Ingenue Mom

I am so excited that today I got my first Stitch Fix box!! I had heard about it a while ago, but I didn't want to make the commitment. Then I found out that you can do it one time and schedule later shipments as your schedule and budget allow! So let's dive right in! My box arrived this afternoon (in the middle of a ton of snow & ice, by the way) and I couldn't hardly wait to open it! When you get the box, it comes with a pre-paid return envelope for you to return the clothes you don't want. It also has a little envelope that includes cards with styling ideas as well as the list of how much your items cost. I chose to look at those cards and info after opening and trying on all my clothes so that I could get my unbiased opinion on the clothes before I looked at prices! Liverpool Shania Stitched Detail Jeans I had requested a new pair of jeans because I've been looking for another pair I love as much as my Express Stella Ankle Skinny jeans! They ...

One of my goals for 2015 (and my life) is to develop some healthy habits that I can keep throughout the rest of my life. I am so awful about working out and I would like to make it a regular part of my routine, for both fitness benefits as well as overall energy and mental health. I want my children to see these healthy habits as just a normal part of the routine. I decided to do Couch to 5K because it's an easy way to get out of the house and just run around my neighborhood without doing anything too stressful, but I also want to add some strength training in as well. So here's my recap from the first week...   Couch to 5K Week 1   Miles: 6.44 Routine: 90 seconds walking, 60 second jogging Strength Training: None Yoga: None Number of Days I Worked Out: 3 Weight at end of week: 147.0

A friend of mine asked me last night what marriage advice I had to offer if someone was getting married or new to marriage. It didn't take me long to come up with my answer because this is something I think about a lot and have thought about a lot over the years. I thought maybe I'd share my thoughts here. My biggest piece of advice would be to allow love to look different at different stages . Love always starts with the romantic, giddy stage. But it grows and changes over time and I think we have to be willing to flow with that change. There will be days or even seasons where love looks more like friendship, more like partnership, even sometimes like roommates. Working to develop your relationship beyond the lovey-dovey, romanticized phase will prove beneficial over the course of your marriage.  It's also important to allow yourself the freedom to not fear the sucky stages . And also to not deny them. As much as I didn't want them to come, the crappy stag...

I have been thinking about this post for a while now, probably at least a month. Isis just turned 5 and seeing her growth and her personality beginning to develop, I just find myself with so many things to say and I want to save these thoughts somewhere so we can come back to this later when it is really relevant.  As Isis' personality develops, I see so much of myself in her. Parenting is a truly brutal lens into your own life and insecurities. Suddenly there is this person with their own struggles and shortcomings & you find yourself going, "oh wow I recognize that struggle. That struggle is mine . That struggle came from me. I am intimately connected to the pain and fear that can come from that type of personality trait because it has been my struggle my entire life." What a humbling discovery. Isis has such a sensitive soul. She is sensitive both in the sense that she loves and hurts with such a degree of depth and understanding, but also sensitive i...

10 years ago I was barely 20 years old. I see 20 year olds now and they seem like babies. I can’t imagine what people thought when I told them I was getting married. At the time, it felt so easy. I love him. He makes me want to be a better person. I feel grounded in the peace he brings to my life. To me, it wasn’t even a question. This was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. 10 years is a blessing. You have a partner, a friend, a lover, a confidante. Walking through life together is an extraordinary gift. Through laughter, joy, passion and adventure, we have loved and loved deeply. We have gone from two fresh-faced kids who quit their jobs to tour with his band to become parents of two girls. Our days are filled with princess gowns, Pinkalicious and shoes of every color and style. I still love to curl up and talk about our day, our ideas, our future. Marriage is truly a blessing. 10 years is a challenge. We have cried as hard as we have laughed. Th...

Seriously. Nine. I've been on a reading roll lately. Here are some brief recaps. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell - This was my first book by Rainbow Rowell. I loved her writing style and should really probably bump this up to a 5 out of 5 because I've spent every library trip since reading this trying to find another book by her that is available at my library! It just stuck with me. It's definitely worth reading! I gave it 4 out of 5 on Goodreads & Shelfari The Distance Between Us by Kasie West - This was just a cute young adult book. It's nothing heavy, just fluff really, but enjoyable enough! I went through a little young adult fluff phase here for a few books. I gave it a 4 out of 5 on Goodreads & Shelfari Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - I love the way Stephanie Perkins writes the setting into her story. The first book I read, Anna and the French Kiss , was set in Paris & left me really wanting to visit Paris ASAP. Thi...