Friday Link-Ups!

Today, I am linking up with Momfessionals, A Little Bit of Everything, and Grace and Love for Friday Favorites, and A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness, and The Good Life for 5 on Friday. 

I am also linking up with Meet At the Barre for Friday Favorites and The Farmer's Wife for Oh,Hey Friday!

This was my last full week of maternity leave and let me tell you, I have been soaking in the moments. I'm ready to go back-- but, of course I already counted how many weeks until our April vacation-- about 6 1/2 haha. 

FAVORITE ONE:

I've been lucky to be home this long, but not many mothers have that opportunity.  If you are on the fence about paid maternity leave, watch one of my favorite Ted Talks below. It is eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and Jessica Shortall does a wonderful job of really explaining the issues surrounding maternity leave. 

FAVORITE TWO:

 I FINALLY got to see the Ice Castles in Lincoln, NH with my husband and Addison. When we first arrived at the Ice Castles, my husband was a little disappointed. He actually thought that we would be going to a castle :) It made me laugh!  In his defense, I didn't really explain to him what they were-- just that I wanted to see them. Once we stepped inside, however, he was in awe (just as I was!). 

There are other Ice Castle locations around the country (Midway, UT, Eden Prairie, MN), and even one in Canada too (Edmonton, Alberta)-- so if you live around those areas-- check it out next year! 

FAVORITE THREE 

Before heading to the Ice Castles, we went to our favorite place for lunch: The Mount Washington Hotel. We stayed at the hotel for our mini-moon the weekend after our wedding, and it was nothing short of amazing. Bringing Addison to the hotel was really special for us, and even though our visit was short, it was well worth the drive. 

FAVORITE FOUR

Fuller House! I watched all of the episodes in one day-- and I am not ashamed! I am so glad they are coming back for a second season!!

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FAVORITE FIVE 

This video is definitely one of my favorites this week-- I just love my little Addie! 

Friday Favorites!

Today, I am linking up with Momfessionals, A Little Bit of Everything, and Grace and Love for Friday Favorites, and A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness, and The Good Life for 5 on Friday. 

I am also linking up with Meet At the Barre for Friday Favorites and The Farmer's Wife for Oh,Hey Friday!

Check out the blog a little bit later when I share Part II of our weekend with Addison at the hospital. 

{FAVORITE ONE}

This past Monday, I was able to spend some time with my sister Elizabeth. I am really interested in expanding my make-up skills and knowledge, and my sister-in-law invited me to a class provided by MAC at the Chestnut Hill Mall in Newton, MA. I asked Elizabeth to be my model, as I thought it would be nice to spend some time together, but also pamper her a little bit. She is pregnant with her first child, and she is so terribly sick! I wanted her to feel beautiful and to just have a day where she didn't have to worry about anything. It was so much fun! We hardly get to spend any one-on-one time together, and I have missed that. It reminded me of when I used to drive us to school. She is the best person I know (no honestly-- she is the absolute best) and always puts others first. I'm glad I got the opportunity to make her feel special Monday :)

{FAVORITE TWO}

Not only did I learn new skills at the make-up class, but I was also introduced to some AMAZING products. It was such a treat to work with MAC products, as I usually just buy and use make-up from places like CVS and Target. My favorites (that I actually purchased on Monday haha) are:

FOILED SHADOW (in Fairy Land) 

If you like sparkles as much as I do, you MUST get this eye shadow! Just a little bit of this eye shadow and you will be good to go! It looks good in the daytime and at night. It adds a nice, easy finishing touch but also looks good by itself so if you don't have time to put on a lot of make-up, you can look great in no time! This is obviously perfect for me since I don't have a lot of time for application haha. 

224 TAPERED BLENDING BRUSH

The cosmetologists used this brush with almost every single product they used during the class and tutorials. They used other brushes occasionally, but kept coming back to this brush! If there is one brush to purchase, this would be it. It is perfect for putting on foundation, eye make-up, blush and can even be used for contouring. 

PREP & PRIME FIX +

This is a finishing mist (but you can also spritz yourself before you put on makeup). It hydrates and refreshes the skin. It is perfect if you have naturally oil skin but have dry skin during the winter time (or anytime really). That describes my skin perfectly! It is not one way or the other all of the time. Not only does it feel great when you mist it onto your face, it smells amazing! 

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While these products are definitely more expensive than my typical products, they are really nice AND work extremely well. 

{FAVORITE THREE}

You think I could go one week without saying my daughter is one of my favorites-- but I can't! I am just so lucky to be her mother-- it has been the greatest joy of my entire life.

{FAVORITE FOUR}

I finished my grading on time! Semester 1 grades were due at 8 AM this morning and between my long term sub and myself, we were able to finish everything last night. Such a weight has been lifted! Now-- I am going to enjoy the rest of my maternity leave and be much less involved with school happenings. 

{FAVORITE FIVE} 

We have been having some really nice weather lately, and it is making me think spring! Since my wardrobe for the past 9 months has included maternity clothes (yes I am still wearing my maternity clothes 2 months post-partum haha), I am looking to freshen up my closet. 

These pieces would be PERFECT! 

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I hope you all had a great week, and an even better weekend :) 

Friday Faves: Under $20 Edition

Today, I am linking up with Momfessionals, A Little Bit of Everything, and Grace and Love for Friday Favorites, and A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness, and The Good Life for 5 on Friday. 

I am also linking up with Meet At the Barre for Friday Favorites and The Farmer's Wife for Oh,Hey Friday! 

For today's link-up I thought it would be fun to share my favorite items, all under $20! Some of these items I have-- some of them I would love to have haha.

{Beauty Product(s)}

Before heading back to work, I have been trying to find easy, relatively quick ways to do my hair (and keep it for multiple days). One of my favorite new products, is the Kenra Perfect Medium Spray 13. It smells amazing, doesn't make my hair crunchy, and allows me to keep curls for two days without having to re-touch. You can purchase this product online or at Ulta Beauty. ($17 for a 10 oz bottle).

One of my other favorite items right now is the Divine Wet Detangler. My hair tends to be snarly when get out of the shower. I think it's because our water is softer than what I was previously used to. Thus, I purchased this brush and I am in love! It doesn't hurt when I brush my hair and I really like the grip and how it looks. At Ulta Beauty, it is $19.95 and I know it seems silly to spend that much on a brush but TRUST ME it is worth it! 

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{Clothing}

I am IN LOVE with this boat tee from Old Navy (currently $12 for this pattern)

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Since Winter has FINALLY arrived in New England, I am also eyeing this beautiful sweater (only $18)

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{Home Decor}

I am trying to find some nice pieces for Addison's room. We didn't really decorate her room because we didn't know whether we were having a girl or boy. Now that everything has settled down, I am looking forward to making her room look like a little girl's room! Here are some Target pieces (under $20) that I would LOVE to use in her room:

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$19.99

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$10.99

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$9

{Baby Product (s)}

These Gerber Flannel Blankets (which are $9.99 for a pack of 4) are amazing! 

 
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I use these blankets for EVERYTHING. I have used them to swaddle, as a burp cloth, blanket, and even a changing pad liner (yes-- there have been a few nights when ALL of my changing pad liners have been dirty). They are soft, thin, light, and easy to wash. 

I also use these receiving blankets for MANY things:

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They are a little thicker than the Gerber blankets and a little softer. They are $20 for a pack of 4--- which may seem pricey, but trust me you will use them! 

My other baby favorites this week include the following sound machines (both under $20): 

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The first one is the HoMedics® SoundSpa Sound Machine in Green ($19.99) and the second is the HoMedics® myBaby™ SoundSpa® On-the-Go ($9.99). We use the SoundSpa in our bedroom (we like the ocean sound! haha) and the On-the-Go option hangs from Addison's carseat. The nice part about the second one is that we can easily remove it and place it where we need it (the pack-in-play, on the couch, etc.) 

Side note: Make sure to check back here next Tuesday when I go over the items that we have actually used from my baby registry and the items I wish I had registered for! 

And of course, my last favorite this week is this little one: 

She brightens up my day, makes me laugh, and just fills me with more joy than I ever thought possible. I could never have imagined the love I feel for her. She has been the greatest gift and will always be my favorite :) 

I hope you all have a great weekend! I will be watching football this weekend, I am particularly excited about the game on Saturday as the Patriots play the Chiefs!  Go Pats :)! 

Friday Favorites and 5 on Friday

Today, I am linking up with Momfessionals, A Little Bit of Everything, and Grace and Love for Friday Favorites, but also A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness, and The Good Life for 5 on Friday. 

I am also (for the first time) linking up with Meet At the Barre for Friday Favorites and The Farmer's Wife for Oh,Hey Friday! 

What a quick week it has been! I don't know if everyone feels that way, but since being on maternity leave, the weeks just fly by. I am so enjoying my time at home with Addison and I am trying to soak in every moment with her. I love my job don't get me wrong, but as of right now, I can't imagine leaving her cute little face to go to work. I get weepy even starting to think about it and I have about 7 more weeks left. I never thought I would be someone interested in being a stay-at-home mom, but the more time I spend with Addison, the more I consider it. I have found motherhood so fulfilling, in a way I never thought possible. I'm not someone who you would say had "motherly instincts" all of the time, but becoming a mother certainly changes all of that. With that said, my first favorite is this: becoming a mother. 

{FAVORITE ONE}

Motherhood- I love being a mom. Did I always want children? Yes, of course! Was/Am I nervous about being a good mother? Absolutely. I wasn't sure if I had the nurturing aspect that I feel like mothers desperately need to have. I am still nervous about being a good mom-- isn't everyone? I question decisions I have made so far, I worry about her health and safety, and I am always wondering if I am doing a good job. 

All that aside, this face makes it all worth it:

{FAVORITE TWO}

I must admit that when one of my relatives told me that I would have a favorite diaper, I chuckled. I couldn't imagine that people would have a preference-- weren't they all essentially the same? I quickly found out-- no not really haha. 

The other interesting part is that I have preferred different diaper brands for different stages. Anyone else feel the same way?!

For the newborn stage, my husband and I LOVED Pamper Swaddlers:

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However, now that Addison is in the "1" stage, I am loving the Huggies brand and the Honest Brand.

 

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It's so weird! I'll let you know what my preference will be for the next stage if it's also different! 

{FAVORITE THREE}

My husband and I are OBSESSED with documentaries on Netflix. It all started last year with "The Jinx" (amazingly creepy documentary about Robert Durst) and it continued into this year with "Making a Murderer," "Dear Zachary" (a heartbreaking, but extremely well done piece), and 'The Roosevelts." We have loved learning and really getting to know the backstory behind both Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Even if you aren't a history enthusiast, you will be intrigued by this series. 

{FAVORITE FOUR}

I'm not going to lie-- one of my favorites this week was not having to go back to work after Winter Break (I am still on my maternity leave). While everyone had depressing and sad memes on pretty much every form of social media, I was like:

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But then I think, oh man this could happen haha (aside from the fights):

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And yes, I may have agreed with this quote a few times this week! 

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(Isn't that part of the beauty of staying home though?!)

{FAVORITE FIVE} 

My daughter's cataract surgery is only a month away (you can read more about that here), and it's only a favorite because I can't wait to get the process started. I can't wait until she can use both her eyes, focus and truly look at us, and really see everything around her. Unfortunately, after the surgery, we still have a long road ahead of us, but at least it's a start. 

I will be posting updates along the way-- I'm so grateful that I can share this journey with you all. 

I hope everyone has a great Friday! I can't wait to read everyone's favorites this week :)