Valentine’s Day Outfit Inspo

This may be an unpopular opinion, but Valentine’s Day is just a day, y’all. Yes, it’s the day of love and all that jazz, but too much pressure is put on it. It shouldn’t take a special day to celebrate your love, go on dates, get dressed up and go out, do something special for the ones you love. You can get dressed up and go get a nice dinner whenever. I definitely love celebrating Valentine’s Day, don’t get me wrong. But, I want it to be fun. That’s the whole thing I told Brandon this year was that we have Krew and I want to just celebrate together and enjoy our time together (with some Cheesecake Factory takeout.)

It doesn’t matter what you’re doing for Valentine’s Day! You could be going out, staying in, going to a fancy dinner with your person, or going out with friends. But whatever you do, have a good time! And hopefully I can give you some outfit inspo to look good and feel good while you’re doing whatever your plans may be! There are some more dressed up looks, some casual look, and some comfies of course!

I’ve linked the outfits I can in my LIKEtoKNOW.it and you can see those here. Or you can click the link in my bio on Instagram and then “shop my styles.”

Date Night/Girls’ Night

Any of these outfits are super cute and fun for a dressed up night out!

Casual Outfits for the Week/Casual Fun Night Out

All of these outfits are still cute and fun, but just a little more casual. These would be perfect for this week anytime, or going out for something like go carts, games, or something along those lines while still looking cute!

Let’s Get Comfy!

I would wear this outfit to stay in and hangout for Valentine’s Day, run to get takeout and watch movies, or after your date night!

Don’t be afraid to dress outfits how you want them styled! This is the same outfit but styled with heels vs. sneakers and I love both options! It totally depends on the look you’re going for but own your look, girl.

I hope this helped with some inspiration for your Valentine’s Day outfits. Let me know your favorite!

I’m just a mama who loves styling outfits.

2019 Roundup // 2020 Startup

Happy 2020! I cannot believe it’s not only the New Year but it’s freakin’ 2020, y’all…a whole new decade. Also, Happy first Friday of 2020!! I originally wanted to have this blog post up on January 1, but instead, I enjoyed the past few days and took time to really reflect on the past year and lay my goals out for 2020. That’s a big part of 2020 for me…to really take in the special days and soak in the memories.

2019 was a heck of a year in so many ways. It was crazy, wild, fun, adventurous, a lot of learning, hard, emotional, and to sum it up, beautiful chaos. I’m not going to sit here and bore you with all the ins and outs of why 2019 was this or that, but I do want to reflect on how the year went and how excited I am for 2020! It’s gonna be a good one y’all.

January 2019

I was ringing in the New Year in North Carolina with my family and my baby boy who was only 3 months old (he’s 15 months now and I really don’t know where time has went). I stopped working as a hairstylist at the first salon that I ever worked in. That salon took me in and that’s where I grew as a stylist. Thank you to everyone who allowed me to not only work on your hair, but be a small part of your life, and for believing in me as I was just starting out. Studio Thirteen (the salon) will always hold a special place in my heart. I stopped working because my husband would be coming home from deployment soon and we were about to take on an adventure as a family with our little baby boy. Hubby was still deployed in this month, but we were so dang excited for him to come home.

February 2019

I had hopes that hubby would be coming home this month from deployment, but the dates weren’t certain so we didn’t know. I also didn’t know that I’d be getting a surprise homecoming from him on February 13. This was the first day he met our son and we were all three united. You could definitely say this was a highlight of 2019. Our family adventure started this month with a move. Not just any move, this was a big move. This girl has never moved, like ever, so this was huge. My family and I moved from NC to CA on February 26, 2019.

March 2019

Me, Brandon, and Krew go from a living in a hotel for a few days (waiting on our house to be ready) then move in to our first home. Ready or not, here we go! I was scared, excited, overwhelmed, and felt so blessed all at once. This was the first time me and Brandon were going to be living together on our own, and as parents, first time parents. Holy moly!

April 2019

We start making this house of ours a home. We slowly furnish it, decorate it (but is it ever truly decorated enough?), and start to navigate living together on our own, and to anyone who knows me, y’all know that I am insanely close with my family. This move was hard on me. I missed them, and still miss them every single day. We FaceTime or talk on the phone literally all day every day. I couldn’t survive without their support and my husband’s support in this big step of life. I also turned 21 this month, and celebrated with mimosas and my first tattoo!

May 2019

I got to fly home to North Carolina for a little while! I was so excited to come home for a little bit and we also were getting closer to my sister’s due date to welcome her sweet baby into the world! We also started spending more family days on the beach in CA and welcomed our first fur baby into our family, Koda.

June 2019

I went for a dream I had been wanting to do for a while. I started up my blog, Snapshot of Cass. I can’t thank you guys enough for all the support you’ve given me in this. I love having a place to share thoughts, tips, recipes, and just all the crazy in between.

July 2019

Summer is in full force in CA, we’re grilling out more, getting closer with our neighbors, and just enjoying life with our baby boy. Krew started pulling up this month so we know things are about to get real crazy with him trying to start walking. Me and Krew flew back home to NC again this month so we could be here when my sister delivered her sweet baby girl, Maeleigh Grace. She wasn’t due until August, but whew am I glad we came in early, because Maeleigh decided to make her appearance into this world on July 28, 2019. My sister became a mama, I became an aunt, and Krew got a cousin.

August 2019

Krew and I are still in NC and soaking up every ounce of family time. Brandon also got to join us and come home to NC toward the end of this month and we celebrated Krew’s first birthday a little early so we could celebrate with family. It was amazing. I’ve really learned to enjoy the moments while they’re happening because they flash by way too fast.

September 2019

Our baby turned ONE this month! All I want to know is how the heck does time go that fast? And where does it go? I’ve loved every single day of watching our baby grow, but man do I wish I could have a pause and rewind button.

October 2019

We’re doing all the Fall things, pumpkin patches, pumpkin foods, decorating for Fall, and gearing up for some special visitors. My mama, sister, brother-in-law, and niece come to CA to visit!!! I was so so excited for them to see our home for the first time and just to spend more time together, blessed isn’t even the word.

November 2019

Brandon and I attended the USMC Military Ball, and this was the first time we ever left Krew with anyone other than family. Mama was a slight wreck, but it was good for me and hubby to get all dressed up and have a night out to ourselves. We also celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary, and hubby’s birthday. My online boutique, Saltwater Honey was also born this month. This was another dream that I had been thinking on for a while and decided to jump into it. None of my dreams this year could have come true without all of you guys’ support. I cannot say thank you enough. This month was full of celebrations!

December 2019

This month definitely went by the quickest, and I feel like that’s always the case. There’s so much hustle that comes along with December. Christmas shopping, Christmas get-togethers, decorating, and just trying to keep up. Throw in the fact that Brandon got sick, then Krew started to come down with it, then down goes mama 2 days before we fly back home to NC to celebrate Christmas with family. Y’all have no clue how happy I was to get to celebrate Christmas with our families in NC, it literally made my heart burst when I found out we were getting to. We all got through the colds we had, and Christmas was beyond magical. The memories we made this Christmas (and truly from the whole year) will be tucked away in my heart forever. Also, the icing on the cake for December…we were supposed to go back to CA on December 30, but Brandon surprised me and changed mine and Krew’s flights to stay in NC a little longer and spend some extra time with family while he went back to work.

2019, you were a big year.

Here’s the thing, a lot happened in 2019, but I think 2020 will be bigger and better. I don’t plan on changing in 2020. I plan on growing. There’s no need to change when you can grow into a better version of yourself. I plan to grow into a better mama, wife, daughter, follower of God.

How I Plan to Grow in 2020

I like to write out my goals. It helps to get everything mapped out and put in front of me so I can visualize and put the goals into action. Shoot, put them on the front of your fridge so you see them everyday if you have to. You’ve got this. Here is how I want to grow in 2020.

• Spend more time with God. I want to do this by myself, with my husband, and as a family with my husband and son. God is the reason for everything I am and everything I have. I need more time with Him.
• Do better at not sweating and worrying about the small things. I spent too much time worrying about small things in 2019. I’m done with that.
• Be more present. 2019 really taught me to slow down and enjoy the here and now. Time is not slowing down, y’all. The only thing we can do is breathe in and enjoy each moment as they come.
• Make my bed more often in the mornings. Did you see what I said? More often, not every day. I know that I will not make my bed every morning so I’m not even going to set up that kind of failure. By saying it more often, this will help me to be accomplished and have small victories on more mornings. Small victory first thing in the morning = more successful days.
• Read a book a month. I love to read, and I don’t do it enough. This year is different, I am going to do this because it’s something I love, and it will better my mind.

Words for 2020

Present, Priorities, Purpose, Grace

I’m not gonna go into why these are my words, but I plan to live by these words and put them into my daily life. They are special words that I thought about and couldn’t decide on just one.

2020 is a new year, a new decade, and each day is a new day to work toward our goals. No matter how small they are, they matter. You matter!

I pray that everyone has an amazing 2020. I pray that it is a year of growth and meeting goals. I pray that you take time for yourself, your needs, and spend time doing things you love with the people you love. God, let this year be a year full of blessings from you. I am so grateful for another year. Let’s do this!

I’m just a mama with big goals and excitement for 2020!

Weekly Startup Oct. 28

Happy Monday! If you haven’t already, grab some coffee!! I cannot believe this week is Halloween!! Time. Is. Flying. I’m writing again from my phone because we still haven’t swallowed the pill of getting the MacBook fixed yet. Krew has his first dentist appointment and his one year checkup this week, which both went good, but boy am I glad they’re over. I hate appointments and I really hate having multiple in one week, but hey we knocked em out! The good thing is that we had a pretty laid back weekend over here! Brandon worked Saturday and Sunday morning then we just ran some errands and cleaned up some. Oh, we did do Walmart pickup for the first time Saturday which was awesome and I highly recommend, except my scatterbrained self forgot to add a few things on the list so we had to go in anyways….fail. It was still cool. Side note: if you like spicy things, try the Mikes Hot Honey. Thank me later! We did chicken tacos Saturday night because they’re such a good go to for us to throw in the crockpot and have leftovers! With Halloween being this week, we’re doing another cute little pumpkin craft with Krew tonight and it’s going to be a blast! We found this craft at Target in the dollar section….SCORE! Anywho, let’s jump into this week!!

Some Quotes to Get You Through the Week:

“Bad vibes don’t go with my outfit.” // I just felt like this was perfect to start the week out, keep the bad vibes off, they don’t match your outfit.

“You’re only limit is your mind.” // Come on, this seriously speaks for itself and it speaks volumes. Nothing is holding you back more than a mindset. Change it and make it happen.

“Remember, growing may feel like breaking at first.” // I love this quote because think about it, trees lose their leaves in Winter, to grow back even more beautiful in the Spring. Also, think of animals who shed their fur, then it comes back thicker. When you workout, muscles tear so they can grow. Growing as a person can cause pain and trouble and feel like you’re crumbling when you’re actually becoming stronger. You’ll get through it.

“A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.” // Holy moly this may be my new favorite quote. This one hits home because seriously, the more grateful you are, don’t you feel a change in your life??? Man, if this doesn’t just make you wanna dance around then I don’t know what does. I just love it.

“Embrace the glorious mess you are.” // I say beautiful chaos all the time because that’s exactly what life is. We all are messy at times, especially us mamas, life is messy. Just embrace the mess, get through it one moment at a time and flaunt it sista.

Random Thoughts and Tips

Y’all know I love layering, especially with the weather finally deciding to get cooler. Well, this means we can also start bringing out our vests! Vests are great for layering, add a flare to any outfit, simple and warm while still looking trendy, you can wear them casual or dressed up, and there are so many options out there! Puffers, fleece, denim, sherpa, reversible, I mean there are all types! And I love a good vest! I actually did a roundup of different ways to style vests yesterday and will launch that blog post tomorrow, so stay tuned!! PLUS, all my clothing items (and Krew’s and Brandon’s sometimes) are all linked in the free LIKEtoKNOW.it app to make for easy shopping!!

Me and Brandon have our Marine Corps Ball coming up soon, and we’ve never been to one in 4 years, so this year its happening!! This will also be our first time going out in such a long time without Krew so my mama heart is gonna be hurting and stressed out…prayers! I’ll be sure to share my dress, shoes, jewelry and all that jazz as it gets closer.

The best piece of advice I’ve been told lately is that people are going to judge you no matter what you do, so do whatever the heck pleases you! Seriously, judged if your hairs dirty, judged if it’s always clean and fixed. Judged for cooking all the time, judged for going out to dinner. Judged if you dress up for Halloween, judged if you don’t. Judged for what you wear and how you wear something. Judged for how you parent, judged for wearing makeup, not wearing makeup. Y’all the list goes on and on. Let’s stop judging and just do what makes each of us happy.

Random tip for holiday season- if you don’t have a calendar or planner (or use your phone) start doing it to map out when you need to have certain gifts by, and it also helps to keep things divided up so it doesn’t stress you out!

Thanksgiving Ideas

• Mashed potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Green beans
• Pumpkin pie
• Turkey
• Ham
• Cabbage
• Brussel sprouts + sweet potatoes on same pan
• Cornbread
• Corn
• Biscuits
• Rice
• Mac and cheese
• Turnip greens
• Potato salad
• Cauliflower/broccoli
• Pinto beans
• Casseroles
• Pasta salad
• Baked beans
• Cranberry sauce
• Cheese board/dips
• Meatballs
• Chicken stew
• Wings
• Sliders
• Tacos
• Pumpkin cake

I freakin love Thanksgiving. I made a huge list (and probably left out some things because it’s 12:32 am) of a bunch of random items that aren’t all traditional Thanksgiving dishes because Thanksgiving to me is about reflecting on what you’re thankful for and enjoying a meal with friends and family. We haven’t decided what we’re cooking yet but boy I am pumped! Let me know if there’s anything specific your family HAS TO HAVE for Thanksgiving!

Sales/Finds

Abercrombie // 40-60% off coats, hoodies, jeans

Aerie // 50% off bras and bralettes + 40% off sweaters

Joe’s New Balance Outlet // great New Balance shoe deals all the time!

Old Navy // 30% off everything code: HURRY

Gap // up to 50% off everything + extra 10% off online code: TREAT

Fabletics // 2 for $24 leggings when signing up

Overstock // great holiday deals

Wayfair // up to 60% off seasonal decor + up to 70% off kitchen items

Toms // free shipping on all orders

Pink Lily // 20% off order code: THANKYOU20

J. Crew // 35% off code: WEARNOW

Target // so many sales and its Target so it’s always a win

Amazon leopard blanket // great price for a great gift!

As always, thanks for reading and hanging out over here! I hope you have a great week and stay spooky for Halloween!! I’m going to make some Halloween-themed snacks today or tomorrow, YUM!

Happy Monday you guys!!

I’m just a mama sending out good vibes for your Monday.

10 Mom Truths to Help You Realize You’re Not A l o n e

It’s no secret that being a mom is hard work. But I think that’s the beauty in it. You become this multi-tasking superhero that has tiny humans looking up to you, depending on you, and loving you unconditionally. How freakin’ awesome is that?!

Some days you feel like you’re crushing it and doing everything right, and others you feel like you’re drowning and don’t know what the heck you’re doing. But one thing is for sure, you were chosen to be a mama to your baby/babies. You are equipped to be exactly what your children need and nobody else can be as good of a mama to them as you.

You’re not alone in this crazy journey of motherhood.

1. Your coffee is always cold. // Yes, it’s true, no matter how many times you re-heat the coffee, it’s always getting cold after all the chasing and playing and picking up and feeding and doing all the mom things. Iced coffee is a great option.
2. Half your day is now spent picking up toys. // Embrace the mess, mama. It means playing has happened and memories are being made in your home.
3. You don’t get an award for how you “mom.” There’s no award for having the best sleeper, eater, napper, or how soon your kids walk/talk. // Do what works for you and your kids. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, you parent and do what works for y’all, even when it feels crazy. (Krew slept with us until he was nine months old. And we did not care one single bit about it. It worked for us, and we transitioned to his crib when it felt right for us.
4. It’s okay to not have it all together. // Dishes will be left in the sink, laundry will have to be re-washed, and probably sit in the dryer for days…and IT IS OKAY. You won’t get out of pajamas some days, and your hair will go days on days of needing washed, and IT IS OKAY. You don’t have to have makeup on, hair fixed, dressed nice everyday to be a good mom. Let the dishes sit some days and spend time with your kids. You don’t want to look back and say you wish you spent more time loving on them instead of doing chores. The chores will be there, the time with your babies will pass.
5. You. Will. Cry. // You’ll probably cry more than you ever have when you’re a mom. You’ll cry happy tears about accomplishments, sad tears about them growing up, stressed/overwhelmed tears. You may cry in your kitchen floor, in the shower, in your closet, let it go mama. It means you care. You’re doing a good job, mama. Keep going.
6. One day your kid(s) will be growing up and doing things you used to only talk about them doing. // This smacks you in the face how fast time got away from you. Nobody prepares you for that feeling.
7. Your camera roll is now filled with all things kid related. // Pictures of you kid(s) sleeping, eating, when they learn walking, talking, videos of them laughing, and 167 shots of the same outfit (gotta get the best one).
8. Hats, dry shampoo, mom buns are your life now. // Seriously, you’re trying to make the last time you washed your hair last as long as possible girlfriend, spray the dry shampoo and pop a hat on. No shame. It’s okay, you’ll wash and fix your hair eventually.
9. Your body is different now. And that’s not a bad thing. // Give yourself some very much needed and deserved grace. Your body carried and helped God make a human or humans. That’s as big of a blessing as they come. Love that body, it’s amazing.
10. Your kid(s) are the reason you’re losing your mind, but also the reason you keep it all together. Crazy, right?

These babies of ours are tiny versions of us that are our built in best friends.

They make life worth living, even in all the crazy moments.

They make your heart explode on the daily (along with your head sometimes.)

Most importantly, your little one(s) need you mama.

Motherhood is a crazy blessing. You’re doing a great job and you’re not alone.

I’m just a mama that knows these 10 truths all too well. I love every single thing about them. •

Weekly Startup

Hey y’all! Happy Monday! This is the first “Weekly Startup/Motivational Monday” post and my hope is to get your week started on a good note, which means it’s going to be some motivation, some humor, some quotes, some items that I’m loving, maybe a tip or two, and basically just a beginning of the week random round-up.

I’m currently standing at our kitchen counter, flamingo pose, (who else stands like this?) eating candy corn and drinking a Mountain Dew (classy, I know) and waiting on Krew to wake up because we all know babies decide to marathon nap when we need to go somewhere. But we’re just going to the grocery store, so it can wait! Krew is finally feeling better and we’re praising the Lord for that because it was about three weeks of him not feeling too hot and being sick and we are all ready to be done with it! We went to the pumpkin patch this weekend, had apple cider, and sat by a fire so it was a dang good Fall weekend. Also, KREW IS OFFICIALLY WALKING, and I definitely don’t know how to feel about it. I love watching him learn new things but oh man, my mama heart needs a pause button. I am enjoying making new traditions with my little family! What are some of your favorite family traditions for Fall?

Anyways, let’s jump right into this Motivational Monday and kick this week’s booty!

Some quotes to get you through the week:

• “Appreciate where you are in your journey, even if it’s not where you want to be. Every season serves a purpose.” // This quote speaks to me so hard because we always get caught up in not being where we want to be or feel like we should be, when we need to just step back and see that every situation or season is so temporary in this big life. Think about enjoying exactly where you are at the moment, because it’s probably a stepping stone to where you want to be or where God’s working on you to be.

• “Fall is my second favorite f-word, food being the first.” // I came across this quote and I laughed way too hard not to share, especially with Fall in the air.

• “Make it happen. Shock everyone.” // This is one of those quotes that just hits you in the gut and makes you want to get it together. Wanna start a new chapter? Do it. It’s short, and to the point, but the message is so dang powerful.

Random Thoughts & Tips

Okay, so I know all of us moms heat up our coffee a bajillion times a day, so here’s a complete duh tip but I’m gonna throw it out there anyways. Put your coffee in a thermos style cup with a lid to keep it hot way longer. I actually do this sometimes but to be 100% honest, I do love my morning coffee out of an actual coffee mug, so I’ll probably just keep on heating up my coffee mug every morning time after time. So the weather is starting to break and turn into Fall here and there, so if you’re having trouble deciding what to wear because of funky weather, pop on a lightweight flannel, shorts/jeans and some booties to create some Fall vibes even if your weather isn’t on board yet. Also, if you get hot, tie your flannel around your waist for a cute look. I posted a blog post about my favorite Fall lip colors linked here, but I’ve also been playing around without other makeup for Fall. Try using a dark plum or brown eyeshadow as your eyeliner on the top and bottom for a softer eyeliner look. I’ve been doing this and loving it, especially with the Fall shadow colors. There are three things I’ve been doing when I wake up to start my day off right

1. Daily devotional (linked here)
2. Speak out or write down things I’m thankful for (no matter how small, starting my day with a grateful heart is the best)
3. Drink a bottle of water

Workout

Here’s a quick circuit style workout for anywhere- living room, bedroom, garage, outside.

Warm up:

• 15 jump squats

• 10 burpees

• 25 jumping jacks

Circuit 1

• 15 (each leg) Reverse lunges

• 8-10 pushups

• 20 wide bridges
• 3 rounds

Circuit 2

• 10 (each leg) Bulgarian split squats

• Side planks 30 seconds each side

• 15 Sumo squats
• 2 rounds

Circuit 3

• 20 leg lifts

• 50 Russian twist

• 25 crunchy frog
• 2-3 rounds

Here’s to cooler weather, hot coffee, good food, quick workouts, house chores, family time, good sales/finds, tips and tricks, laughs, and a productive week! I hope you all have a great Monday and a fantastic week ahead of you!

I’m just a mama sending out good vibes for your Monday.

Corn Casserole & Homemade Energy Bars

Alrighty guys, I haven’t cooked in a hot minute, buttttt mama’s been teaching me some of her ways while I’ve been in North Carolina! I’m super excited to share some of her recipes she’s been teaching me and holy moly they are yummy! And easy, which is always THE BEST, especially for busy schedules, mamas, family get-togethers, you name it, these recipes are perfect for it! Plus, y’all all know mama knows best.

Corn Casserole

What you need:

One 15 1/4 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

One 14 3/4 oz. can cream corn

One 8 oz. package corn muffin mix (we use Jiffy)

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter

How to cook it:

Preheat your oven to 350. Stir together the two cans or corn, the corn muffin mix, sour cream, and butter in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish (we use Pam). Bake for 45-60 minutes. You’re looking for a golden brown color!

Okay y’all, there you have it. Seriously what’s better than a recipe that you stir together and pop in the oven?! Nothing, if you ask me! Throw this with any meat or other sides and it’s perfection!

Okay, so next is the homemade energy bars. Y’all, this is a good one. My mom has made these since I was in high school, so they’re perfect for on-the-go kids, mamas, going on a trip, snacks for family coming in, and get-togethers. They are SO GOOD.

Homemade Energy Bars

What you need:

Vegetable cooking spray

1 egg white

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup (1 stick) melted unsalted butter

2 cups old fashioned oats

Little less than 1/4 cup pecan bits

1/3 cup (or a little more) white chocolate chips

How to cook it:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray your nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray, and lay parchment paper along the pan. Let the excess paper hang over sides. Spray the parchment with the cooking spray lightly. You definitely don’t want anything sticking! Now, in a medium size bowl, beat the egg white with a hand mixer until it’s frothy (it takes about a minute). Once it’s frothy, stir in your peanut butter, brown sugar, and honey. Then after those are mixed, add the melted butter, oats, and pecans. Stir those well, then add the white chocolate chips (the best part). Spread the mixture into the baking pan with a rubber spatula and press lightly to have an even layer of goodness. Bake for about fifteen minutes (you’re looking for the edges to begin to brown). Pull them out when ready, and let sit to cool in pan for at least an hour. After they are cool, cut those bad boys up into the perfect size bar and enjoy!

Y’all, these are serious not going to disappoint. They are the bomb, and go over so well for any occasion! It also throws together easily and that’s a serious plus!

Okay, so I know you’re probably thinking that these recipes don’t go together, which they don’t, but they are two really simple recipes you can add to your meals and they are sure to please! I’ll keep posting recipes on here as I learn them from my mama, and I hope you guys enjoy them! Let me know if you try these!

I’m just a mama learning some cooking from my mama.

Beachin’ with Baby

Going to the beach before we had Krew was as simple as loading up with our chairs, some sunscreen, and some drinks (and snacks because I always need snacks). We would stay out there all day, soak up the sun, fall asleep sometimes, and had not one care in the world.

Going to the beach with a baby is a whole different ball game. I’m not going to lie, it’s a beast. But it is also so much fun. We love the beach even more than we did before (and we didn’t even think that was possible). Watching Krew play in the sand and seriously live his best life out there brings loads of joy to me and Brandon.

Okay, so I’ve told you how much we love the beach with Krew and how it’s so much better with him, but now let me dive into how the heck we prep for the beast of getting out on the beach with a baby.

Must-have items:

• Sunscreen, sunscreen, and more sunscreen (we like to use the face stick for his face)
• All the snacks (for you and baby)
• Towels
• Beach hat for baby
• Cooler of drinks (for you) and juice (for baby)
• Toys that can be washed off easily (plastic)
• Hand/face wipes
• Small tent or umbrella for shade
• Chairs
• Beach bag to hold ALL THE THINGS
• Diapers and wipes (because blowouts still happen)

Walking down to the beach used to be a simple one trip task. Now, me and Brandon are either loaded down and struggling to get set up, or Brandon will take a load of things, then come back and we’ll both still be loaded down honestly. But the L.L. Bean camo tote has been more than a lifesaver for carrying a big load. It’s no doubt the best tote we have. Plus, it can be hosed out when we get home if it’s full of sand (which is usually is). Score!

We are mega mega thankful that Krew likes loves the sand, but I will never understand why in the world they want to put in straight to the mouth. Lord help us all. That’s where the hand/face wipes come in to try to keep the sand under control. Try being the keyword here.

We like to sunscreen Krew before we leave because it is so much easier to tackle the sunscreen while we get him dressed instead of trying to tackle it on the beach with sand involved and a baby that is very eager to play his heart out.

As far as snacks go, Krew usually eats a pouch on the beach and then snacks his life away with puffs and lil’ crunchies in between the play. We also keep his juice in the cooler for him to drink on the whole time.

Okay, so as far as the tent goes, Krew doesn’t nap on the beach yet because he’s always way too excited and doesn’t want to miss a beat. But, as he get’s older, our hope is that the tent will give him some shade if he does nap. For now, we try to stick him in there to play and get a break from the sun for a bit. We also use the tent for diaper changes, which has been super nice.

So, the beach before baby may have been more relaxing, but even through all the prep, it is way more fun with a baby. Watching him play cannot be beat. It’s truly priceless. That smile that he gets on the beach, is worth all the lugging of items, trying to keep sand out of his mouth, and fighting him to reapply sunscreen the whole time. It’s worth it a million times over. So even though beach with a baby is a beast to take on, we embrace the crazy and enjoy the memories we’ll hold onto forever.

I’m just a mama who loves watching her baby play in the sand.

How is my Baby Six Months Old?

**Disclaimer: This was written when Krew was six months old, and Krew is now almost nine months old**

6 months have come and gone since September 27 2018. 

SIX. WHOLE. MONTHS. 

This time has passed so incredibly fast. Now I’m not gonna lie (because I’m human and I’m a mama) some days have felt long. But looking back, it’s all happened in this beautiful chaotic whirlwind that I long to remember for eternity. Another day has passed, and now we’re all of a sudden here….at your half birthday. 

Okay, serious mom life reality coming at ya…I started writing this on Krew’s six months, which was Thursday, March 27th. Today is Tuesday, April 3rd and I’m just now coming back to this to finish writing out my crazy thoughts. But the beauty in all this, in these past few days, where I haven’t had the time to get back to writing this, my family and I have been to the beach twice, had breakfast out together, have went to the playground and watched Krew have so much fun on the swing, had tons of laughs, got to promote Brandon as a family, and just sat back to watch how much Krew is learning and changing every day. That’s the thing about watching our babies do this growing up thing, we have to stop and SOAK IT IN. It goes by in a flash. 

Krew has absolutely rocked my world since the day he was born, in the absolute best way. Before he was born, I didn’t know what it was like for my heart to live outside of my body. I didn’t understand what is was like for someone to need and depend on me for literally every little thing. I didn’t know what the heck I was doing as a first time mom, but I did know that I loved this little boy more than anything imaginable and that I would do anything and everything I could to make sure he was always taken care of and given the best life possible. 

These past six months have been quite different from any other time in my life. Before Krew was born, I slept more, worked out more, ate more regular, (and probably a little better, honestly) got my hair/nails done more often, you know did more things for myself because I had the extra time. But really, now I sit and wonder what the heck I did with my time before Krew because I can now get fully ready in 20 minutes or less, I do home workouts that take about 30 minutes, I eat whenever I can and sometimes that means eating a sandwich driving down the road or popping a toaster strudel in the toaster oven before I go get him from his nap (and almost forgetting about it), but hey it gets the job done. Now, the cries of hunger or needing comfort in the middle of the night wake me, and I couldn’t be happier that I get to calm them and get the sweetest of snuggles at the same time. I know those snuggles won’t last forever and they’re going to be gone in a blink of an eye, so any time he cries, I will always be there and run to his rescue. So I mentioned that I got my hair/nails done more often, but since Krew has been born, I would rather spend the time I could use for my hair or nails with him, or spend the extra money on him because let’s be real mamas, we want stuff for our babies over ourselves any day. What I’m getting at in all this, is that even though my life looks totally different than it did six months ago, I wouldn’t trade a single moment, bottle, snuggle, diaper change, cry, kiss, or any single bit of my journey through motherhood thus far. Krew has made me a mama and I am extremely blessed to be his mama day in and day out. 

These moments are precious. Priceless. Wonderful. Blessings. In these six months of Krew’s life, he has already blown my mind, amazed me more times than I can count, learned so much, moved across the country (and adapted like a champ), and filled our world with so much love. Like I said, I didn’t know this type of love existed. Krew is such a beautiful blessing and I would re-live these six months over and over again if I could, but on the flip side, I’ve enjoyed watching him grow and can’t wait to watch him continue to blossom in his life.

I’m just a mama who loves her six month old baby and is torn between loving watching him grow and learn, and wanting him to stay little forever.

A Long Time Coming

I want to start a blog. No, let me rephrase that. I FREAKING WANT TO START A BLOG. I’ve been back and forth with this idea for what feels like years. I have a secret guilty pleasure of writing. The problem is, I do it for a little bit, then stop and think “nobody is ever going to care to read what I have to say” and it stops me. 

Not this time. 

I am not letting this fire die out this time. This fire is reignited and I want to write. I want to tell all about my life, the good and the bad. I want to share this. For once, I’m doing this for me. This is something I’ve been wanting to do and I’m making this dream happen. 

I want this to be a place to share all things beauty, fun, mom life, my family, military life, product reviews, fitness, happy thoughts, the not so happy thoughts and bad days, faith, love, and literally all the things that run through this noggin’ of mine. 

I’ve been writing a few things and I actually shared them with Brandon for the first time ever since we’ve been together. I know, crazy right?! I’ve NEVER shared my love of writing or anything I’ve written with him! This in itself was a big step, and him being my hubby I wanted the real, raw feedback I knew he would give me. I gave him my first piece of writing to read, and went to workout. He comes out to the garage in our home gym and looks at me. I give him that “what?” look. He says, (with laptop in hand) “You have to get this out there. This is REALLY good.” Needless to say, he didn’t know I had this passion. My mom and sister said the things along the same lines. They are definitely part of my driving force to actually go for it. 

Mom always said to not regret anything, and I will regret this if I don’t finally go for it. 

So, this is me going for it.

I’m just a mama with a lot of thoughts I want to share. I’d love it if you’d hang out here.