For the special fellow in your life…. and ahem I also made this unisex so you can snag these gems for anyone really <3
But I wanted to add things to this guide that weren’t your standard cologne, tie, and wallet gifts. Those are all really great but for a lil more somethin’ somethin’, here ya go, from me to you.
Chuck Taylors – I love these for myself but when Joe wears them with some nice jeans, a tee shirt, and a blazer … hubba hubba
Fleece Jogger Pants – who doesn’t love to be cozy while they run errands to Trader Joe’s and the post office? For $15 buy him one in every color!
Aesop Shine Oil – created to ‘maintain the mane’ this oil is great for beards too! Jojoba and florals make up this lightweight oil that will keep itch at bay and you won’t be able to stay away … smells yummm
Heavy Bag Kit – punching bags. Everyone needs one. Lace up baby
Ember Ceramic Mug – this high tech mug will keep his coffee warm, maintain the perfect temperature, and even notifies you when it’s reached its chosen heat. Pick one up for yourself while you’re at it
Motiv Fitness Ring – sleek, stylish, and waterproof, this ring tracks fitness, sleep, and heart rate. How cool is that
Have you checked out my Valentine’s Day Gift Guide For Her? I could combine both of these gift guides and it would make me happy to receive them alllll. So tell me again, what are you plans for this holiday? Ya lovin it or leavin it???
Of all the holidays I feel like Valentine’s Day gets the most flack. Just me? Some people love it, some people leave it, and some people do like Joe and I and celebrate the day before or after … ummm hello discounted chocolates! We’re just not about those set menus and hiked up couples pricing.
But if you’re someone who celebrates and you’re looking for a thoughtful gift for her, this guide is perfect for every lovely in your life <3 I say this because it’s literally the list I gave Joe when he asked what I wanted 😉Â
Madewell Jersey Robe – we’re all about that cuddled up, keep me warm, cozy 24-7 life aren’t we. This. Is. It! Not too heavy where she’ll be sweating beneath it, yet thick enough to not have to wear anything else at all … hubba hubba
Diptyque Candle – I never understood all the fuss over these candles until someone gifted one to me. Okay WE GET IT, you’re supreme candles we get it
Bose Speaker – water resistant (hello singing in the shower), blue tooth (hello wireless, she doesn’t need any more wires on the counter with her straightener, curling iron, phone charger..), and compact (hello beach bag my old friend)
Herbal Green Tea Set – the cutest ever, it’s a sip of tea with a spot of sugar and she’ll be feeling like Mary Poppins in no time. And the medicine it’s helping to go down is life.. she’s had a rough day, this helps. And some tequila. Maybe tie a bottle of it to the top of this gift box
Gucci Belt Bag – hey I love my boujee tendencies too and if you’re gonna splurge go Gucci baby
Marble Cheese Tray – I’ve never met a cheese I don’t like and I’m sure she hasn’t either. Unless it’s feety. Well this cutie baby is perfect for hosting, it’s perfect to stack pizza on even, and it’s like really pretty. Just like she is
So tell me, you celebrate this holiday or do you think it’s a buncha mumbo jumbo? You can tell me, I won’t tell anyone.Â
Pizza is probably one of my most favorite meals, what’s not to love about bread, cheese, and your favorite toppings? Today is National Pizza Day which we are celebrating with a healthier version of pizza, which may sound boring but I start a one month bootcamp on Monday and I want to start making better food choices now. Part of me leading a healthier lifestyle is to create meals that I crave in a healthier way.
For today that means swapping out a starchy dough for Ezekiel tortillas and piling it high with vegan cheese, sugar free(ish) sauce, and tons of veggies. Cooking together is something Joe and I love to do, it’s team building skills at its finest … also I tricked him into making his own dinner so <3
I hope you enjoy our date night/pizza night/setting off the smoke alarm night and do this at home too! PS I hope you catch the bloopers aka Joe almost ate raw meat…don’t worry, he didn’t!
Do you celebrate these fun national holidays? They give us a reason to have special date nights, so tell us what kind of pizza you’ll be celebrating with!
Are you a doughy kind of pizza lover or cauliflower crust? How about homemade dough? Share some recipes with us!Â
Well that’s an attractive photo! We’re friends, I can tell you that I consider myself to be a pretty sweaty person and thankfully I’m not smelly … I don’ think. You’d tell me right? Sweaty like if I get nervous or excited or move around too much, all sweaty situations for me. And I’ve been using all natural deodorants for a little over a year now with the nudging of Corrine, “mom, you’re clogging your pores”. Yes Corriney, we’re supposed to sweat, I read all about it.
Sweating is a part of our body’s natural detox system, that sweet sweet sweat! It’s the stinky part that I’m not on board with SO I tried about 7 different all natural deodorants over the coarse of a year and these were my findings, let us reveal the armpit!
Things to remember:
a) be patient. It may take your body a few days to acclimate to an all natural formula which usually contains an oil, a fragrance, and a bacteria killing agent that causes the odor. Also your body is ridding itself of toxins so you may even smell worse, it’s normal. So perhaps give it a week or two before you decide you’re over it
b) the sweating part doesn’t stop. It’s a deodorant not an antiperspirant so don’t be alarmed when your pits feel more moist than usual … ugh that word
c) every body is different. One formula that works for me may not work for you so don’t give up
Do you use an all natural deodorant? What’s worked for you? Share what’s worked so we can all give them a try and eliminate the ones that haven’t worked and try other ones <3 Cheers to that sweet sweet sweat baby, and not being smelly. Which doesn’t mean you won’t have moist pits … ugh that word
I decided a long time ago that home interiors just wasn’t my thing, and I say that because if you’ve ever come over to our home you would’ve seen that nothing had a theme and nothing matched! I didn’t care about design or furniture, and call it personal growth, but I care now. I’ve spent a lot of time these past few weeks investing money and careful thought into upgrading our space and rejuvenating the energy that’s in our home. At the end of the day we work from home and I want us to love our creative space and we do now! These little revamps make me so happy, it’s tapping into a different part of my creativity and this part is so fun.
I get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest, Instagram, other bloggers, and let me tell you there is so.much.pinning! Corrine introduced me to Molly of Almost Makes Perfect and legit everything she does inspires me! Go follow along because the timeless simplicity of her home is what prompted Corrine to share with me one of her recent posts, hence this post. Molly showcased a large canvas painting her in kitchen and Corrine and I thought, “oh pretty, totally we can do that!” DIY is easy they said, it’ll save you time and money they said. Yes, totally saves you money, but ummm painting on canvas proved to be more difficult than I’d imagined so let me help you help your sanity and your art skills.
What we used:
59 x 40 inch canvas from Hobby Lobby (PS have you ever been there? We’d never been and omg they have everything!)
pencil to stencil
green painters tape for clean(ish) edges and placement keeping
big paint brush and an angled small one to clean up rounded areas
measuring tape to get the shapes even(ish)
For my canvas colors:
smaller shape- (1) 8 oz Terracota Matte Chalk Finish decor paint from Martha Stewart Crafts
larger shape- (3) 2 oz Cocoa Bean DecoArt Americana satin acrylic paint
For Corrine’s canvas colors:Â
(3) 2 oz Raw Sienna DecoArt Americana acrylic paint
(3) 2 oz True Ochre DecoArt Americana acrylic paint
What we did:Â
So what you’ll do is measure out the space where you want your canvas to go and have the fabric cut to fit. Then figure out the shapes and colors you’d like (we really tried to mimic Molly’s shapes but how mine turned out more mushroomed shaped rather than domed) and then use a pencil to lightly sketch the shape out. We used the tape to a) hold the fabric in place and we crawled all around it b) create straight edges for the flat portions of the shapes c) remove any debris or lint that got onto the canvas painting from all the crawling around them that we did.
We used the measuring tape to measure out the width of the canvas, and with that number decided where each side of the shapes would end and where on the design the dome part would begin. I knew one shape would be slightly smaller than the other so I had to map out where that shape would begin and end… hallelu pencil. Then we began to paint, then we ran out of paint, then we ran out to get more paint and by the time we got back half had dried up which you can see in the final product. So now I’ll have to go over it with a second coat at some point. Or leave it as is and say f*ck it.
We learned a few things along the way, so we’re just gonna call these Pro Tips 😉
PRO TIPS:Â
pencil pencil pencil. Sketch in pencil so you can easily erase way any errors or miscalculations. My painting still has some pencil stenciled on it but it doesn’t bother me
the measuring out bit is so important unless you don’t really care about straight lines or even shapes. Some people don’t care, I would’ve been that person a year ago but on this day I spent more time measuring than I did painting
it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it so I suggest to purchase more paint than you think you’ll need and you can always return what you don’t use. We ran out to get more paint and now you can clearly see when one half was painted and when the other dried on up
if it ain’t broke don’t fix it and if there’s a mistake don’t try to wash it out. Oh hai, we did that and it allowed the paint to bleed out onto the canvas and discolored the fabric. Sooo, I say if you make a mistake i.e. a flick of chunky paint lands onto the canvas (meee), or if paint slips underneath the tape and makes a jagged line versus a straight line (meee), it’s okay! And if you don’t get enough paint on the canvas and some of the canvas shows through (meee) well I actually think that gives it some personality, just leave it 😉
All in all we spent less than $40 for two canvases, some paints, and some fun. Now Corrine and I have some personalized paintings decorating our walls <3 We listened to Generation Why while we completed this project and got through 3 episodes… so we were painting for 3 hours and it was honestly so fun, so therapeutic! If you mess up, you can repaint, add paint, or start over, just have fun.
Thank you again to Molly and her creativity for sparking this inspiration, I hope you all get crafty this weekend!
What color palette would you choose? Are you a shapes kind of person or do you need a scene to be happening? We’re obsessed with all things earth toned and rattan right now and I couldn’t be more excited about it.Â
I wanted to share with you some fun facts about me, some things I’ve learned, and some things maybe you didn’t know about me. If any of this sounds familiar let me know in the comments, I love learning about all of you too <3
I’m Chamorro and Irish
Foot stuff bother me, let me explain: stepping into water with socks on. Equally annoying is when my sock slips off my foot deep inside my shoe..ugh Uggs. Or when the bottom of my foot itches … or stepping on a lego (which I haven’t had to do in a while but still) a lot of foot stuff apparently
I play with my food. Move it around with my spoon, nibble chocolate off my candy bars before eating the actual candy bar, flatten See’s lollipops with my teeth..very weird things happen with food and I
I only eat with spoons. Forks are just so annoying, all the food falls off!
I hate salads. I’ll eat them but like, they have to be piled with not good stuff
I was a teen mom. 16 when I had Corriney but somehow we made it out okay
I THINK I want more babies. That’s a really hard one, ask me again tomorrow
I’m a master at the smile mask and my coping skills include shielding, running, and screaming. Sounds like a horror film
I never had animals growing up but I LOOOVE animals. We have two fur babies, Luna and Ace and I can’t live without them
I spend money on skincare over anything else
I live for comfort so 90% of the time I’m in sweats or athleisure attire
Instagram displays only 1% of my actual life and how I feel
Champagne and tequila are my drinks of choice
I love country music
I’m an Army brat, my dad was a Drill Sergeant for 23 years and we moved. A lot
My favorite color is royal blue. And black
I get eyelash extensions every 2 weeks but that’s the only beauty maintenance I have, contrary to people thinking I’ve ever gotten my lips done or face filled, I have not. If I ever do you’ll be the first to know I’m an open book about those things
I got breast augmentation almost 13 years ago. For me, myself, and I. I nursed Corrine at age 16 for 10 months so having saggy boobs at 18 was no fun for me personally. I love them now
I’ve only ever cut 3 people out of my life. 2 exes and a friend. It takes a lot for me to not want to be around you, if I stop talking to you it’s because you’re toxic
I have a lot of friend groups but very few close friends that I see and talk to regularly. It took me a minute to realize that your friend circles are ever changing, seasons change and people change. It’s okay, it’s quality or quantity. It’s not time that we’re limited on, time is infinite. It’s our energy we must protect- who we give it to, what we spend it on, where we place it. Our energy is limited and we have to guard it. I read that somewhere and it really landed on me. If you know where please let me know so I can credit them. I used to give my energy to everyone and all of it. I learned
I’m not a needy friend or partner, but when I need your attention I need it now. I’m not patient just ask Joe
I’m pretty independent but I also feel my best when I’m around others. And I love to make people laugh
I live for helping others, I can be captain save-a-ho at times so I’ve had to learn when someone just needs a lil boosting and when someone has to save themselves, but I love being a good friend and I really try to be
Fitness has become such a wonderful part of my daily life that I look forward to empowering other women because they’re all so damn strong inside and out
I love to cook but I really LOVE to bake
I did a lot of drugs when I was younger and I’m happy that I can be open and honest about those things when Corrine comes to me with questions
When I was younger we had a pet pig named Pepper, he ran away and bit a horse and was never heard from again
I’m a control freak and I’m working on that, remember that whole energy thing? Well I try not to give my energy away to things out of my control
I’m boarder line hoarder status over here with all these clothes and makeup products. I need Marie Kondo
Joe is the love of my life. He’s also working beside me and I want to squeeze his face but I’ll let him work
I’m most proud to be Corrine’s mom. She and I have really been through some shit together and she’s grown into the most grounded, genuine, loving, and most wonderful young lady and I’m beyond honored to be her mama
She and I have definitely slept in our car before. Ah yes, those days sucked
I fed Corrine fast food (what’s up dollar menu) for almost a year because it was all I could afford one year when she was little and I ran from a repo company for almost a year during that time too. Talk about stressful
I’ve learned that abusive relationships don’t start abusive. At least it didn’t for me, it started with a shove and some name calling. I’d like to talk about that more with you some day
I’ve experienced that being a parent requires you to be selfless and when put in certain circumstances you’ll ensure their happiness and safety above your own and that will drive you. My love for Corrine has made me the most powerful tool when it comes to making sure she’s safe and happy
No one is perfect, doesn’t that just sound boring?
I’m still learning every day and damn I need to read more
That’s all I’ve got for now, thank you for following along in all that, it felt therapeutic! I enjoy sharing with you but I also really love learning about each of you so tell me some fun facts about yourself or some lessons you’ve learned <3
Oh man, starting today off with a big question for myself and feeling cheesy about it … insert my favorite emoji here which is the cute lil monkey covering it’s face … it me! Confidence, what is it to me, and is it on sale at Trader Joe’s. Without being too woo woo here, defining confidence and then trying to tap into that and emit it in a way that is so bright and sparkly that no one can take it away, well that’s been a thing.
I think that confidence is a state of mind and I think people like to box me in. They put me into this box of what they think they know I am and then they’re surprised when I’m not that. Am I the only one, or do you think that’s true of you where people assume you’re one thing but really you’re many things? I can see sometimes that people think I’m bright and bubbly all the time, I mean I try to be, I love being a bright ass Lite-Brite (remember those?) but I’m human and I have crap days too. And I have things happen to me that hurt me and let me down too, and then some days things that’ve happened to me in the past sneak up on me and say HELLO YOU CAN’T IGNORE ME ANYMORE. Then I either one, get really great with my forcefield shield, or two I’ll stare it in the face and ask it what it wants. But I think people really think I don’t have bad days because I don’t talk about them, maybe I should start and share my coping skills. If it helps you to get push through the rough stuff, here it is.
Sometimes I feel like I’m my own therapist but really we all need a lil therapy so. Confidence is also a form of coping I think, we all cope with some deep rooted stuff that can really affect us whether or not we understand how damaged we are from our pasts or whatever is happening in our lives. And what gets me through is what I say to myself in my head (and sometimes out loud) which is that, no matter how tough it may be at that moment, 1) I’ve been through worse 2) the sun will come up tomorrow and be bright and shiny and saturate the world with all its happiness whether I like it or not and 3) I’m the only one who actually gets to decide what my life is. If it’s good it’s because I make it good, if it sucks ass it’s because I allow it to suck ass and I’m content with mediocre. And some days, honestly, I’m content with mediocre. Some days ya just gotta feeeel. Most days though, nope and nope.
If you see me smiling when I don’t want to smile it’s because I don’t like feeling sad and I feel sad a lot, it’s normal. That feeling can rush me out of no where and for no reason. Umm hello universe, can you take that energy and put it somewhere else, I’m down with The Secret so why the resistance. Sometimes I play in the mud but most days I swim in it just long enough to realize what it is that’s bothering me and why. Like is it an emotion or a thought, or is it a thought that I turned into an emotion? Most days after swimming in the muck though, it feels heavy, it weighs me down, and it’s just mooky… so I wash that shit off, smile because I can, and then I do a lil self care to change my attitude. Honestly, some days my chest feels so heavy with anxiety that it hurts to breathe, but it’s a reminder that I’m breathing, and if there’s breath left in my body I’ll fight because I’m a fucking fighter. And so are you.
I know I can get all woo woo on you but it helps me to share how I cope, it helps me to be transparent about emotions and seasons in life because that’s real to me and baby if it doesn’t feel real I don’t want it. That’s some kind of country song I just know it. If you know the song leave it below so I can give it another listen 😉
P.S. self care, therapy, medication, detoxing, all good things if you need it. And only you know what you need, don’t let society shame you for taking care of you. If you can’t take care of you then you can’t help take care of someone else and my number one secret to being Corrine’s mom is that I stay sane at all times. Sometimes that means I pop on here and ramble and sometimes that means I pop a bottle of champs and cheers my damn self.
You feel me on any of this? I think I moved away from confidence a bit, but again it’s a head space for me. Tell me about you.Â
I take this topic literally and metaphorically, I mean if you watch any of my Instagram stories you’ve seen that I don a hat about 90% of the time. Hats help with my bad hair days, dirty hair days, and days I want to feel good without having to do anything with my hair at all. I promise this isn’t a post about all the hats I own. It wouldn’t be very long, think picture book and nothing but paper boy hats. This is about all the hats that I wear.
We all wear so many hats don’t we? We work, we go to school, we parent, we adult, we make lists, we Marie Kondo our lives, we do it all, and we stresss! Oh man, do we stress. That’s why I think it’s so important that we find time to re-center our energy and connect to things that we’re passionate about without the attachment to another person. It allows us to be an individual which can be difficult when we’re so busy being all the things for everyone else. I read somewhere (let me know where if you recognize this) but that ‘it’s not time that we’re limited on, time is infinite, it’s our energy and we must protect our energy, and give it away and put it into the people and things we most care about.’ It went something like that.
Joe and I both work from home now and working for ourselves we’ve known this much to be true about ourselves: we don’t clock in or out so we’re basically working from the time we wake up until the time we go to sleep, we don’t take lunch breaks where we go somewhere and step away from it all, and it’s all we talk about on date nights since it IS our life. Like, what do other people talk about on date night, I need to know. Oh and we go crazy! Trying not to lose it, here are five things I’ve been doing to stay on track so that I have time to complete my task list but also not fall off my rocker plowing through the day.
don’t hit snooze – oh I’ve done it before, on days that I truly need more rest and body can’t get up, I rest. Snooze away! But on most days the alarm goes off and I pop out of bed. I’ve found that it helps me personally to get up and get am ’em with no hesitation. You really have to listen to your body, if you need the rest do it, but if you don’t try jumping out of, really jump out of bed and see how you feel HA
morning routine – this is important for me, kind of sets the tone for the day and I’m a creature of habit so for my own brain’s sake I’ll meditate, read, dance around with music, stare blankly at a wall with no thoughts at all…. no really I’ve done that before and I consider it my form of mediation. Anything really that clears my head of clutter or negativity. Having my coffee on the couch with my diffuser going is part of my morning ritual
work out – again, for me personally it really helps my energy levels and my attitude to get some adrenaline going first thing in the morning. A nice sweat sesh allows me to start the day explosively and kind of keeps me at that high for the entire day. On my rest days I’ll use this time to stretch and on some days an evening workout is just how it goes. This isn’t for everyone but I believe that if I can take care of myself and I’m healthy and strong that I can take care of my loved ones
realistic expectations – this is really hard for a control freak like myself. I’ll write lists for my lists and then be disappointed when something isn’t crossed off. So I’ve learned to write down 5 things each day and prioritize something I’ve been dreading as my NUMBER ONE thing to get done. Have you ever felt accomplished after doing that one thing you didn’t want to do, well lead with that dread daily … you know what I’m sayin 😉 It’s always so much more painful to put it off than to just get errrr done
I do my best and my best is good enough – can’t you just see me repeating that to myself every day? … “all work and no play makes jack a dull boy” LOL But truly, I’ve had to learn (still learning tbh) that if I’m giving it my all, and I’m truly putting in my best, well then if something didn’t get done that’s okay
Remember, we all have the same amount of hours in the day as Oprah. No pressure self, you’ve got this. Also self, go outside and talk to people, you can become a hermit at times. And p.s. i love you
What are some thing you do daily to balance all the hat wearing that you’re doing??? Are you a bullet journaler? Do you Marie Kondo all your friends and family’s things? Do you struggle with balancing it all out? You’ve got this <3
I don’t know about you but new beginnings can be anxiety inducing for me. Even though I’m all about fresh starts, setting intentions, and being motivated, I’m not inclined to reinvent myself completely or create resolutions that feel frustrating. I feel like my 2019 got a slow start because I was really enjoying the slower pace of things and spending time with my family and friends, but full disclosure- reading about and looking at everyone else’s goal setting skills made me feel like I needed to aim higher. Like how much higher could I have aimed, I’m taking a career leap this year so I felt like I was all good in the goal setting department. But social media has the power to make us feel like we’re not good enough sometimes so here’s to a new year and same me, but improved… well, improvinggg.
Each year Joe, myself, and our friend Miya get together in January and make vision boards together and set intentions for our year. I like using the word ‘intentions’ over ‘resolutions’ because in my mind’s eye leading from an intention every day (instead of a solid ‘must do’) make big goals feel attainable. When you resolve to do something you’re firmly making the decision to do it, I googled that. So what happens when you don’t complete that thing, or when you don’t quite reach that goal? A natural reaction is to feel like a failure because most often times we don’t give ourselves the grace to be a work in progress, perfection sounds pretty but not fun. That’s why I love setting intentions, I give myself room to be human. Life happens man, we just can’t get caught in the quick sand and just try to be better the next day.
What you’ll need for a vision board aka intention setting seshy:
poster board (dollar store baby!)
magazines (you don’t necessarily need a bunch, 1-3 is plenty, promise)
scissors (unless you like to rip things)
glue stick (tape takes long and glue sticks just glide on easily and stick right away)
P.S. you don’t specifically need these things, a piece of paper with words you write on them will suffice. It’s not about what you make it with, it’s about what makes it up. Damn, she’s yoda.
So think about your goals, your intentions, what words you want to say to yourself daily, what photos ignite enthusiasm within yourself to go after that thing you want to receive or achieve. That’s what matters. Cut out those words, those images, write down those things, add to them quarterly, take away the things that don’t serve you, there’s just no right or wrong way to do this.
The first year we ever made vision boards we had two magazines and rubber cement. You can do this with anything and I hope you do <3
MY INTENTIONS FOR THIS YEAR:
Personally:
read more. I read two books last year. TWO… that’s terrible
balance work time with family time. with me time. with friend time. That’s a lot of balancing
create a nighttime routine and stick to it. No phone after 7pm? Read for an hour before bed? Meditate? Sure, those sound nice
move. I need a bigger space that we can create a specific work space in. Joe and I both work from home so we need to be able to separate the two so we don’t kill each other
save for a house. Or more travel, either would make me happy. We saved last year for goals and financial freedom and I’d like to triple that
Professionally:
get certified. I’ve been studying (v slowly, I don’t like studying) to get my personal training license. A lot of things are happening this year that I’ve never been more thrilled or terrified about. Means I’m on the right path
complete my e book. Did you know I’ve been trying to complete my e book for a year now? lol I need to paste a photo of a book to my vision board!
blog and youtube more consistently. I have a hard time with schedules, I’m working on that
build a team. This is a big one for me because I’m so used to wearing all the hats, to doing all the things. It’s time I build a team who can help me grow and inspire me to create
What are some intentions you’ll set for yourself this year? We got this <3Â
