7.27.2017

Grayson Is One!

"I constantly go between wanting you to stay my little baby forever and being excited about all of the amazing things you'll do in this life" ๐Ÿ’—

My second baby boy is officially one year old today...๐ŸŽˆ

I distinctly remember this time last year. I was rocking Camden to bed for the last time as an only child wondering what our new life would be like as a family of 4. I questioned how we would do it...how Camden would adjust...or if I would ever sleep again. I thought about how excited I was to meet Grayson and who he would look like.

I should've known that he would be everything that we ever needed...because that is exactly what he has been to us. Everything. From that first moment I met him and held him in my arms, he's been everything. The one who gave me true confidence in my parenting, the one that grew my heart to a size I didn't know was possible, the one who gave his older brother a best friend to love and play with, and the one who gives us the perfect balance with his calm, patient, kind, easy-going personality.

There is no other way to say it other than to say that this past year he has given our life so much joy and happiness. It is because of him that we've that we've all grown as a family. We are so beyond thankful for a life with him in it and love him more than words can ever say.

To my sweet Grayson-

As your mom, naturally I love everything about you but want to know what I really really love about you? I love how...you prefer me to be the one to put you to bed and that you still let me rock you to sleep (I think it's only been 7 nights in the past year that I haven't..please let me rock you forever, ok?)...the wrinkles you get between your eyes when you smile...how you crack up every single time I put socks on your feet (speaking of-they are the cutest things I've ever seen)...how you have the most beautiful, expressive brown eyes...how you have the BIGGEST pout lip (that bottom lip means serious business)...how much you love laying in your crib with your brother, even when he's climbing all over you...how you dance to the songs in Moana...how you love to be held...and how you make me a better mama and person. You are so special. You mean the absolute world to all of us. Happy 1st birthday, our baby Gray! We love you more than you'll ever know. 


7.24.2017

#NSale: What I Purchased!

nordstrom, womens fashion, shopping, trendy clothing, fashion
Happy Monday!! I hope everyone had a good weekend. We spent all weekend celebrating Grayson's birthday (which isn't until Thursday but we had the party early), and it was so much fun! He absolutely loved his cake + all his new toys! I will have a post up tomorrow with pictures from it!

Now that the Nordstrom Sale is open to the public ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ™Œ , I wanted to quickly share what I actually bought for myself.

The biggest thing for me is to stick with classic pieces that I KNOW I will wear over and over again like denim, cardigans, simple tees, and shoes. If you're buying random things that you're not sure if you will wear just because they're on sale, then I don't think it's really worth it, is it? No!

**If you love any of these items and they are NOT currently in stock in your size right now, just keep checking back because they restock them all the time!

High Waist Skinny Ankle Jeans
+these were the first thing I added to my cart! Super flattering!

Cardigan
+they better restock this soon, it's the best.

Sweatshirt Dress 
+will be cute to wear in the fall with some sneakers

High Waist Pleath Shorts
+obsessed with these cute shorts that you can wear now!

Striped Lounge Pants
+lots of colors, can't beat the price!

CROP LEGGINGS!
+these are a must have for me, will wear them ALL the time just like I do with my normal Zella leggings.

Side Slit Tee
+a staple in my closet, want all the colors!

Pocket Tee
+great for layering under cardigans and cute on it's own

Shop all of the great handbags they have on sale (AND IN STOCK) HERE!
Shop all the booties, sneakers, over the knee boots, etc. HERE!

HAPPY SHOPPING!!

7.20.2017

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: Baby + Toddler


So I went a litttttllleee crazy finding all of the best baby/toddlers items that are on sale for the #NSale. There are SO many awesome deals...it's crazy and I don't even want to admit how much I have in my cart right now. Most of these items come in colors for girls, too! Below I'm sharing my TOP 3 PICKS and also everything else that is pictured in this graphic! happy shopping! *PS-DON'T FORGET THAT THE SALE IS OPEN TOMORROW TO THE PUBLIC, so a lot of these items WILL sell out QUICK! If you are starting your shopping tomorrow you can find my favorite picks for women here!*

Quilted Faux Leather Diaper Bag Backpack: my #1 pick! OBSESSED + under $100. Get this before it sells out!
Aden + Anais Swaddles: marked down to $29, after sale $45
Nike Dri-Fit Hoodie: def buying this for the boys-so cute!
The North Face Fleece Jacket: also comes in other colors for girls-I buy up a size for Cam so that it fits him for longer...always love these jackets
Hooded Towel: my #2 pick! love these and use ALL the time
Little Gentleman Bib: this is precious and my fav style of bib
Striped Romper: only $19, rompers are the best!
The Honest Company Baby Arrival Gift Set: this would be perfect to gift to a friend
The North Face Rain Jacket: at $35 this is an awesome deal
City Mini GT Stroller: nearly $100 off and I've heard such good things about it!)

7.19.2017

FIVE THINGS


-ONE-

Happy Wednesday!

Sorry for the blog silence so far this week! Grayson is officially ONE year old a week from today and his "little blue truck" birthday party is this Saturday! ๐Ÿ™Œ I've had so much fun putting this party together for him (and cannot wait to share all the details), even if my to-do list this week is a mile long. We're having it at our house in our backyard, so I'm praying the weather holds up so that everyone can be outside!

This weekend we were hanging out with our neighbors and he was obsessed with their slip n' slide. He kept crawling up and down it like a pro!

then...
and now๐Ÿ˜€
-TWO-

I've gotten so many questions about these vases I made over the weekend. I saw them being sold from a local vendor at a festival a few months ago, but knew they would be easy to make ourselves. Billy used some extra wood we had in our garage and cut them to the size I wanted, and then I bought these 2 small glass vases from a store called At Home. I'm sure Hobby Lobby would have them, too. You secure the vases onto the wood with pipe straps that you can get from Home Depot. I recommend getting 3/4" or 1" ones. I plan to get a single stem plant for each of them and hang them in our half bathroom! Super easy DIY project!




-THREE-

If you don't have a Nordstrom card/early access to Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale that is going on right now (my favorite picks are here), make sure you mark your calendars for this Friday, July 21st, when the sale goes public. Tomorrow I will have up the best deals going on for kids so come back and check that out tomorrow!

The Barefoot Dreams Hooded Cardigan that everyone raves about (and that I love the look of!) is at the TOP TOP TOP of my list this year. I really hope I can snag it before it sells out! Put it on your list, for sure.



-FOUR-

I'm FINALLY finishing up a toddler meal post that I have been working on in my head for the past couple months, ha. I should have it up next week! 


-FIVE-

I'm on a mission to lose 8 lbs before mid September. The past 3 weeks I've been tracking my calories (my goal is 1,400 per day) and busting my butt working out and lifting. I aim to work out 4-5 times per week + I feel so much stronger already.

A 6th very important thing...currently losing my mind over the fact that Peter could potentially be the next Bachelor?! SO MUCH YES to this. Crossing my fingers!!



7.14.2017

Camden at 2.5 Years Old!


Camden is officially 2.5 years old as of this week! I can't get over how much he's learned just in the past 6 months. Everyday he picks up a new phrase or something that he loves to do...it has been so fun watching him grow! He is very energetic, fearless (I swear he doesn't hesitate to try anything new and isn't scared of anything), strong willed, and funny. He is a little comedian! He loves to be silly and make us laugh. What we've seen from his personality a lot lately, though, is just how thoughtful and sweet he is.

He loves helping people or sharing his toys with them. He is constantly trying to teach Grayson different things and point out items when we are out and about ("look Grayson! It's a balloon!") He is a natural leader and absolutely adores his little brother. Cam lets Grayson crawl all over him and they think it's the funniest thing ever. He loves to lay in his crib with him (I see a future of them wanting to sleep together!) and make him laugh. They both just love to be around each other (and play hide-and-seek) and are the best of friends already.

In fact, right now he's in a huge phase of telling everyone that he loves them. We will be at the grocery store and he will see other kids and say "bye boys! love you!" to random strangers (he is so not shy at all..he loves talking to everyone!) We will be at the zoo and he tells the Dory fish that he loves it over 5 times. And at home he tells his stuffed animals in bed that he loves them all about 100 times before falling asleep, or when he wakes up!

He is still a great eater and will eat pretty much whatever we put on his plate, except as of lately he is more particular with meat. He's not a huge fan of chicken right now, but normally if I give him some ranch or ketchup to dip it in he will eat it. He takes 1 nap from about 1215-230 or sometimes 3. He is so active that he (and myself) NEEDS that nap still.

One of his favorite parts of the day is when we're laying in bed with him and we talk about what we did during the day. He LOVES to talk about all the fun he had, and is so great at remembering the little details. I would say the only real challenging part at this age with him is bedtime. He takes about an hour to fall asleep and is pretty wild before he finally closes his eyes. I'm talking...throwing out his clothes out of his dresser or closet, trying to climb up the window, turning his sound machine on/off. He is so curious and smart that you really can't get anything by him. We have to really baby proof (or just remove things) his entire room!



Favorite Things // Interests: 

+Exploring outside: His favorite place to be. He loves to swing, jump on the trampoline, water the flowers in our yard, and play at the park. When we're at the park he is always trying to play with other kids and share his balls that we bring with them...he really loves socializing and is very sweet with them.

+Playing basketball//kicking balls: Shooting in his basketball hoop or kicking in his soccer/hockey net is what he wants to do all day long! And let me tell you he is GOOD at it. He has an amazing arm and kick-we cannot wait to get him into sports because of how athletic he is and how much he loves it!

+He's on a Moana (he will dance when the songs come on which is the CUTEST), Lion Guard, Mickey (still), and Frozen kick right now. He also loves Toy Story.

+The Zoo//Animals: More specifically, he LOVES the petting zoo and riding the carousel. He cannot get enough of petting the goats and seeing the pigs and horses...it's his favorite part! He's also a big dog lover. He says hi to every dog he sees when we're on walks and told us that he wants a black dog for Christmas...... Billy?? What do you think? :)

+Right now he cannot get enough of different types of vehicles...he talks about them ALL DAY LONG. He gets so excited when he sees backhoes, tractors, dump trucks, airplanes or trains, and of course the garbage truck! Totally makes his day when it's trash day in our neighborhood! Typical 2 year old boy right here and I just love it. And he's great when flying because of his love for airplanes, so that works to our advantage!

+Cute things he says right now: "Oh no! What happened?!" "We're home, boys!" (loves to repeat things) "I'll try it!" (or "I DID IT!") "Baby pooped!" (<---legit LOVES to tell me when Grayson goes) "Can I have more, mama?" "Daddy's home!" And on that note, I have to mention that Cam just IDOLIZES Billy. Adores him.

+Always asks to play with stickers, playdoh, and to paint or color. He's really good at puzzles and still likes to read, but we have to be a little bit more intentional about sitting down to it since he's so busy these days!

Thank you Cam for making our life so fun, exciting, and full of love! We love seeing the world through your eyes, and I love spending my days with you. We love you to the moon!




7.13.2017

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: Early Access!!




Early Access to Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale has officially begun! I'm SURE you haven't heard?! :) This is their biggest sale of the year + early access can guarantee that you don't miss out on all your favorite items! Today, I have rounded up all my favorite picks (brands like Kendra Scott...Paige...The North Face...Nike...so much good stuff!) that I know will sell out super fast. All you have to do is click an item to shop it, or you can see the full sale here.

My favorite Zella leggings ($35 now, $54 after sale) + the best hair dryer out there are even included in the sale. I'm loving all the good denim and Nike shoes on sale, too!

I will also share some of my picks on snapchat (@katiewkrysh) later today so stay tuned! Happy Thursday!!

7.11.2017

10 Minute Makeup {My Routine}


Over the weekend, I received a reader request to share my makeup routine and I thought it was a great idea! I haven't done one in so long and I finally feel like I've found the RIGHT products that work for me + give me serious life in under 10 minutes. 

These are all my holy grail, can't live without 'em products! Here we go...

As far as foundation goes, I wear Maybelline's Dream Pure BB Cream during the week and on the weekends (or when I have somewhere special to go) I wear IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream (in medium.) Both even out my skin tone and conceal imperfections, but the IT Cosmetics CC cream really gives my skin that airbrushed look and goes on so smoothly. It covers what I need covered without looking like I have a ton of makeup on. It also has SPF50+ which is a must. 

In the summer, I love to wear MAC Studio Fix powder (I wear shade NW30 and apply it over either the BB or CC cream) because it keeps my face from looking oily and blends nicely. The brush I use to apply foundation is this one, which is the BEST foundation brush ever. Next up is the product I've been using the longest-Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Eraser. I use it under my eyes to brighten + cover dark circles. When it comes to bronzers, I'm pretty picky. I've tried a bunch that I have loved but my current favorite right now is this compact (in 'Natural Glow') 

Eyeshadows...I rarely stray from my Naked2 Basics palette. It has 6 very versatile, matte shades that are perfect for everyday use. I wear the Skimp all over my lid up to my brow bone and the Frisk I use in my crease. I actually don't use eyeliner every single day, but when I do wear it I use Covergirl's Perfect Point Plus

A random find that I recently picked up was Loreal's Brow Stylist Plumper Brow Gel, and I'm so glad I decided to try it! I'm not good with brow pencils, so this is easier for me to use since you just swipe over your brows...it fills them in really nicely and I definitely think gives me a more 'finished' look when I use it! 

Last but not least...I've gotten a bunch of my girlfriends hooked on IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara. If you don't mind spending a little bit more than drugstore mascara, I promise you will love it.

There we have it! Let me know if you have any questions, or if you have an awesome product I need to know about. 

PS-If you haven't heard yet TODAY is Amazon Prime Day! I was so excited to snatch up an Echo Dot (marked down to $34!) for our bedroom! It will sync with our Echo that we use for our downstairs/outside areas. You can check out all the deals HERE! 


7.05.2017

4TH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS


The 4th of July is always one of my favorite holidays! We had so much fun celebrating this year with the boys, especially since Grayson is now with us and not in my belly! Crazy to think I was 9 months pregnant this time last year.

Anyway, Camden was REALLY into the parade this year (Grayson loved the music) and he basically flipped out over all the floats (his fav was the Mickey and Zoo ones), backhoes he saw (his fav right now), and candy he got thrown his way! It was so cute how much he loved it. The church right next to where we sat had a bunch of activities for kids like water balloons, painting, and bubbles, which was awesome to keep him occupied while waiting for the parade to start!


Later in the afternoon we went to my parents to celebrate and to have a cookout. We got the kids some confetti poppers and Billy bought some of those "pop its" noise makers that Cam was obsessed with throwing! I made this yummy dessert pizza recipe, which was a huge hit seeing as how all of it is now gone. Could.not.stop.eating.it. Pretty sure I want to make it every year...Camden kept asking for more cookie!


I hope everyone had a great holiday with your families! I have to say I think the best part is that even though today totally feels like a Monday, it's actually WEDNESDAY!! Woohoo!

PS: Have you noticed the new look around here?! I'm still working on it, so bear with me for the next few days if something is missing!