ok, full disclosure, hair isn’t really my forte.  i had short hair for a number of years, but long hair feels more like me now.  isn’t it fascinating how we change over the years, and feel comfortable with totally different things?  just me?   i’m a weird one, i know.  i basically keep long hair so i can pull it up into a topknot…i just feels easier to me.  and here’s a funny fact, ever since hudson was a teeny tiny baby, he would play with my hair while nursing or taking a bottle.  and to this day, if he has a pacifier or is drinking a bottle (yes, i’m keeping him a baby forever), he still plays with it.  it’s pretty sweet.  i’m not into a ton of products, but i do have a couple of favorite things that i use often.

first, i try to wash my hair as little as possible.  like once or twice a week.  there are some hat days for sure, but i’ve found my hair feels healthier and i seem to be able to hang onto hair better.  it honestly feels thicker now than it ever has.  one of the things that helps me get through a few of those borderline days is dry shampoo.  i have tried A LOT, and my very very favorite is this one from living proof.  it smells great (a lot don’t), and it works well too.  the downside of dry shampoo is the residue, especially for a brunette like moi.  i’ve tried the ‘colored’ dry shampoos, and i like those even less.  SO, i use it at night.  spray on your roots before you go to bed (rub it in a little, or not at all) – it will have a chance to work through overnight, and you wake up with fresher hair and basically no residue.  holla!  (i’ve heard really good things about this one too.  )

ok, every decade i buy a new brush.  that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but a brush isn’t something i feel the need, or think to replace, all that often.  the last time i was due, i picked up the lemon drop from dry bar, and i love it.  it goes through wet or dry hair easily, and chloe screams at me less when i use it on her.  why must brushing a child’s hair be equivalent to torture??

now to styling.  i love love love my hair when it’s curled.  honestly, it doesn’t happen that often, so when i do it, i want it to last a few days.  my curling iron of choice is this one (the 1.5 inch), and i turn it to the highest temperature.  probably not great for my hair, but i find the curl holds better.  after it’s curled up, i spray with hair spray (not too picky on that), and finish with this texture spray.  it smells heavenly, and the fragrance lasts most of the day.  my stylist introduced me to it, and i thank her (hey lindsay!).  as for making those curls last, it’s another nighttime trick!  (also a tip from my hair stylist, she’s basically a genius)  BRAID YOUR HAIR.  it doesn’t have to be fancy or straight, just throw it in a loose braid, and it will help keep the curl to the next day.  you might have to touch up a few pieces, or sometimes i like to just use some wave spray to give it some texture.

so there ya go, a dummies guide to hair. ;)

if you follow me on instagram, you KNOW today was chloe’s 4th birthday.  i went a little IG crazy, but i just had to capture her at this age.  she is fun and challenging, imaginative and sweet, and just plain awesome.  the light was just right in our breakfast nook this afternoon, so i took full advantage to mark her special day.

she wasn’t a fan of the idea at first….

but warmed up to it with a bribe. ;)

can we talk about these curls!?!

i feel like i can see her as a teenager here somehow…  

THIS is chloe.  

happy day, sweet girl.

well, there went another week.  i am still trying to figure out this blogging while mothering three small children business.  when i started this old thing, beckett was a ba-by, and he took reeeeeallly long naps, which gave me a nice chunk of time each day.  there is no longer a dull moment around here, and poor hudson had a sick few days, so i spent most of last week with a fussy baby on my hip.  i digress, but that’s where i’ve been.

ok, this may be the easiest outfit known to man.  it’s so ridiculously simple, but that same fact allows you to tweak it so many different ways.  sporty, dressy, edgy, the list goes on.  whatever feels good to you, do it.  i know you have a pair of jeans (or 7), and i’m betting you have a chambray shirt.  put the two together, add accessories, and that’s that.  the trick is to make sure the washes are a little different so there’s some contrast, otherwise i think it becomes a bit too much of a good thing.

look 1 i’m calling hipster chic.  my friend shared that term with me last week, and i’ve been trying to use it as much as possible.  i think it’s hilarious and i really just love it.

and here we have the sporty vibe.  i was having a dance party by the time i shot this one.  ;)  i am super-loving the destroyed denim right now.  it makes even the frilliest top seem a little edgy and undone.

chambray shirt: you’re gonna have this one forever, under $30, under $20,

jeans: mine (high-waisted), high-waisted similar, mine (destroyed, on sale!), destroyed

jewelry: spike bracelet, bangle, another fun one

scarf: similar, similar, similar

sunnies: mine (on sale for less than $25!), see my under $100 sunglasses round up here

shoes: booties, my sneakers, another fun pair

funny that i would talk about sunglasses this week, when i have barely worn mine.  it’s been cloudy and gray for what seems like days on end, and i am sooooo ready for that sun to peek out.  i think tomorrow is our day!  finally!

as my dear husband would tell you, i have a little addiction. to sunglasses.  it’s harmless really, except that i have little piles of them everywhere.  i feel like they can totally change your look for not a ton of money, and it’s another fun way to show some personality.  and, when i go light on the make-up – which is basically every day, they cover a multitude of sins – like dark eyes from toddlers that are up all night.  but that’s a whole different topic.  of course sunnies are fun in the summertime, but i rarely go a day without them, and for me they’re just as important in winter – especially on a snow day.  hello bright white world!  i rounded up a few brands that are a little off the beaten path and have some great looking frames.  i own a few from quay and one from le specs and have loved them – a lot.  everything linked up is under $100!

LE SPECS (all pictured below)-  chunky cat-eye (bold, more subtle), black aviators, tortoiseshell w/ mirrored lenses, black square, blush transparent

DIFF – each of these come in several different frame and lens colors (all pictured below) – cat-eye, round, aviator

QUAY (all pictured below) – clear w/ rose lenses, cat-eye aviators, pink w/ silver lenses, round tortoiseshell, white marble w/ silver lenses, gray w/ blue lenses (same shape as my light gray with pink lenses)

so, the holiday season is over.  wah, wah.  but i do love a fresh start, and that my friends, is what we have.  we actually didn’t start all that fresh over here, with everyone taking turns being sick for several weeks and news that chloe needs tubes for her ears.  BUT, i am determined to start fresh this week.  in fact, i’m treating this week as my new year.  so if that’s what you need too, i’m giving you permission for a late start as well.  as chloe has been saying lately, let’s do this!

i haven’t done resolutions in a long time, but i took a shot at making some goals for myself for 2017, and i’m sharing a few today.  my over-arching theme is self-care.  sounds a little selfish, i know, but quite honestly, i have put myself completely on the back burner since becoming a mother, and i have been pretty happy to be there.  but i feel myself coming out of the baby phase, i’m 100% good with it, and i feel like i can take charge of me for the first time in a loooooong time.  and i think the better i take care of me, the better i can take care of this family.  that means a) being even more conscientious about food – planning, what we eat, and less sugar for everyone, b) taking time for just me sometimes, and being ok with it (forever grappling with that mom guilt!), and c) working out consistently.  i have been on and off the wagon so many times with exercise, and it’s time i jump on for good.  i’m not doing this just for swimsuit season. for the first time in my life, i feel weak, and i don’t like it.  i was on a big kick with BBG last spring – it’s manageable and time-effective (under 30 minutes!), not to mention, i saw the fastest results i’ve ever seen with my body – so that’s what i plan to get back to and mix in some yoga as well.

now, to the good stuff – a few winter essentials….

first, the midwest weather is so unpredictable – last week, it was 60 one day!  but we still have our fair share of freezing days, and i. do. not. like. to. be. cold.  so i have a few favorites i thought i’d share with you.

fleece-lined leggings.  oh my gosh, these are game-changing when you still want to throw on some leggings, but it’s freezing outside.  they make such a huge difference.  mine are from target a few years ago, but i found similar ones here, here, and here.

cute winter coat. i feel like everyone needs a coat you can throw on with anything.  i can wear this with work-out wear to feel more put-together and just as easily put it on for a winter night out.  i bought it last year and i’m still obsessed with it.  my mom loved it so much that she got one in navy.    mine is j. crew.  a few other fun options here and here.

sneakers.  ok, mom-life is so much easier in comfy shoes.  i’m in constant motion chasing hudson, who is a tiny wrecking ball on feet, and my days usually consist of running a few errands in addition to running after kids.  i got these for christmas, and i LOVE them.  they’re a dusty pink, and they seem to go with just about everything.  these and these are great too.  and these and these are on sale!

beanie – for those days when you just can’t with your hair.  cute, cute, and cuuuuuute!

tell me, what are you doing this year that’s just for you?  and the more important question, how are you staying motivated to do it?

well, sheesh.  i really didn’t expect to be completely absent here for almost a month.  the last few weeks have been fast and furious and long and full, and well, exhausting. christmas was amazing this year with the excitement level we had over here – definitely the best yet!  we rang in the new year with sweet friends, and watched our kids go bonkers – which quite frankly, is very typical.  and we tried every trick in the book to keep the kids entertained over christmas break.  good lord, i love them, but the energy level that they maintain all day leaves me both tired and in awe.

here’s the million dollar question – what do you do to burn your kids energy when you’re stuck at home?  none of my kids know how to sit still.

put on your red lips, ladies!  it’s time to get dressed up for those christmas parties!

the formula for this outfit is simple – plaid shirt + flirty skirt + sparkly necklace.  i added a fur vest just for fun, but hung it up when i got to the party.  what really makes it work, in my opinion, is the plaid and the sparkles.  they seem like opposites, but put them together and it just works.  i find that a lot when i’m getting dressed actually – mix opposites (denim and sequins, high and low, leather and ruffles) and they will usually play well together.

shirt (old) similar – skirt (old) similar, this one would be fun! – faux fur vest (old) similar – booties (old) similar, these are awesome – clutch (cw boutique) – necklace (old) similar

this next one i wore to our neighborhood party, which was a dressier affair.  i’ve had this dress for probably 10 years, and it still feels relevant.  i love when i accidentally buy a piece that works for the long haul!  the faux fur snood has worked into so many outfits lately.  it feels festive and fun, not to mention super warm.

dress (old) similar, similar, similar – faux fur snood – clutch (old) similar – shoes (old) similar – lipstick

happy party hopping, and enjoy this last weekend before christmas!

tis the season for about eleventy billion holiday events!  i’m not complaining, because it means being social and dressing up – two things that i’m always happy to do!  in the past week, we’ve been to jared’s office party, a musical, a neighborhood party, and a friend’s annual party…these were back-to-back nights and we were so whipped by sunday, but it’s a great problem to have!  this week, i’m going to share a few fun holiday outfits that got me through the aforementioned event explosion.  the first look is for something on the more casual side, but you could easily dress up this top with black pants, a pencil skirt, or maybe some sequins??   let me say that this top is so. flipping. cute. that you’ll want to wear it all the time.  i’ve already worn it to two holiday events, and i don’t plan to stop.  it always gets a compliment, and the plaid is on point for the christmas season and beyond.

enjoy the golden glow of the post-baby hair fall-out/grow-back-again flyaways.

also, these jeans, they’re like buttah.  they are high-waist, super stretch, and come in petites for stubby people like me!  the jacket is from my favorite things post.

not a great picture below, but this does the best job of showing the top.

ok, i’m outta time.  the kids are raiding the pantry and the baby is hollering for me to come get him up from his nap.

top – jeans – jacket – bracelet – earrings (old) similar similar – shoes (old) similar