SCHEDULES/LIFESTYLE

Q: Do you get a long with Cody’s ex-wife? Do you guys hang out?

A. Im really grateful we all get a long. 

One thing I wished could have been different for me growing up, was that when my parents got divorced they would have been friends (I love both my parents very much and I know no family is perfect, but it was hard at times feeling that tension). They lived across the country from each other, so they didn’t have to see each other much. When I would go to visit my mom I would fly by myself (I don’t know if they still do this, but I started at like 5 or 6 years old and my parents would walk me to the gate and then you sit in back row by flight attendant and do the flight on your own. I actually have a lot of fun memories with super kind flight attendants who would play games and stuff with me. I think this is also part of the reason I learned to become pretty independent at a young age, and traveling alone hasn’t ever really scared me but anyways…), but ya I still always felt that awkward tension whenever they were in the same room. I remember even on my wedding day being worried about making sure both parents felt they got equal attention and love. And maybe that was something I created in my head, but it made me want to make it a priority when we got married that we have a good relationship with Cody’s ex, so that the kids never felt that tension or stress, and so we could all go to the kids events and it not be awkward. Again, this was not an overnight thing, it took years to get to that point. Especially if this is a fresh situation, it will take a lot of time.  But as a kid who has been on that side of divorce, that was one thing I really wanted different for our kids.

Time, time, time! I think it all just takes time, but I love talking to their mom about the kids and sharing excitement for the things they are doing, or things they are learning or going through. We all sit by each other at most of the kids games and events, it’s in a good place.

Q. Do you get a say in making all of the decisions about schools and such. How do you deal with that aspect? 

A. Long story short, I have no say haha. Cody talks to me about it, but that is one of the hard parts of being a bonus mom, you love your bonus babies and help raise them but in my case I’m not really a decision maker. I mean day to day what we are doing Cody and I decide, but bigger decisions Cody and his ex wife work out together. 

Q. As the bonus moms/parents, are you involved in communication to his ex or just Cody?

A. In our situation, Cody and his ex work out details for the most part. Obviously there are times when Cody is still at work or out of town or something so I pick up/drop off the kids, etc. but the majority of communication is between her and Cody. We recently started a group text for sports and school scheduling and sometimes share pictures of the kids from school or sports too, but most scheduling goes through them.

Q. How do you handle frustration with your step kids’ schedule?

A. One thing that took time for me to realize and understand is that when you’re a step parent (not always the case, but at least in my situation) even if you all get along, at the end of the day you have little say over holidays, school schedules, really just plans in general. For me, somebody who likes to plan ahead and be in control, it’s sometimes hard. For example, when we were trying to plan a trip and I would ask Cody if he had texted the kids’ mom to make sure certain days work and I would want immediate answers for things 😂 and he’s like I haven’t talked to her yet, and I’m all well call right now, what’s the hold up 😂😂 I eventually realized that 1) sometimes you don’t get immediate answers because she has a life too obviously and you can’t expect immediate responses all the time and 2) things take longer to coordinate and plan than it would with your own kids, so you have to plan ahead a little further. 

Q. Do you have full custody? How often and how long do your bonus kids stay with you?

A. We have joint custody so it alters. Right now, every other week we have them for Thursday/Friday, and then the next week 4 days Thursday-Sunday.

Q. Would you ever travel without the bonus kids?

A. I think our situation is a little different because we LOVE to travel and also travel quite a bit for work, but we always make sure to plan all our “big trips” when we can go together as a family. For example we usually do a big 2 week trip every summer and we always do that with all the kids. (One exception is like spring break – we alter years with their mom for spring break so if Mara and Wes are with their mom those days, we will still take Beckam and Ollie on a spring break trip). If your family typically only goes on 1 or 2 trips a year, I would for sure try to make it work to include everyone. We have so much fun when we travel with all the kids and Beckam and Ollie love being with Mara and Wes as much as we do, so we wish we could always travel together but it doesn’t always work out that way. That’s another thing you realize after you have kids of your own- both parents want as much time as they can with their kids. If it’s a challenge to get additional days or switch schedules for trips, try to have perspective and realize their other parent wants to hang out with them as much as possible too. Not saying it never sucks or their aren’t still disappointed parties, but its kind of an “it is what it is” situation. But honestly it always feels like something is missing when we travel with out them. 

Q. Do they go school 30 minutes away? How does that work?

A. They used to live 10 minutes away from us for like 8 years and recently they moved a couple towns away. I’m so thankful they are still within driving distance because for me growing up, that wasn’t the case, so I’m just grateful we still get to see them so much. But it has definitely made it a little more challenging, especially now that they are in multiple sports, and Mara and Wes are in two different schools (junior high and elementary) they go at different times. Everyone has different practices and schedules after school, so it gets busy but we are glad they are still close.

Q. Are they open to talking about things they do with their mom around you?

A. I feel like they are super open with us, but I guess I wouldn’t actually know how much they are choosing to share. I know as a kid, sometimes I would feel nervous telling the other parent what I was doing when I was with my other parent (even now sometimes, actually haha) because I didn’t want to make the other parent feel bad, so I hope Mara and Wes don’t feel that way but also I guess I can’t know 100% for sure since we aren’t with them 24/7. 

Q. How do you split up firsts or special times with their mom and you guys?

We haven’t had a lot of firsts where we can’t both show up somewhere to support them. For their first time to Disney, we did ask the kids’ mom if we could take them but other than that, there haven’t been a lot of times when we need to split up firsts.  

Q. How do you guys handle holidays/birthdays? 

It’s kind of changed over the years. We always split Christmas – I know thats not as popular. I think a lot of people do every other Christmas. Thanksgiving and Spring Break we alternate every year. Sometimes Easter falls over Spring Break, etc. Birthdays have changed – sometimes we alternate years and sometimes we stick to the schedule. When they were younger, one person would get them the night before and half of their birthday, and then the other would get the other half of the day and the night. At first I think everyone was hypersensitive and micromanaging time and things have relaxed since then. I would get in the mentality of trying to make sure everything was ‘fair’. But in a blended family, it’s impossible to make everything 100% fair.

We would also have traditions that we do every year with the kids, like carving pumpkins and decorating gingerbread houses. And we’ll wait to do those traditions until we have Mara and Wes with us so we can do it all together as a family. I think it makes the holidays feel more special and we’re even more intentional about our time together during those times.

SUPPORT:

Q. Do you feel you need to know other bonus moms for support? I don’t have anyone in my life.

A. I know like one or two other bonus moms but now that I’m thinking about it I don’t know if I’ve ever really talked to them a ton about it. My step mom is and I’ve talked to her of course 🙂 We have 2 step dads within our extended family, but otherwise I feel like my physical circle of bonus moms is pretty small. If you’re joining an online group of other blended families, I would look for one that’s goal is a positive family environment – there are so many that can become super negative and that energy will just detract. But I think bonus moms can be a great support for each other. 

DISCIPLINE/PARENTING FOR BLENDED FAMILIES:

Q. Did you do any discipline when they were younger? 

A. Yes, but nothing major.

Q. How do you not step on any toes/do you feel like you can discipline them? Do you ever put boundaries or is it Cody’s ‘job’?

A. I never want Mara and Wes to feel like they get treated differently, so we try to say consistent through everything and that includes with disciplining and rules. For example: If they make a mess in the living room with Beckam, I wouldn’t only make Beckam clean it. And if they don’t listen, which they are kids and sometimes they don’t haha, they will get a different chore. But I do that exact thing for all the kids. 

There are 10000% times I will say to Cody though, will you be the enforcer this time, I don’t want them to hate me.  And sometimes he will, and other times he’s like you are still a mom to them, they love you and it’s ok for them to have consequences. I think he gages my mood haha. I’ve been in their life over 10 years, and know they love me, but sometimes still worry “what if they think I’m the evil step mom!” So I think you gage what feels most natural and comfortable for you.

Q. Do you give your bonus kids chores?

A. 100%, but all of the kids have weekly chores (– one thing Cody and I both feel strongly about is teaching our kids work ethic, so that goes for all the kids obviously). For us it just wouldn’t make sense if only Beckam and Ollie were doing weekly chores and Mara and Wes just sat on the couch. We are a family and we all have responsibilities.

Do I ever feel guilty about it?  There are some times when it’s the last hour or two before Mara and Wes go back to their mom’s house and Cody tells them they need to clean up a mess and pick up the room, and I tell him they only have 1 hour left and to let them just have fun. He says no, they are still our kids they need take care of their responsibilities, which is really what we would do with Beckam and Ollie. So the times when I am a little more lax about chores or picking up after themselves is before they leave, but during the regular day to day, they do the same things my kids do. (And Cody is really good about being consistent no matter the circumstances.)

Ok that wraps up this post! A lot of you have questions or advice about dealing with biological moms or establishing a bond with your bonus babies – I’m really want to be an open book and share as much as I can, so I’ll save that for the next few posts, including tips for bonus moms and tips for bio moms since I got a few questions from you guys too ❤️ I’ve loved hearing from you all about your own blended families and how much you love your bonus babies!

XX, Christine

The post Bonus Moms & Blended Families – Part 2 appeared first on Hello Fashion.

Picnics – such a great mom & son date night

As Beckam has gotten older, I’ve noticed that Cody always has a million cool ideas of things to do with Beckam. Riding motor bikes, soccer-bouncing contests, ninja obstacle courses – especially now that Beckam cit old enough to keep up with Cody. They share an interest in a lot of the same things so it’s easy for them to find things to do. (And it’s the same with me and Mara. We can always go get pedicures or go shopping.)

I love the relationship Cody and Beckam have so much but it’s also made me realize that with the boys, I have to put more effort into activities that don’t come second nature to me so I wanted to think of creative ways to spend time together and make new memories this year. So that’s the back story behind why I made this list of mom & son date night activities – I wanted to have a list of cool, fun ideas of things that we could do together so every time he says, “Mom, do you want to play with me?” I have a whole list of ideas to pull from instead of just wasting time trying to brainstorm ideas.

I shared the Q&A on Insta stories a week or so ago and there were so many great ideas so I put together a little graphic of bucket list activities for you guys to print out or just save to your phones for a quick and easy reference point. Hope this list is helpful! I made it specifically with mom & son time in mind but it really could work for girls too if you’re looking for more ideas!

PIN NOW – SAVE FOR LATER

If you guys have any more ideas, please add below in comments so we can keep adding to our mom & son date night ideas list!

XX, Christine

The post Mom & Son Date Night Ideas appeared first on Hello Fashion.

I’m so excited to start this series! Questions about being a stepmom/bonus mom and our blended family are always my most asked questions. So I wanted to start a series about blended families, being a bonus mom, and growing up with divorced parents.

My parents divorced when I was little, 4 or 5. I primarily lived with my dad (in Washington state) and then would go spend half the summer with my mom (in Virginia). My dad got remarried when I was 5 or 6, and my step mom became a big part of my life too. Very grateful for all of my parents, but I think going through a split family dynamic growing up helped me understand a few things as a step/bonus mom and brought some perspective to certain things I see my bonus kids go through now.

Before I start, I want to preface this by saying, no two situations are exactly the same, but being a parent (bonus mom or regular mom) is always easier when you have a community, friends, or family to rely on or talk to. I feel like you guys are all my besties so I hope this series can maybe help anyone navigating being a bonus mom, or dating someone with kids. And in case you don’t follow me on  instagram and are wondering where these questions below came from- I did a Q&A and had you submit all your blended fam/bonus mom questions. I compiled the most asked questions and will be breaking them into different posts (And it will also give you guys time to ask questions in comments below that I can include in my future posts.)

So here we go…

THE BEGINNING

Q. How long have you and Cody been together and where did you meet?

A. We’ve been married for 10 years this fall! We met selling alarm systems door to door in South Carolina and Texas. We both sold 🙂

Q. How many babies did you birth? Which ones are your step kids?

A. The oldest two, Mara and Wes are my bonus babies (Cody was married before and had Mara and Wes with his ex-wife). Beckam and Ollie I birthed, and are my biological children.

Q. Was it hard for you to date Cody initially because he had two babies?

A. I actually had a serious boyfriend in college who had kids. I knew I always wanted to have a big family and I had a great example of a stepmom/bonus mom growing up, so dating a guy with kids was never a big deal for me. I know this is not always the case, a lot of you have  messaged me saying it’s been a hard transition dating someone with kids, but the biggest piece of advice I can give you is give it time. Our situation wasn’t easy at first. The divorce was hard on a lot of people and things took time.  Eventually you’ll develop a structure, find what works for you and your family, and get into the swing of things. I would also say for the kids’ sake, unless you really see yourself with this person for a long time, I wouldn’t rush to meet the kids if you don’t see it being long term. 

Q. How do you handle emotions about his past/firsts? (Jealousy, resentment, sadness).

A. For the most part, I didn’t really think about knowing he had done things without me or experienced things first before me.  It wasn’t something I consciously thought about or dwelt on,  but there were a few random moments when it hit me…

Right after I had Beckam there was a moment I was like ‘Oh, he’s already done this’. He had gone through and experienced a lot of the first time parent things already.. I thought to myself I could be mad or jealous he wasn’t going through it the first time with me or I could look for the positive like ‘hey he will know what to do maybe in times I won’t’. This is a life lesson I’ve learned over the years in general, you always have a choice on your mindset to focus on positive or the negative. 

I do remember asking him when we were home one of the first couple days with Beckam, “Does it feel any different this time around?” I am always pretty open with how I feel. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I think communication is even more important with blended families, because it’s really easy to let emotions/feelings bottle up inside and it super important to have a lot of communication to understand and support each other.

The other time I can really remember was when I wanted to go to Paris for the first time. Cody had gone with his ex-wife and didn’t love all the touristy things (he’s not big on museums or seeing all the sites) so when we first got married he wasn’t super anxious to go back and I hadn’t been to Europe in years, and didn’t want my first time being in a city I had been dyiiiing to go to to be thinking about him and his ex wife. I honestly don’t know why that event stood out to me, but it’s the one thing I didn’t want to repeat. Instead of going with Cody, I decided to take Beckam.

He was 6 months old and my friend Amber (you guys probably know her – Dae/Barefoot Blonde) and I took our babies with our friend Jaci and it was such an amazing trip! It’s honestly one of my favorite memories with Beckam to this day. And now we’ve been back to Paris as a family a couples times and I love it. It’s one of my favorite family spots. But for some reason that first time to a bucket list place I didn’t want to be thinking about what he did with his ex wife 😂 

I think there’s something about those ‘firsts’. Maybe we build them up in our head, but if there is something that is important to you, talk to your spouse or significant other. I was really up front with Cody about it and he understood. I mean I don’t think he totally understood my emotions behind it, but he supported us going and wanted me to go have fun. On that same note, and I want to emphasize this, you are entitled to all of your feelings. You’re entitled to feel jealousy at times, resentment, or sadness. But then how you handle it is on YOU. You have a decision to make: what are you going to do about it? You can just sit in your feelings and build bitterness, or you can acknowledge them and then try to grow and change. I know everyone will handle things differently – and it’s not to say I have never felt sad, jealous or hurt, but I hope it can bring some connection and encouragement to those of you going through the same thing. 

Q. Tips for dating someone with 2 kids with someone else?

A. I think my biggest advice would be to put the kids’ wellbeing first and foremost. That might not be what you’re expecting, but instead of thinking how the kids could affect you or your relationship, think about how you could be affecting the kids. My #1 piece of advice: wait to meet the kids. Don’t rush things and give it a little time, just out of respect for the kids. Especially if you don’t see yourself getting really serious with their parent – it’s not fair to them to have a new person in and out of their lives that doesn’t intend to be in it long-term. Put yourself in their shoes. 

Q: How did Cody introduce you to the kids? About to go through this & I look up to your family. 

A. This can vary so much depending on your situation, the kids ages, etc. I think meeting somewhere that’s neutral territory is a great idea. Somewhere outside your space and outside their space so everyone feels comfortable. Another idea is to do some sort of activity you can do together so you all have time to warm up and conversation can flow easier and more natural. It’s funny I had forgotten about this until you guys asked, but I met Cody and the kids at the McDonald’s Play Place – and we got ice cream. 🥰

Q. How soon did you meet the kids when you and Cody were dating? Did they accept you at first?

A. I met Mara and Wes 6 months after Cody and I started dating. They were honestly so young I feel like they warmed up super easy, and I love kids, and babysat and nannied a lot so I feel like overall I’m good with kids which made it easier. I’ve known Mara and Wes since they were toddlers so I’ve been lucky that they’ve mostly grown up with me in their life. 

Q. How did your family accept that Cody had kids?

A. I touched on this earlier, but I was pretty serious with the guy I dated before who had kids, so I don’t think this was ever an issue really for my parents. I never straight out asked them though… I think their main concern was that if I married someone with kids, he was a good dad. It’s funny, I think seeing guys as a dad helps you identify the good ones even faster. 

Q. What did you do for your bonus children when you guys got married?

A. Mara was our flower girl and Wes was our ring bearer. I honestly can’t remember if I got them a specific gift or memento for the wedding, but I’ve seen the cutest ideas and gestures online after we got married – there are so many creative and thoughtful things you can do to make them feel special and loved! I think ages play into this on what kind of gift or sentiment to do 🙂

BALANCING BONUS & BIO

Q. Do you ever feel like your own kids get put second to your bonus kids? Struggle bus here.

A. Hmm this was an interesting question… I think having limited time with my bonus kids makes me want to make sure we are making the most of that time, so I feel like Cody and I are more intentional and mindful of that time. With Beckam and Ollie, its more routine if that makes sense, but the days we have Mara and Wes we try to make sure we are wrapping up work right at 5 or earlier so we can get more quality time together, planning something fun for the weekends, etc. So it’s not that we treat Ollie and Beckam different, but we do treat the time we have with Mara and Wes differently, if that makes sense…. 

The other time it feels like we do things differently is holidays, and it’s not that I feel like our kids get put ‘second’, it’s that we have to make some adjustments for schedules and splitting times on holidays. So that becomes the priority vs how an unblended family might celebrate. For example, we always split Christmas with Mara and Wes’ mom, so some years Beckam has to wait until the afternoon to open presents or on Easter we do the Easter egg hunt later after we get them. So not getting put second, just adjusting some traditions because we would rather have Mara and Wes with us to celebrate together as a family.

Q. How long were you a bonus mom before having Beckam and Ollie?

A. 3ish years I think… honestly I have the worst memory with dates, Cody is so much better at that than me 🙂

Q. How did you feel the change was when you had B?

A. There were two big changes for me – #1) Before I had Beckam, Mother’s Day sucked. Of course Mara and Wes are going to spend Mother’s Day with their mom, and I would never want or expect them to be with me instead of their mom on that day. But as a bonus mom you spend a lot of time loving and nurturing and building a bond with your bonus babies, so selfishly I wanted to celebrate with them too. I was/am so grateful for them and for the love they have brought into my life, so it was hard not getting to be with them on that day. Cody was always thoughtful and did something before Mother’s Day with all of us to celebrate being a bonus mom, but it’s still a reminder on the day of when so many people were celebrating that you just wish you could hug your bonus babies. Once I had Beckam and Ollie, Mother’s Day changed for me and took some of that away. I still miss seeing Mara and Wes so much on that day, but it’s nice I get to be with the other kids.

 #2) Having Beckam and Ollie brought so much perspective to how it might feel on the other side of the equation, things that until you have kids of your own probably won’t make sense. Like in some ways I wonder if I was too involved before… some of this is hard to put into words, but it brought perspective to not feeling like I had to be a part of as many decisions with Mara and Wes, and to give their mom space like at school functions. Example… before I had Beckam and Ollie I signed up to help in Mara and Wes’ classes and volunteered for things, and yes I’m so glad I did that, but I also realized maybe that’s something their mom just wants to do…as I’m writing this I realize I probably should have just asked her instead of assuming either way 😂 . I also felt like it brought perspective to her side of splitting time… Splitting time sucks for both parents 100%, but before I had my own kids, I always sided with Cody, and then once I had Beckam and Ollie I imagined having to share so much time with Beckam and Ollie with another woman/family, not seeing every milestone, splitting holidays, all of that sucks… of course you want your kids to be loved by as many people as possible, but it made me understand her point of view a little more in some ways, that until you have your own kids you don’t really understand as a bonus mom. 

Q. How did you guys decide on “ours” babies. My bf is 10 years older and 3 kids – I’m worries he’s done. LOL

A. This is a conversation I would FOR SURE have before you get married. I thought Cody and I did but he says he doesn’t remember 😂. He was always on board for us to have one together, but I always wanted at least 2 because I was an only child and always wished I had a sibling. Since we don’t have Mara and Wes full time I didn’t want one of our kids to be by themselves when Mara and Wes are gone, so I always wanted at least 2. Cody didn’t realize that so he thought he was done after Beckam and it took me yearsssss to convince him on another. Obviously he’s glad we did now that we have Ollie, but it’s still an important conversation to have prior to make sure you’re on the same page.

Wes and Mara with baby B ❤️

Q. How did you talk to the kids about having another baby (meaning before Beckam was born?)

A. Honestly it’s been so long ago that I don’t remember how we told the kids, but I remember surprising everyone in our family somehow. They were really excited – both with Beckam and Ollie.

Q. I had a really awful step-mom experience – did you ever worry about treating the kids different?

A. I’m so sorry – I feel like I get messages like this A LOT  and it makes me so sad.  I pray everyday my bonus kids feel loved when they are with us and know how much they mean to me. I’m sure I’ve done things wrong, but I think as a parent we always want to strive to be better, so I hope they always know how loved they are, not just them but all our kids.

That wraps up part one! Some of the upcoming posts will talk about schedules, things I’ve learned being a bonus moms, discipline/parenting my kids vs. bonus kids, how involved I am with ex-wife, etc… if you have new questions or questions about anything above drop in the comments below.

XX, Christine

The post Bonus Mom Part 1 appeared first on Hello Fashion.

CLEAR STACKABLE DRAWERS (20% OFF)

I’m obsessed with these clear stackable drawers (20% off right now)! Especially with standard closets, they are the perfect solution for storing things that are hard to organize and would usually end up on the floor or piled on shelves. A great piece for kids closets, especially since you can fit so much more. I love that these are stackable too!  I use these to store things like diapers, wipes, and other items accessories like beanies and hats etc. The bigger ones are great for baby shoes or leggings. Both are on sale 20% off right now too!

GARAGE RAIL & HOOK SYSTEM

Tackling the garage has been on my list forever. I knew we needed some kind of storage or organization system and this one was the perfect first step. I read SO many reviews and this one had the highest rating. It has a bunch of different hooks to hang various items (we also ordered these extra hooks to go with it). It saves so much floor space and I loved being able to see such an immediate difference so quickly! It has amazing reviews and they were spot on – super easy to install!

VERTICAL BALL ORGANIZER 

Another garage must-have if your family is super into sports like mine – this vertical ball organizer  attaches to the rail system above and makes it really easy to get all the various basketballs, volleyballs, footballs, etc. into one place. Seriously no better way to store them! I also love the flexible bands in front so the kids can grab any ball they want without a hassle (and also makes it easy to put them away). Another one that lives up to its glowing reviews!

DRAWER DIVIDERS

Once you go draw dividers, you never go back. They make finding and putting away clothes so much easier and helps you visualize everything you own quickly. I especially love them for kids drawers! This one works for smaller drawers too but also extend out really long so they can work for longer drawers too. These are on sale right now too!

ROPE  BASKETS

These rope baskets are another one of my favorite products. I’ve actually had them for years but just got a couple more for organizing so everything matched. They come in multiple sizes (here and here) and are great for storing some of the eye-sore items that don’t really have a good spot otherwise. Not just for kids’ bedrooms either! Great for linen closets, pantries, toy rooms, family room. Great price point too!

Are you guys on an organizing kick too? I would love to learn about any favorite products or hacks you have! Let me know below in comments!

XX, Christine

The post 5 of My Favorite Recent Organizing Buys appeared first on Hello Fashion.

DETAILS: BLUSH CHAIRS | DESK | PRINTER

Working from home… it can be one of those grass is greener situations, am I right? People who work from home sometimes miss the social aspect of working in an office whereas people who work in an office wish they had the flexibility of working remotely. Whatever your typical setup, I think we all agree home life has changed substantially over the last couple weeks. Whether you are starting to work from home due to Covid19 – or are looking for ways to be productive around the house, here are some of my essentials for working from home!

1. Coffeemaker: First things first, coffee. I used to look forward to stopping and grabbing my cup of coffee with Beckam before I dropped him off at school, but I’ve never been more grateful for a coffeemaker until now. This one is best for easy quick coffee. My dad surprised us with this high tech one and it can make espressos, coffee, mochas, everything, it is pricier but so yummy if your an avid coffee drinker. It’s like having Starbucks in your house ;).  Just add a cute mug to start the morning off on the right foot. (Have you guys seen these? So cute!)

2. A Notepad: Although everything I do basically begins and ends with all things digital, sometimes the best way to wrap your head around something is to write it out with good old fashioned pen and paper. I love this cute notepad to keep your week organized (seemingly more impossible now than ever haha) and this desktop calendar (also perfect for putting together a weekly schedule for the kids!).

3. Airpods: Honestly, these are worth every penny. I still haven’t made the transition to the Airpods Pro, although I’ve heard amazing reviews for the noice cancelling affect, but the standard version is amazing. I can’t imagine working from home without them now! Add Siri and ‘Talk to text” and it brings a whole new meaning to handsfree.

4. A dedicated workspace: With a laptop, it’s easy to roam the house and end up working from anywhere you can find a flat surface and quiet space for moment. I’ve found it’s always best to have a dedicated work space to help get you in that working mentality every time you sit down. If that’s not an option, instead focus on dedicated non-working zones. Working from bed might sound like heaven, but it’s best to keep that space dedicated to rest and relaxation so you don’t start to associate the two.

5. Blue-Light Blocking Glasses: If you aren’t used to starting at a screen 40+ hours a week, then let me introduce you to blue-light blocking glasses! Trust me on these – your eyes will thank you. (Another hack to avoid headaches – focus on your posture! Especially with laptops, you usually tend to look down at your screen. Try to find a set up that elevates your computer so your neck isn’t bent all day.)

6. A good candle: If you’re going to be indoors for most of the day, find joy in the simple things! Whether it’s a pretty bunch of blooms or lighting up your favorite candle, adding something a little luxurious to your workday will make it all the more bearable.

Also wanted to mention a few of my favorite apps for working from home! If you have any others to add to the list, comment below for other people to download!

• Swipes – This is the best app for your to do list! Just swipe to cross something off your list – so rewarding!
• Google Calendar – I live by my calendar! I am always most efficient when I am time-blocking. Just set aside 30 minutes to focus on a single task, and work on it without distraction until the 30 minutes is up. Multitasking is actually less efficient, because your brain has to adjust when you switch back and forth between tasks, so time-blocking is a must, especially when you are dealing with so many potential interruptions during the day.

Below are some other office additions to brighten up your home workspace. You can also read more about the truth about balancing mom and work life and other lessons I’ve learned about working from home here and here.

XX, Christine

The post My 6 Essentials For Working From Home appeared first on Hello Fashion.

Read together: Let your kids pick their favorite books, and instead of squeezing it in before bed you can make a routine out of it during the day. 

Exercise: Grab some mats and do some yoga, a quick home workout, or take a walk together! (Anything to burn some energy, am I right?) Side note – a lot of you have asked about my code for obe at home workouts. Use code: CHRISTINEMONTH to get your first month free (valid through March 31st. 🙂

Build a Fort: Build a fort in your living room then have a movie night with popcorn and everyone’s favorite treat!

Play Restaurant: Make a menu and have a 3 course meal. Mara loves playing waitress and serving all of us! You can keep this one up by picking a different ‘restaurant’ every night – one night can be Italian, another Mexican, etc. 

Have an indoor rodeo: Get some pony sticks (unless dad is game to participate 😉 and let the kids race each other around the room. You can also add obstacles like couch pillows, etc. for some makeshift barrel racing.

Learn a new skill: Pick up a new hobby! You can learn anything from baking, language, an instrument, etc. Beckam has been DYING to learn guitar so I ordered him a guitar and am going to youtube some basic lessons for him. 

Write a letter to their grandparents: No matter how near or far your kids’ grandparents live, keeping them connected the old fashioned way is the way to go, now more than ever! Add some homemade artwork for an extra treat (and probably a soon-to-be addition to grandma and grandpa’s fridge. 🙂

Have a backyard campfire and roast some hot dogs and marshmallows: Any time you can spend outside enjoying some fresh air is a win in our book! For a memorable night, have a spontaneous camping trip in your own backyard or back patio. You can light up the fire pit if you have one to roast marshmallows. It’s also the perfect chance to download a star-gazing app and learn some of the constellations. We love this one.

Have a spa day: Everybody could use some extra R&R right now, so make a day of it and have everyone participate in spa day! You can set out everyone’s robes (this one is my ultimate favorite; also love these cute striped options for the kids) and slippers and arrange multiple stations – a swimsuit bubble bath, fun face masks, a foot massage station – I can’t promise it won’t make a mess but I can promise it will make a great memory!

Pull out your favorite games: From your family’s favorite board games to bring out everyone’s competitive sides. We’ve played probably 15 games of Sorry already and Cody and I love Monopoly Deal! You can also play tic-tac-toe and hangman on the driveway with chalk, or collaborate on a family puzzle.

Set up an at home treasure hunt: For St. Patrick’s Day, Cody and I set up a trail of Lucky Charms that led the kids to find their ‘treasure’. They loved it and it was a welcomed distraction from everything going on. It’s a great way to celebrate birthdays or an incentive for doing chores around the house, etc.

Take a walk to the park and have a picnic: Head outside for some fresh air. Even if you are avoiding the playground, you should be able to find the perfect spot to lay down a blanket and set up a picnic. 

Take on a Tiktok trend: We love trying our hand at the latest Tiktok crazes! Some of the ones the kids have loved: learning how to make thread bracelets, hydro-dipping, learning new dances, and trying out the challenges. If you aren’t following already come hang with us on TikTok: @christine_andrew.

Paint: Using your fingers or paint brushes, your kids will love to create something new! It’s so fun to see what their little imaginations come up with. How cute are these little ‘paint your own’ kits? Love!

Movie night: If you haven’t sign up for Disney+ yet, now. is. the. time. 😂Soooo many options and easy to find something the kids will agree on. (You can see more about our Disney movie nights here or sign up for a free 7-day trial here)

Challenge yourself with LEGOS. There’s no time like the present to tackle that intimidating LEGO set the kids have been asking to open.

Let them be the boss for the day: Granted, you might have to add some parameters depending on the direction they go, but let your kids rule the roost for the day! They can have their choice between a few options for dinner, decide on games, activities, etc. – such a fun opportunity to see what they would do on their dream day!

I would love to keep the list going! If you guys want to add some fun ideas below in comments, I’ll add a list of your additional ideas to the end of the post!

XX, Christine

The post 17 Ways to Turn Quarantine into Quality Time With the Kids appeared first on Hello Fashion.

Hi guys! After using the Snoo for the last few months,  to give a full review on our experience, pros and cons,  how it’s helped, what we learned along the way, and most importantly whether I think it’s worth the splurge. So keep reading to get my full review:

A rough start…

To be fully transparent, Ollie didn’t love the Snoo right off the bat. I had heard so many raving reviews, so I was surprised that he didn’t take to it immediately but after mentioning this on my stories, I got tons of DMs suggesting we swaddle Ollie before we put him in the sleeper sack, and that made all the difference! I had prior just been zipping him into the sleep sack and he had so much room to kick around, so once we swaddled him he loved being all cozy inside. He also has acid reflux and I found out that Snoo has risers that keep his head elevated to help with his reflux. Honestly those two changes were game changers and he loved it from then on!

My favorite features:

There are sooo many amazing features of the Snoo that you can read about here, but I just wanted to focus on a few that we used the most. It’s a smart sleeper, so it basically senses when your baby starts to cry and starts rocking. The more your baby fusses the faster it rocks and then once they settle down it weans them off the motion.  It’s seriously genius and helped soothe Ollie in his bassinet. It also has a built-in noise machine that automatically kicks in or adds more sounds when it senses the fussing.  It’s like having an extra set of hands – honestly so helpful! It can also track their sleep cycles with the app. We didn’t use the app but all my friends swear by it.

The biggest thing for me though was the safety. I don’t know if it’s the older I get I hear more sad stories about freak incidents, but I was extra on edge about SIDS or something happening. The Snoo is 1005 the safest sleeper on the market. It keeps your child on their back so they can’t roll and that brought me more sleep at night knowing I didn’t have to wake up and worry he had tolled over. (Also have to mention for my crappy half asleep nights of swaddling him, the velcro/zipper is a life saver to make up for my sloppy swaddles. ; It made it incredibly easy to get him cozy again without worrying about him wiggling out.)

The cons:

It’s not super portable. It’s pretty heavy – but we didn’t really need to move it from our room but it just prevented us from really moving it anywhere because of that and because it has to be plugged in so you need to stay close to an outlet.

We also had a little trouble connecting it to our phone – they sent us a WiFi extender but I honestly just never got around to connecting it which is laziness on my part and he was ok without having the app, so I just didn’t do it. A lot of my friends LOVE and swear by the app so maybe I’m missing out big time but I just got lazy.

Worth it?

The big question… is it worth the splurge? I work from home a lot of the time, and there were a number of times I was like wow, I’m able to do ____ because my hands are free while The Snoo rocks Ollie. Yes, that also left me feeling a little mom guilt sometimes too but it allowed me to get more done while at home which was huge for me.

The cost of the Snoo will obviously hit everyone’s budgets differently, so if you are in a position to splurge on something for baby, it’s a no brainer! (Especially if you are planning to have a few kids – it’s something you’ll use with every baby!) They also have a 30 day money back guarantee so if you try it and don’t love it you can ship it back at no cost to you! I think they know once you start using it you will instantly see the value in it like we did. They also have an amazing new option that you can rent the Snoo. Honestly I think it’s 100% worth the money whether you rent or buy. I will use it again if we have another and all my friends who have it love it too.

Have any of you guys used The Snoo before? I’m curious about your experience – whether your baby took to it immediately or you figured out what worked for your baby along the way. Let me know in the comments!

XX, Christine

The post The Snoo: Yay or Nay? appeared first on Hello Fashion.

Hey guys! I shared on my insta stories that we’ve been working with a sleep trainer to help with Ollie and I’ve already learned so much! I’ve shared a few tips on stories that she’s shared but I also wanted to put together a post with the products she recommended for sleep training so you can shop directly.

SIZE TWO BOTTLE NIPPLES

If you are bottle feeding, Around 3 months old, start transitioning to larger bottle nipples (size 2). I completely forgot this one since it’s been over 5 years since we did this with Beckam, but getting a bigger nipple size makes sure they are getting enough food during the day. The bigger nipple size has already made a huge difference in how much milk he is getting!

BABY MERLIN’S MAGIC SLEEPSUIT

This sleepsuit is supposed to be the best to help them transition out of the swaddle. Ollie is only 3 months old and rolling, so once they start rolling you need to Start transitioning out of the swaddle, but because he’s on the younger side he still has the Moro Reflex so this helps him that.

WHITE NOISE MACHINE (ON SALE)

Noise machines are a must but one thing I didn’t know was that you shouldn’t use the ocean or rain sleep settings – they actually stimulate the brain! This one has multiple other settings and is on sale right now, too!

LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL

Our sleep trainer also recommended using lavender essential oil. Another option is lotion with lavender, or you can also mix lavender essential oil with your baby’s favorite lotion. Make sure and check with your pediatrician before using 🙂

NIGHTTIME DIAPERS

Not only should you be using overnight diapers, but when they start sleeping longer size up one size – you still want it to fit snug around the waist but there will be extra room/absorbency to get through the night.

PAPER BLACKOUT SHADES

One major thing I learned was to feed Ollie right after he wakes up. You should feed them in a dark, distraction-free space so Jess, our sleep trainer, recommended these if you don’t have curtains or black out shades. They aren’t high end looking but do the job for a good price point.

Let me know in the comments below if you guys have any more questions! I also shared a ton of tips on sleep training on my Instagram and  made a sleep training highlight that you can watch here. I shared the above on stories and it was so good I couldn’t help but post here too.

XX, Christine

The post 6 Products You Need For Seamless Sleep Training appeared first on Hello Fashion.

One of the questions I get the most is about which baby products I recommend. These last two months we have tried a ton of baby products – some tried and true that I used  with Beckam and some that I am newly converted to! There is so much information out there on the internet, but I wanted to put together some of my baby products that I think are 100% worth the hype. Here’s my list!

1. Snuggle Me Organic

The Snuggle Me Organic is one of our most-used baby products so far. It is super convenient to be able to lay him down anywhere and just move him around to any room, depending on where we are hanging out. They also have interchangeable covers so you can pick a pattern to match your aesthetic. So glad we went with the Snuggle Me Organic – we love it!

2. Dr. Brown’s Baby Bottles

The tradition continues with these Dr. Brown’s Baby Bottles. Beckam did so well with them and now Ollie is following suit. He doesn’t like the ones with the wide neck nipples, but these standard sized nipples like shown above work great.

3. Doona Car Seat/Stroller

I had a few different strollers with B, but we never tried the Doona so I was really excited to get one for Ollie after everything I’ve heard about it. We travel so much and I loved the idea of a convertible stroller that folds into a car seat in just a few quick steps. We have yet to take our first big trip with Ollie, but we already love it so much! It’s so lightweight and so easy to use – this is an amazing stroller! My only issue is that it doesn’t have a storage compartment underneath, so I just bought a handbag strap so I can hang my diaper bag on it.

4. The Snoo

I was on the fence about The Snoo at first. My friends raved about it but when I first put Ollie in it, he wasn’t convinced. I shared my honest feedback that Ollie wasn’t loving it on Insta stories, and then a bunch of you suggested we swaddle him before we put him in the ‘sleep sack’ and that did the trick! He also has reflux, so they have little risers for purchase so you can elevate two of the legs of the Snoo so it would sit at a slight angle. Now he loves it!

5. The BabyBjorn Bouncer Bliss

The BabyBjorn bouncer has been our favorite. Not only is it super sleek and easy on the eyes, it also works really well! Ollie is a big fan.

6. Angelcare Bath Support

It took us a few tries before we finally found the right baby bath accessory, but I swear by this one now. It keeps him propped up really well and it’s also easy to wash. I really can’t recommend it enough – it has completely changed bath time for us!

7. nuna PIPA Lite LX Car Seat 

The nuna car seat deserves all the hype they get, too. I asked you guys on stories for light carseats and this one won by a landslide and now I totally get why. It’s sooo super lightweight – I couldn’t believe how much lighter it was than the one I had the first time around with Beckam. I also love the color options they have available and the leather strap is super chic. And Ollie loves it!

8. nuna Mixx Stroller

This is the other stroller we have – it definitely weighs more than the Doona but it has more storage and also has options for forward or rear facing so it can grow with your baby.

9. JJ Cole BundleMe

Ollie loves this bunting bag! It’s perfect for winter, so you can just zip it around the car seat or use it for bunting when he’s in the stroller out for walks or running errands. It’s so convenient and a great substitute for blankets that always end up falling off at the worst places!

10. Fridababy Windi

Now onto the less dreamy but equally necessary products… the Fridababy Windi is amazing. I’ll spare you guys details on how it works, but it is a must for baby gas. Trust me on this one!

11. Fridababy SnotSucker

And one that same note, the SnotSucker Saline Kit is perfect for dealing with congestion and stuffy baby noses. I didn’t totally understand how it worked and I thought the snot could potentially end up in your mouth, but it doesn’t haha. There’s a filter that stops it! Another one you don’t think about, but it’s an absolute lifesaver!

Would love to hear what some of your must-have baby products are that are worth their weight in gold! Leave a comment below with what I need to try.

XX, Christine

The post 11 Baby Products Worth The Hype appeared first on Hello Fashion.

DETAILS: BLUSH CAMISOLE | PINK SKIRT (UNDER $100) | BLUSH CROSSBODY (UNDER $50) | BRACELET | SANDALS (ON SALE – 25% OFF)

Whatever your day has in store, I think we could all use some daily reminders – either to get through some of the hard times or appreciate the good! Below are a few powerful reminders I wanted to share. I hope they have as much on impact on your day as they have on mine!

Today is a new day.

Don’t let any of yesterday’s issues or stressors run over into today. It’s a fresh day and you can make it into anything you want it to be! On that same note, you can’t rush tomorrow – it will get here when it gets here! So even though you might be looking forward to something tomorrow or next week, make sure you don’t forget to enjoy today.

Failure is ok.

One of my favorite quotes is “There is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs!” It’s hard work, you’ll miss a few steps and stumble along the way, but it’s the journey and your failures  that strengthen you and helps you succeed.

Others don’t define me.

In a time when it’s so easy to compare yourself to others, it’s even more important to remind yourself every day that you aren’t defined by your comparison to others. What makes you you is what makes you beautiful!

Nothing changes if nothing changes.

My friend shared this quote with me recently and it really resonated with me. Whatever your goals are in life, whatever you are working towards or dreaming of, nothing in your life will change if nothing in your life changes. Create new good habits, ditch old habits that are holding you back – start doing something new and it will put you on the path towards accomplishing your goals!

You are more powerful than you think you are!

I think belief is a powerful tool – whether you believe in a great power, believe in the law of attraction, or anything else, add yourself to that list! Believe in yourself and you will be amazed at the things you can accomplish.

Positivity is a choice.

Positive thoughts can create positive things – I truly believe this and think your mentality 100% creates your perspective, that that in turn creates the world you are living in! Fill it with positivity.

Let me know if you guys have any other mantras or daily reminders that you live by or start your day off right!

XX, Christine

The post 6 Daily Reminders to Start Your Day Off Strong appeared first on Hello Fashion.

Popcorn in bed! Some of my favorite mom moments are the simplest moments like these!

These shorts are so soft and love the ruching detail (they also come in this sweats version too). I also got this retro bralette and bottoms set. Their cotton bra and underwear are some of my favorites!

DETAILS: PAJAMA BOTTOMS (UNDER $20 – WEARING SIZE S) | WHITE CROPPED TEE (UNDER $15 – WEARING SIZE M) | GREY BRALETTE (UNDER $15) | GREY BOTTOMS (UNDER $10)

CODY: BRIEF BOTTOMS | WHITE CREW NECK TEES (3 PACK – UNDER $20) | BLACK BRIEF BOTTOMS (3 PACK – UNDER $20)

BECKAM: COTTON STRETCH BOXER BRIEFS (3 PACK) | WHITE TEES (3 PACK) 

MARA: BRALETTE AND BOTTOM SET

WES: BRIEF BOTTOMS (3 PACK) | WHITE TEES (3 PACK) 

Adding another one to the family, there’s always a fear of not being good enough or falling short in some way, wondering how Beckam will adjust not being the baby anymore, and about a million other thoughts! But I think one thing I’ve learned is that most of the time I create these things in my head and worry about things that often never happen haha. Anyone else? Being a mom, a good mom, was something I’ve looked forward to since I was a little girl. And I know there are days I nail it and I can tell my kids feel so loved, and other days I know I’m falling short, but the biggest thing I’ve realized is how much my attitude as a mom can affect the whole family! So I wanted to share 10 habits I’ve found help me to be a better, happier mom:

Expressing gratitude.

It’s so important to be mindful of everything you have to be grateful for! Whether it’s expressing gratitude to your kids, your spouse, or even just consciously acknowledging or writing out everything you have to be thankful for, it will help you focus more on the positive versus the negative.

Being open-minded.

There is no perfect way to be pregnant or to be a perfect mom. What works for your neighbor may not work for you, and that’s ok! Be open-minded to other people’s perspectives and way of doing things. and be okay if things aren’t always perfectly put together. Putting unrealistic expectations on yourself for what needs to be done, or how your kids should act or what they should be achieving just sets you up for stress.

Not comparing yourself.

In that same vein, they say comparison is the death of joy and it couldn’t be truer about motherhood! There will always be moms who might be more organized than you, a better cook, etc. Instead of comparing yourself to see how you stack up, focus on yourself and your goals. You are your own benchmark! Praise yourself for the things you’re good at, whether it’s just mentally or actually saying it out loud.

Exercising.

The more pregnant I get, the harder it’s been to stick to a regular exercise routine, but staying active is just as important for the body as it is for the mind! Find some type of exercise you enjoy and make it part of your daily routine. Right now, swimming laps is my favorite form of exercise – not only is it a great way to beat the heat, it’s also a lifesaver in alleviating the restless leg syndrome I’ve had this pregnancy.

Focusing on the positive.

During another sleepless night last week, I listened to a motivational speaker and loved what they said about focusing on positive, empowering thoughts. It’s all about confirmation bias – your mind will automatically search for information or experiences that reinforce your beliefs. So if you tell yourself your are failing as a bad mom, your mind will always pick out those experiences to reinforce that belief and disregard anything that disproves it. This applies to everyone, in every stage of life. It’s so important to focus on the positive and things that can empower you as a person! Reflect on your thoughts… are you choosing ones that empower you?

Knowing when to ask for help.

There are always going to be days that are stressful and overwhelming – don’t be afraid to ask for help! You’ll start to identify triggers or signs that you are running out of steam, so before you feel completely drained, enlist help. Have your kids go to the neighbor’s house to play for an hour or get someone to help you come tackle a cleaning day. And get creative! It doesn’t always have to involve spending money. You can trade off with neighborhood moms or find creative ways to get an hour to ‘refill your cup’ without hiring a babysitter.

Being open with other moms.

I was talking to my friend the other day who I look to as a great mom. She’s a stay at home mom and always does a great job planning stuff for her kids. She was saying that sometimes she feels she doesn’t have the creativity to sit and play pretend dolls for long periods of time, and after 5-10 minutes she catches her mind thinking about other things. I have that same problem, and hearing someone I look to as a great mom say the same made me feel better. I thought it was just me! Being open with other moms about your struggles or on the flip side, fun things you do with your kids, will create a space for advice and learning – and you can only improve from learning from others!

Making time for yourself.

Obviously you love your kids, but make sure you are getting time away to nurture yourself too. I love going out to get a mani/pedi, going to dinner with a friend after the kids go to bed, or just going shopping. Target is always my happy place – I could wander the aisles forever! Or for some ‘you’ time at home, get the kids riled up for a wrestling match with dad to get some of their energy out. It’s literally Wes and B’s favorite thing to do! Whatever it is, just make sure you are regularly carving out some time for yourself to do something you love so that you don’t lose yourself in your role of ‘mom’.

Encouraging others.

One of my best friends is so good at sending me notes reminding me I’m a great mom, and honestly they MAKE MY DAY. Take a moment to lift other moms up around you and let them know something you appreciate or admire about them. Have you ever noticed that the more you focus on helping or encouraging other, the more joy it brings to your life in general? Not that that’s the reason you should do it 😉 but you know what I’m say. 🙂

Knowing that you are an amazing mom.

There will be days you have mom guilt or feel burnt out, but it’s important to remember how much you do and focus on the ways you are succeeding. Especially when they are young, kids look up to you like their hero and all they want to do is hang out with you. So cut yourself some slack and realize you are doing a GREAT job!

Do you guys have any other habits of happy moms you’ve learned? Let me know below in comments! You can also see more of my posts on motherhood and life of moms here.

XX, Christine

The post 10 Habits of Happy Moms appeared first on Hello Fashion.

After being married for a while, balancing family time, work schedules, kids’ sports, and just the chaos of life, it can be tricky to set aside time for a true date night with Cody. There are days where we are so rushed out the door that it takes us like a half hour to unwind and really start getting connected on date night. Then there are days where we actually shut work off before date night and it totally changes our mood! Here are 7 of my favorite ideas to start setting the mood for date night before you even walk out the door!

1. Plan ahead! Put it on your calendar and schedule the babysitter so things can’t pop up and cause you to postpone! I try to do it a week in advance instead of day of or the night before because it seems like things pup up closer to the day of. The anticipation and excitement leading up to an event is half the fun and will give you something to look forward to.
2. Drop a note. Hide a little note in your S/O’s briefcase, car, or gym bag – anywhere they will find it before date night! Let them know how excited you are for the upcoming night and build up some of their own excitement for what’s in store.
3. Set rules. It might not seem romantic, but nothing says I love you like banning your cell phones for the night, haha. Since Cody and I work together on so many projects, it can be hard to turn work off on date night, so set those boundaries ahead of time! Whether it’s no phones, no work talk, etc., find whatever works for you!
4. . Get ready together. There’s something about seeing your guy shave and put on your favorite cologne that really starts the night off on the right foot, so I always love when mine and Cody’s schedules line up and we can get ready together (although he takes about half the time to get ready as I do lol). Are you guys the type to share products or do you keep everything separate? Occasionally I’ll steal Cody’s Gillette razors but I also have my own Venus razors. Right now, Costco’s running sales on Venus Disposable Razors ($5 off – sale ends today!), and Mach3 Turbo razor refills and Gillette ProGlide razor refills for $14-$15 off now through June 25th so grab them on sale now! I also love the scent of Cody’s Gillette Advanced 5-in-1 Deodorant but I think I’ll leave that one to him. 😉 What products do you guys share?
5. Blast your favorite playlist. Set the mood with your couple’s playlist. If you don’t have one, make one! We love playing songs that bring us back to all different stages of our relationship – it’s such a fun walk down memory lane and perfect for setting the stage for a special night.
6. Get confident. The first step to looking beautiful is to feel beautiful. Nothing beats the look or feel of smooth, sleek legs, freshly washed hair, and a bright red lip!
7. Try something new. Experiencing new things together always makes for the best memories. Break out of your usual dinner and a movie routine with something out of your comfort zone!

What are some of your ideas for getting date-night ready?

XX, Christine

*In collaboration with P&G.

The post 7 Ways to Make The Most of Date Night appeared first on Hello Fashion.

Writing has always been kind of therapeutic for me. I remember in high school when I would get really mad I would go write in my journal or doodle (Do kids these days even still have diaries and journals?!).  For all the things I think about sharing or not sharing for some reason this one wasn’t hard for me. Maybe it’s the stage in my life. Honestly last year was a hard year personally and with work. And I think maybe with so much going on I needed to vent and let something out because it was bottling in my head. I knew so many people had been through this. Family on both sides, mine and Cody’s, have been through these struggles, through IVF, adoption, anything and everything to bring a sweet baby in the world. But I also knew there were women holding it in and I wanted to share my feelings in hopes to help someone maybe going through the same thing not feel so alone. Your dm’s have poured in and meant so much to me as I share our journey, and I just want you to know I read every single one.

I think for awhile I just thought if I stopped thinking about it it would happen. With Beckam it was so easy, we tried a couple months and boom I was pregnant. I didn’t check my ovulation (honestly I didn’t even know that was a thing when I had Beckam). I just got off birth control and I think it was like 2-3 months later I was pregnant. (For those that are new here: Mara and Wes the older kids you see in my pics are my step babies 🙂  – so Beckam is the only child I have “given birth to” as I reference trying to get pregnant again) Now that it hasn’t happened so easy, I’ve read up on all the things that have to line up for you to actually get pregnant, and it’s crazy to think about how many people accidentally get pregnant. I know that’s cliche and it’s been said a million times but its just more crazy to me now. And if anything it has made it more apparent to me that at the end of the day God’s timing isn’t always our timing. And don’t get me wrong, I’ve been mad, I’ve been sad, I’ve been annoyed, I’ve been moody, and we haven’t even been through the really hard stuff yet. But I still do believe that there is always a plan for our life.

I think the biggest thing is I’ve just felt like is I’m failing. I think this feeling of failure has been a voice in my head I’ve let speak too loud. Other areas of my life (I’ll save for a later post) haven’t been going the way I planned and this little voice that starts small, gets louder, and louder, and you start to believe it. There has been multiple months I thought oh I’m for sure pregnant this month, I wouldn’t tell anyone cause I didn’t want to jinx it, and then my period would come, and it was another month of disappoint. That quiet voice became this loud drum every month that lasted a week reminding me I’m failing. I would carry it into my day and into my personal life and my work.

As I’m writing this I feel like it sounding so dark, this was really November and December for me of last year and now as I have been working through things I feel like it’s easier to talk about and share…

So what have we done and where are we at?

We started trying December/January of last year, so its been a little over a year now. Everyone told me to wait a full year before I saw a fertility doctor, but after 6 months of not getting pregnant I started doing research and found out a lot of doctors take a couple months to get into so I scheduled an apt and sure enough September was their earliest opening.

When we went in, it felt kind of like the movies, you sit down and awkwardly talk about your sex life to a stranger, what you’ve been doing, how often you’ve been doing it, any history of medical issues, etc etc. You set a plan, and for us, my doctor said I shouldn’t be too alarmed because its only been 9 months. Too me that felt like ETERNITY, I always want the quick and fastest solution. That’s just my personality. But I am also SUPER sensitive to all types of medicine, so we wanted to be as conservative as possible. She ordered a lot of different tests. Sperm analysis for Cody. For me – I have had irregular cycles since I was young, so she wanted me to really track my cycles (the Ava bracelet was super helpful for this), do blood work to check my hormones and nutrition levels, and some tests to see if I had PCOS (polycystic ovaries). Everything came back pretty normal, I was a little low on vitamin D and I think Vitamin B but nothing too major. My thyroid was on the borderline too, but nothing that would majorly prevent us from conceiving. She concluded I did have PCOS (which I was told when I was high school, but I guess 15 years ago it was really over diagnosed so she wanted to double check). This being the major reason I most likely was having a hard time getting pregnant, because I wasn’t ovulating every month.

All the tests took a month and half or so to do, once those were complete she decided to have me do an HSG test. Basically it’s a test they put blue dye through your tubes to make sure their is no blockage and things are flowing the right way. I had heard from friends and family who had gone through it that it was really painful and uncomfortable. I’ll be honest I am a wimp when it comes to pain – so when my doctor asked if I wanted anything to help with pain and my nerves I opted for it no question haha.( A lot of you dmed me saying you didn’t have that option – so maybe ask your doctor if you can get something to help if you’re getting it done.) I think because of that it wasn’t that painful. It was a little uncomfortable but not as bad as I was expecting at all. Those tests came back clear too. Many people said they got pregnant after this test because it clears your tubes out, we weren’t that lucky, but it’s an easy step to take if your in the journey struggling to conceive to maybe get some answers.

(Cody here with me to hold my hand during the HSG test. He’s always really good with making me laugh in situations I’m nervous.)

So now we were to “next steps”.  She wanted to put me on Femara – which is really similar to chlomid but more effective for patients with PCOS. She decided we would do 3 months of “timed intercourse” and if we were unsuccessful move to IVF. This is where we are now. I take femara for a certain number of days and then go in to see if I’m creating follicles to ovulate. (sorry I’m probably overly explaining this but here it all is haha) The first month I wasn’t ovulating like I was supposed to, even with the medicine it wasn’t working, I was literally panicking. They have you come in every 2-3 couple days to monitor it, and nothing was changing.  They upped my dose, and between the 2 day gap they check I ovulated and we missed it. They said this RARELY happens, like a 1% chance they miss it, but my body just wasn’t responding. I was so disappointed. We spent so much money and it didn’t work, and it was another month of time. They felt so bad, so they gave us our next month free and here we are on round two.

At the end of last year, my good friend got me a certificate for foot reflexology. If you don’t know much about it, it’s basically the belief that everything in your body your emotions, organs, health, etc is connected to your feet. My grandma who passed away last year taught me about this when I was young. So when my friend got me the certificate I was really excited to go. I told her nothing about us trying to conceive and she hit SOOOO many things going on in my life it was crazy! She talked about how stressed my body was, and asked if we were trying to have a baby and I said yes. She said your body is over worked, and telling you if you don’t make changes in your daily lifestyle, you won’t make room for another child in your life. I was literally sobbing. What’s cool about it is she can work through these things and help release the build up of toxins in your body and adjust your body to “realign”. It’s like going to a masseuse and having them get a knot out out of  your back. She made me aware of so many things I had been holding inside, like that feeling of failure I talked about earlier. And made me realize I’m not failing! I just need to manage my life better. It has helped me with so much this year and I feel such a difference in my mindset. I’ve heard people say acupuncture helps with infertility – I’m just deathly afraid of needles, so I feel like the foot reflexology is a natural alternative similar to that. Who knows if its’ really helping us conceive, but it’s helping me as a person so it’s a win at least in one way 🙂

I’ve realized this has turned into a NOVEL!!! So I’ll wrap up here. If you have more questions leave below and I’ll answer in the next post. I’ve had so many of you suggest so many things, and share your stories, or just words of encouragement and they mean the world. You all really mean so much to me! I’m going to do another post that has a list of all the things people have suggested, I know there’s others out there going through the same thing and I want to share as much as I can. So more to come ❤️❤️ and thanks for reading and all your support.

XX, Christine

The post Pregnancy Struggles appeared first on Hello Fashion.

OUTFIT DETAILS:  SWEATSHIRT (Under $25!) | PANTS (Under $15!) | SUNGLASSES | BOOTS

Happy Sunday!  Hope you all had a great week. I’m excited to answer some questions this week – you guys send in the best questions!  I get a lot about being a step mom and the fertility journey so I made sure to include some of those below. 🙂

1. How often do you see your step kids?
We share custody with their mom, but she has primary custody. Its nice because we live close to each other so now that they are in sports and stuff we still get to go to their games and school activities and see them even on the days that we don’t have them.

2. Favorite TV shows right now?
We watch The Office or Seinfeld every night before we go to bed when we don’t have a series that we are in to. Or just to shut off for the night if we are watching an intense series. We just got into Designated Survivor which we love. We finished Ozarks last month which was so good! (This is an adult show so if you’re a younger reader I would stay away 😉

3. How do you stay so thin?
Because of my genetics I am naturally thin but if I’m not working out or being active I loose muscle fast and feel soft and kind of bloated haha I don’t really know how to explain it.  I workout to stay toned and because I love the way it makes me feel. It give me more energy for sure and helps with stress.

4. Do you follow a strict diet? Or if you want something do you let yourself have it?
I for sure indulge and let myself have it!  I will try different things like cutting sugars or not eating as much processed food or soda but as much as I wish I could, I can’t stick with those diets for too long so I try to set short term goals for myself. 

5. What are your favorite makeup products these days?  Favorite eyeshadow?
My favorite eyeshadow right now is this palette I just got from Bobbi Brown – its so pretty! Other products I am loving lately are: this bronzer, this mascara, this primer, this eyeliner, this foundation, and this brow pencil! **And good news!! Sephora is having their Beauty Insider sale right now…everything is 15% off through Monday! Time to stock up 🙂

6. How is your infertility journey going? What are your next steps?
We got some answers from the doctor last week and I’ll be sharing more soon – thanks for all of your sweet messages and notes it really means so much to me. ❤️

7. Favorite store to buy nice shoes?
Saks definitely has one of the best Designer shoe selections. I am pretty loyal to Nordstrom so I look there a lot too but their styles are more mainstream if that’s what you are looking for! Net-a-Porter and SSense have more unique styles.

8. What happens to all the clothes you model. Do you keep them? Are they loaned?
97% are either gifted or I buy them, on a rare occasion for really expensive jewelry where I have worn multiple pieces for a post they can be loaned to style shoots. A majority of the clothes are mine and the clothes I don’t keep I give to my friends and family. I will sell the higher end pieces and do blogger sales. I donate a lot to charity and I give a lot to my family’s church in Montana where they donate to foster kids that don’t have clothes.

9. Your favorite wardrobe staples?
For fall & winter, when it gets really cold I don’t get ready as much because I hate being cold!! So to be honest I am in sweats and comfy clothes a lot.  I recently got this new fuzzy hoodie and love this jacket and this pink corduroy jacket.

I think its worth investing in a nice handbag but thats always relative to your budget, don’t make yourself go broke over it!  Pick something that is timeless – pick something that is a neutral color. Buy one bag that is nicer that can work with multiple outfits instead of 5 cheaper ones. My favorite designer bag is this one. 

I found a tan suede bootie after my hunt last week! A couple of you actually emailed me and it was so sweet!  I have had them on repeat this week. I also just got this pair in the mail and I love love them!!

And lastly, a comfy pair of distressed jeans will always be one of my wardrobe staples. The pair I definitely wear the most and am most asked about are these.  

10. How did you feel about becoming a step mom?
It was never an issue to be a step mom because my parents got divorced when I was little and my step mom was always so great to me. She was such a good example and I grew up with a loving step mom so that really helped me when I became one. She always treated me with so much love that I was excited to be a step mom too 🙂 I’m not saying it isn’t hard, with any situation there are always hard emotions you have to navigate through. But the idea of being a step mom was never hard for me! Even if you didn’t have a step mom growing up it doesn’t mean you cant be a great step mom! I can’t imaging our family without Mara and Wes and I made a conscious decision early on to treat them as if they are my own. Go in with a mentality that you don’t want to replace their mom but that you will love them and treat them as your own.

11. What’s Cody’s profession?
He’s an entrepreneur and runs and manages couple different companies. 

12. How do you deal with mom guilt especially when traveling without Beckam?
Its definitely hard, but my parents live out of town and so I look at it as a good opportunity for them to watch Beckam and spend time with him – they usually come to town to watch him or he goes up to Montana to stay with them. He loves being in Montana and I love that he gets one on one time with them.  Some times are harder than others but I am always excited and re-energized to come home and be the best mom to him I can be!

13. How tall are you and Cody? 
Cody is 6’3” and I’m 5’7” and 3/4…I like to claim 5’8” 😉

Thanks for sending such great questions and following along.  Love you all!

Xx,
Christine

The post Catch up with Christine: Favorite Makeup, Being a Stepmom, and Staple Fashion Buys appeared first on Hello Fashion.

Happy Halloween Weekend!  I am so excited to share my first “Catch up with Christine” Q&A today.  Ps you guys voted on the name and this is what won!  I wanted to create this hang out time to share more, answer commonly asked questions, and get more personal with you all. I am going  to post this Catch Up series every weekend, it will be a Friday or a Sunday post. So be sure to look for it every weekend! There were soooo many great questions to pick from.  If I wasn’t able to get to your question this week, please ask again next week or leave in comments below! Love you all!

Favorite foundation and concealer?
I use Lancome 24 hr long wear foundation right now. For concealers I like this Nars one, and I actually got this drugstore one in the mail a few weeks ago and have been loving it! It’s super light it and not too heavy and cakey.

Also My friend Jill (@jillmariemakeup) did my makeup the other day and she used this 2 in 1 foundation & concealer from….Walmart!!! I seriously love it and couldn’t believe the amazing drugstore price! (Under $10!!!)

How did Hello Fashion start? What is the story?
This question was asked a lot so I am going to do a full blog post on this!  The short story is….I was rejected from fashion school and really wanted a way to still showcase the things I am passionate about. Cody and I had just gotten married and I was working as a manager at Aldo shoes in the mall, but I always knew I wanted my own business at some point.   So on the side I started ILY Couture (my clothing line) which is now ShopHelloFashion. I wanted a way to show some of the stuff we were selling, and I loved finding stuff on sale so I started my blog for fun to just write about sales finds and show pieces from our shop. I never thought it would lead to what it is now!  

How long did it take you to build up your brand to the extent it is today?
It will be 7 years in December since I started…its so crazy to think that I have been blogging this long! The first year to year and a half I didn’t post a ton, maybe once a week, but around year two I started making my content a lot more consistent.  Once I became consistent it grew and took off from there!  I have an E-Book that talks more about this and has lots of tips on growing your platform!

Favorite date night ideas?
Cody and I would have different answers for this for sure!  For me it’s nothing crazy, we are so busy during the week and work together a lot,  I honestly love finding a good series and getting cozy and watching our favorite show at home. I do love doing random adventurous things together…the other night on a whim we made a list of things and did a picture scavenger hunt at the mall and that was so much fun!  Cody would definitely say something adventurous and is all about things that aren’t routine. 

Do you ever fear an expensive purchase will go out of style quickly?
No, I used to think about it more a couple years ago but now I feel like there are so many opportunities for people to resell stuff. I think if you take care of the item, especially handbags you can always re-sell for a good amount back. Bags hold their value pretty well!  I remember when I bought my first Celine bag Cody thought I was crazy. I remember setting a goal and saving up for it as my first big purchase and I still have it today years later.  I did a post about investing in handbags here!

Pros & cons about traveling while having kiddos?
Pros- Especially with our older kids is definitely that on trips with just our family its fun for us to be their friends and experience new things with them. At home and on trips with family they are always focused on their friends or cousins, so on trips with just us its nice to have their full attention and make fun memories! And when things go wrong… like coming off a an international  flight and the hotel not having our room so we were hotel-less for 24 hours, sucks at the time but always makes for the best memories in the long run:)

Cons- Everything takes a little longer…packing…activities on the trip, etc!  I think its important to have a balance of both traveling with kids and without. Cody and I did an adult trip this year and that time away together was so special. I think it’s important to have alone time but its also so special to have that family time.

Do you wear hair extensions?
Yes I have worn extensions for the last 4 years. After I had Beckam I lost so much hair, it would come out in big wads! So I got extensions as my hair grew back and now I just love them to keep the fullness. I have a beaded sewn weft – I used to have 2 rows and now its just one row for fullness. My friend Tatum does my hair she has been doing it for like 4 -5 years she is amazing.

What’s your favorite food?
I love Mexican food!  But I feel like that’s such a typical response….so, some random favorites are – green bean casserole and chickpeas with ranch dressing! haha I also LOVE pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon rolls.

How do you edit your pics?
With my Hello Fashion Lightroom presets – you can get them HERE! All you need is the free Lightroom mobile app and then you purchase my presets and import them into Lightroom. I am about to launch a couple of new ones soon too! Also if you have questions about installing here is a quick youtube video on my channel here. 

Your messy bun is always on point!! Tutorial? 
Aww thanks! I have a dated video on my youtube – so here is a good start if you haven’t seen it. I am going to make a new one soon so stay tuned!  I look back on this video and my makeup is a little intense!! LOL

Did you go to college?
Yes – I graduated with my Bachelors in Fine Arts with a minor in Business 

Where did you grow up?
I have lived all over!  I was born in Bogota, Colombia and I lived in Washington DC, Port Angeles, WA (everyone knows that from Twilight!) and then went to high school in Montana. 

Do you always have a photographer take your photos? Even the ones at your house are so pretty!
No not at all! 90% of my shots are shot by someone in my family (Cody, one of the kids, my parents, sister in laws, etc) or someone that works with me.  For bigger campaigns and brand shoots sometimes we have a photographer but I always edit my own pictures now to keep a cohesive feed.

I’m looking to purchase my first designer bag…thoughts on which to purchase?
I would say the bag I wear and use the most is my Givenchy – I love both sizes . The bags that hold their value the most are Chanel for sure so it really comes down to personal preference 🙂 

How old are you?!
32 – does anyone else forget their age sometimes and when people ask you you have to stop and think about it for a second haha, I feel like this more so happens the older you get 😉

Can we be friends?! But really, will you do a meet up or something here in Utah?
Awww these type of messages make me so happy!  We did the blogger sale a couple weeks ago and had such a great turnout. We will for sure do something again soon!  I have the best followers and love getting to know you guys!! Speaking of which if you see us out and about please always say hi! I love meeting you guys and taking a pic together!

I’m so sorry if I didn’t get to your question this week!  I’m so excited to answer more next week! Also this isn’t a questions – but Pottery Barn Kids, and West Elm are both running 25% off site wide ending today. I just ordered a bunch of cute kids Christmas stuff! So if you want to save a little – enjoy some lazy day Sunday shopping 😉

XX,
Christine

The post Catch up with Christine Series appeared first on Hello Fashion.

Happy Monday you guys! I love starting out my week with a little extra motivation, so every Monday morning everyone from my team shares an inspirational quote or saying we found throughout the week. Once I started paying attention and making a list of my favorites, I feel like I started noticing more and collecting so many great ones! I love to write out quotes and have them laying around my office or house for little reminders throughout the week and for a spontaneous pick-me-up. Below are a few of my recent favorites that are perfect for some extra Monday morning motivation.

Have a great week!

XX, Christine

The post Five Quotes For Some Extra Monday Motivation appeared first on Hello Fashion.

I’ve been trying to create better habits in my life and implement simple things to eliminate stress and to make me feel happier and healthier! All of these things are simple changes but the small things add up and have been making a big difference!

Drink More Water: It sounds cliche, but drinking enough water will make you feel more energized, flush out toxins, and prevent headaches (I deal with migraines a lot, so this has been huge!). On top of that, it helps your skin and complexion to even out too! I’ve been aiming to get in half of my body weight in ounces and I’ve noticed a HUGE difference in my mood and energy levels.

Create A Morning Routine: Having a good morning routine sets the tone for the entire day. Everyone’s ideal morning routine will be different, but figure out the important things to you and what you feel starts your day off right! Whether that’s working out, meditating, writing in a journal, or spending time with your kids before work; experiment with different things until you find what works for you! I have been loving listening to motivating podcasts or audiobooks while I get ready in the morning. It’s crazy what a difference it makes just getting a little dose of motivation each morning, and it’s so easy to fit into your morning routine!

Eliminate Clutter: Ugh this one is hard for me!! But having my house clean and tidy makes all the difference in the world. I feel more present with my family and friends because I’m not worrying about dirty dishes or toy covering the couch, and am way more less stressed and able to concentrate better. I’m definitely far from perfect when it comes to this, but even just setting a timer for 10 minutes a day and tidying as much as possible in the time will add up to make a big difference and makes it easier to keep things clean!

Get Enough Sleep: Another thing that we all know we need to do, but most of us don’t. The amount of sleep everyone needs is different, but start by even getting one more hour of a sleep a night for a week, and keep that up until you can wake up and feel well rested.

Be More Positive: This is HUGE to me. I have been trying to consciously think about something positive each time I pass people on the street or at the store. I know it seems silly but when you are looking around focusing on the good in people it just makes you happier.  I’ve also been doing a 5 minute grateful journal to focus on the more positive things – it’s crazy how much of a difference it will make!

What things have you implemented into your life that have made a big difference for you? I would love to add other helpful tips you have found to my own routine!

XX, Christine

The post 5 Simple Steps To A Happier, Healthier You appeared first on Hello Fashion.

Love is in the air and wedding season is in full swing, so I figured what better time than now to share some unique gift ideas for all of your upcoming weddings! Most of the time couples will have a wedding registry that you can select a gift from, but sometimes you want to come up with something more fun and something not so practical to give the newlyweds that they maybe wouldn’t normally go out of their way to buy or get. See my seven ideas below!

1. HONEYMOON FUND: This is a simple way to help with travel-related expenses instead of choosing a gift from their traditional registry. Gift cards to places where ever they are going or even cash that they can take with them!
2. TICKETS TO AN EVENT: A concert, sporting event, play or anything else you know the couple would enjoy!
3. FRESH FLOWER DELIVERY SUBSCRIPTION: Is there anyone out there who doesn’t love having fresh flowers in their home? Flowers are an instant pick-me-up and immediately brighten your home and your mood.
4. GIFT CARD FOR A NIGHT OUT: Give a gift card to a fancy restaurant or somewhere else for a night out that they might not normally go out of their way to do!
5. CREDIT FOR A CLEANING SERVICE: Maybe a more practical choice, but still a great idea! A clean house goes a long way in keeping stress away, and the bride and groom will love a spotless home that they can enjoy.
6. COUPLE’S MASSAGE/SPA DAY: Who doesn’t love a spa day?! A perfect give to give because at some point or another everyone needs a day of rest and relaxation.
7. FRAMED WEDDING INVITE: The couple’s wedding invitation is something that will always be special to them. If you’re looking to give something meaningful, take the wedding invite and frame it for the couple to keep as a token forever.

What ideas do you have to give the perfect wedding gift?!

XX, Christine

The post Not-So-Typical Wedding Gift Ideas Just In Time For Wedding Season appeared first on Hello Fashion.