my uniform of late (see also: sweats, tshirts, hoodies) and put on some decent clothings and do something with my hair other than a ponytail.

Lo and behold, it's me 'n 'da bump:



Hair: courtesy of my new clampless curling iron. Tricky to use, but once you master it, it's great!

Sweater: Target

Shirt: Kohls, maternity

Bracelet: my grandmother's

Necklace: Purchased in NOLA with my bff, Cait

It's amazing what a little lipgloss and grown up clothes can do for the mood. Despite still feeling like garbage, I also felt a little human.

Why I love small businesses.

Earlier this year, I wanted to purchase a keepsake for myself as a little reminder of my sweet tWIPs. Something special that only I would know what it meant.

I went to all my favorite little sites and shops and eventually ran across this ring from an etsy shop called Hand Stamped by Lorelei. I've purchased many gifts from this shop before, and I knew the ring would be the perfect thing. I loved that it was sparkly and fabulous with a little, hidden engraved secret that only I would know about.

via LoreleiVella

I had mine stamped with "twips" instead of the "xoxo" and when it arrived I wore it every single day. When I looked down at my hand, I would smile to myself knowing each moment I stole was a memory for me and me alone.

And then we experienced another miscarriage earlier this year. I don't know if I ever blogged about it, but we named that baby "BDub." I sent Lorelei a note asking if she would do a custom listing for me to have "bdub" stamped in the ring...and for whatever reason, I also told her the story of why I was choosing to get such weird-sounding names stamped into a ring.

Lorelei offered to do it...and at no charge to me. And if that weren't enough, when she shipped the ring back to me she included the sweetest, kindest, hand-written note expressing her heartache for our situation. It's my perfect reminder.

Lorelei and her shop are one of the many reasons I love small businesses and why I will continue to promote them on my little corner of the Internet.

Click here to discover some of Lorelei's one-of-a kind hand stamped items. Some of my faves are pictured below. (Think ahead for Christmas gifts...it's just over 3 months away!)

"I do, me too" forks

"personalze your day" keychain

vintage silver spoon cuff

wedding date ring tray

"you are my sunshine" cuff

I have talented, crafty friends.

Which is largely due to that age old "opposites attract" thing, in that I have no actual crafting talent of my own. Ergo, my friends do.

Specifically, Sarah. Sarah has more talent and creativity in her left pinky than I will ever dream of having. She has a gift and has been smart and savvy enough to use it.

You've heard me brag about her before, as she is the owner of her own businesses called so sarah designs. She handcrafts super adorable aprons, fabulous key fobs/wallets, napkins, market totes, iPad cases...girl does everything.

Last weekend was a milestone for her business and I was honored to share in the day with her. For the first time ever, so sarah designs can now be purchased at a retail brick & mortar store. The shop is called Hammer & Thread and is located inside a historic fire house in Allendale, Mich. Sarah is one of a handful of artisans whose wares are available in the shop. It's charming and delightful and I may or may not have purchased many things there. Stay tuned for future new house tours to see some of my finds!

So, if you're local to the area, stop on in. And if you're not, peruse online!

More progress. And crafting.

I spent most of yesterday crafting a ridiculous spreadsheet of all the things that must be done before we move. It's a very organized hot mess, which is just how I like it. I have us packing or doing at least 1 "thing" (closet, room, space, area) every night until the Big Day to avoid a frantic frenzy the morning the movers arrive. Hopefully, this works out in my favor and I can be sipping Diet Coke on my porch wearing a tiara and wielding a wand instructing the big, strong boys on where to place all of my shit. Here's hoping, anyway.

Meanwhile, everything at Alex's "different house" is coming along swimmingly. The tile is complete, doors were delivered, and the siding has started. Note in this first picture that the walls are also primed. I sort of love the primer color. I'm tempted to just leave it. And somewhere, the salesman at Sherwin Williams bangs his head against a wall.



In related news, I popped over to Grand Rapids this weekend for the Grand Opening of a store called Hammer & Thread. It's a shop that has a compilation of handmade artisan goods, and my dear friend Sarah of so sarah designs is one of the vendors! More on that tomorrow...

Sarah and I spent some of our time hunting around all of Grand Rapid's best little hidden treasures, and even spent some time CRAFTING. And by crafting I mean I opened a can of spray paint and read a magazine while she did most of the work. But I digress.

I will share all of our crafting goodness later this week, but meanwhile, please enjoy this gem: a painted (love the color) coffee table with a chalkboard top for Alex's playroom/the den. It was s STEAL for $130 and I might have peed a little when I texted a photo to Joey and he immediately responed with, "buy it." You're welcome, America.

More treasures!

We're still not telling Joey about this, yes? Good.

Anyway, here's the FAB chair I found for our bedroom. I lit-chrally cannot buy any more chairs for the house, as I am running out of decent hiding places. Well, except for barstools but those don't count, right? IT'S A SICKNESS, PEOPLE.

I know, right? It's delicious & goes perfectly perfect with the gray/yellow color thing I've got going. HAPPY DANCE.

I also got my Mother's Day present in the mail over the weekend. It's a squee bit larger than I expected it to be, but I lovers it. Simply lovers.

Oh, that reminds me! I'm on Instagram now - find me under kristiwmu...someone already had kveedub. Boo.

Heeeey there!

Long time, no chat. Sorry 'bout that. I've been a bizzy little girl over here. New job. Biggest show of the year. Potty training. Oh, and we're doing this other little thing called building a house.

SPEAKING OF.

I'm proud to introduce y'all to...progress!

We officially own a hole in the ground. It's terrifying.

We've hired some cheap, union labor. He's 3, wears Spiderman boots, his shovel is made of purple plastic and I'm quite sure his "tool belt" is made of felt and dollar store Velcro. But he's just so damn cute. Whatever works, right?

Since the first dig last Friday, they've added footings and what appears to be the start of basement walls, though I'm not really into all the terminology. As a disclaimer, you'll probably hear me say things like "concrete thingy" and "big machine with wheels" and "tool with a spinny thing on the end of it" quite substantially over the next few months. Trust me, I'm legit. But it really is incredible how fast it all goes up. Now, if only the rain would stay away this week...

In other news, please don't tell Joey but I continue to hoard decorative pieces in the basement. Because when you find things on clearance you can't not buy them, amirite? I'm saving us money in the long run, love. Promise. Yesterday I added a new entry rug, ottoman and...well, I don't know what to call the last thing. It's basically just a cool decoration I will prop up on a wall. It makes me smile when I look at it. Also? I'm on a first name basis with the folks at Home Goods. It is like a sport, and I lovelovelovelovelove it. Imagining our house all set up with the fireplace on and a glass of wine in my hand as we wind down the day is like thee best thing, ever. It's magical.

My latest treasures:

My secrets are safe with you, yes? Kthanksbai.

For example...

Remember way back when when I posted about catching the crafting bug? Yeah, well, we can all kiss that fleeting nugget goodbye. It lasted a whopping two-point-five seconds.

I so desperately want to do moustache valentines (like this) for Alex. This particular craft would require a moustache prop of sorts, but what you must know first is that the moustache creation in and of itself is a craft. Moustaches just don't fall out of the sky. But if they did, that would be so rad, amirite?

I could have gone to Michaels, Target, or any other store on planet earth that sells things and purchased a nickel's worth of black felt and used my own hands and brain to construct a simple cut-out of any generic moustache shape. Probably something of the handle variety with a cute turn-up at the ends. But I digress.

Anyway, that was really just too hard. It gave me an actual headache just thinking about it.

So I bought these. Like, paid real money for them.

I'm actually embarassed to admit it. But there you have it.

Oh, also...Jackie...can you puh-puh-please design Alex's Valentines for me, too? I'm obviously incapable. I will pay you real money, too. Thankyouverymuch.

I love the Internet.

Seriously, how did the world exist before online shopping? (And also Easy Mac and Keurig coffee makers, but that's a story for another day.)

Background information: I love, love, love Mentos gum. Thanks, Jennifer. It's yum, yum, gum, gum. Lasting flavor. Stays chewy. Comes in a fun little shakeable plastic container that keeps the beat for my mid-afternoon cha-cha. But I digress.

I usually buy the "big" packs - you know, the ones that fit in your car's cupholder - and keep it at my desk. Lasts me about a month. Inevitably, I run out and forget to buy a new one for at least a week. Frustration ensues. My coworkers hate me and my sushi/Starbuckies breath in my 1 p.m. meetings. Everyone loses.

Yesterday, as you can imagine, I hit the bottom of the barrel. And in a moment of brilliance, I went to Amazon.com and ordered a WHOLE CASE OF IT. And delivered it right to my office. Overnight.

Why didn't I think of this sooner?

I'm like a designer. Only not.

Joey and I have recently decided that if our "to move or not to move" solution is really to not move (and to instead build up), then we probably need to get our shit together. Obviously, if we choose to move, it's a relatively cut-and-dry couple of months process--sell old, move crap, buy new, move in--compared to a much longer build process. This would  likely involve designing something with a builder, finding a temporary rental, moving crap out and into storage, actually building the damn thing, cleaning, and moving said crap back in. Why again is this an option?

Oh yeah, because we love our neighborhood. We love, love, love, love our neighbors. We love our community. I even have a small business crush on our Mayor, but that's neither here nor there. So while it will be a far bigger pain to build up, we want to consider all options before pulling the proverbial trigger.

So we're going to meet with some builders to see what we're up against. Please save me from myself.

The natural progression of this chain of events in my brain has caused a severe case of the redecorating bug to bite me in the rear. I've been perusing all sorts of design sites to get ideas and inspiration, and being the salmon swimming upstream that I am, I've opted to create my own little Pinterest board, but in PowerPoint. Because that's how I roll. ABM3-erest. I'm tm-ing it.

Clockwise from UL: yellow zig-zag pillow; distressed red entry table; upcycled 'eat' sign; 'the end' bookend; swoop armchairs; morning green cottage shelf.

I know, I'm like eleventy billion steps ahead of myself. And Joey is probably hyperventilating as he's reading this. On the ride home tonight he will be all "you're already redecorating a house we don't even own yet!" And I'll be all, "But it's really just a PowerPoint presentation. Think of it as my sales pitch to you." And he'll roll his eyes and laugh at me. And tomorrow when that yellow zig-zag pillow comes in the mail I will have to hide it from him out of shame until 2014.

The point here is this: regardless of where this real estate train takes us in the next 12 months, I promise you'll be along for the ride. And I also might recruit some of you to help me hide pillows and such from Joey. Consider it the cost of friendship and readership.