Eyelash Extensions Review

I have been a fan of lash extensions for years. I just love the way they make my eyes look. I recently partnered up with Kayla from Bangz Hair Studio, to share her newly added eyelash extensions service.

I knew with Summer approaching it would be perfect for the makeup-free  days and events that I have in the next few months ahead.

The first appointment is always the longest, since you are starting off with a full set of eyelashes. It took about two hours and some people may use it as a time to take a nap, me and Kayla chatted. Kayla applied single lashes to the roots of my eyelashes with tweezers and a special glue. Kayla made sure to let me know to wash my face with an oil free cleanser and to use oil free eye makeup remover if you wear any eye makeup. I could not believe how amazing my lashes looked when she was done. It looked very natural and I didn’t even need any mascara, which is great and my lashes looked naturally long.

I would definitely recommend lash extensions if you have been considering them. Your eyes don’t feel any different after, they just look prettier. After about 2 weeks you can go back in for a fill in which takes about half the time of the first appointment. Usually within that time frame the extensions will shed with your natural lashes.

If you are interested in setting up an appointment you can call Kayla at Bangz Hair Studio at 864-224-9000, she’s amazing. Check out some of her work on Instagram! Also, if you mention this post, you will receive $10 off your first full set of extensions.

 

Photos by: Hannah Decossas Photography

 

Father’s Day Gift Guide

Happy Monday!

As you know Father’s Day is this Sunday so I came up with a little gift guide with my husband, who will be celebrating his first Father’s Day! ( So exciting!)

 

 

Travel Kit: The hubby has this and loves it! It fits everything he needs for when we leave town.

Timex Watch: This is the hubby’s pick for his Father’s Day gift. I may or may have not purchased it for him.

Magnanni Belt: I love it!!

Cleansing Shaving Cream: This product is sooooo good!!

Gucci Wallet: As soo as the hubs is ready for a new wallet this is his go-to!

Apple AirPods: The fact that the don’t have a cord is genius.

 

 

Inner Strength

I was afraid to go to Greek school and I was afraid to go to Sunday school. There were three girls there that always put me down. They know exactly who they are and I kind of hope that they are reading this post so they know what they put me through. I wouldn’t exactly call what they did to me bullying but it was close. It was enough to not make me want to go to those places. I dreaded when I had to go and face them. What if they made fun of my clothes? What if they called me retarted again? What if I accidentally wore something similar to one of them and then called a copycat? I begged my mom to not make me go. I begged and begged but I had to. I was afraid to speak up, who knows I may have said something they found funny and laughed at me. These girls were the definition of “mean girls”.

Fast forward about fifteen years. I feel like they still look at me that same way. At first I thought I was paranoid, but I know they do. I’ll always know that look that I also got back then.

Now it is different. I am a grown woman with inner strength. I am more confident in myself and don’t feel intimidated around them the few times a year that I do run into  them. If you are wondering what happened to them, they moved away (insert praise hands emoji).

I pray that my daughter does not have to deal with girls like that in the future. I pray that all little girls don’t have to deal with that. No one deserves to feel afraid to go anywhere. I pray that all girls/women have and find inner strength.

The Perfect Mom Bathing Suits

Happy Thursday! I hope you all are just as excited about the weekend as I am! Today I am going to share the chicest, yet mom approved bathing suits with you. I am sure many of you moms can relate to the fact that your tummy has a little extra going on so these one piece bathing suits and high waisted ones are perfect for that. I just ordered this one and love it! I am looking forward to adding a few more to my collection.

I would love to hear what some of you have gotten for Summer!

 

 

Motel Valentina One Piece | Topshop Ruched Front Plunge Swimsuit | Motel Rocks Valentina Swimsuit | J.Crew Strip Lace up One Piece | Ted Baker Stripe Ruffle Swimsuit | J.Crew Ruffle Bandeau Bikini Top | J.Crew High Waist Bikini Bottoms

Lexi’s Favorite Reads

I am sorry for the lack of posts lately, but with a 10 month old life can get pretty busy. I have previously shared a post on how important it is to your child and I am still a firm believer on that subject.

I absolutely love reading to Lexi. Even though she isn’t old enough to understand a lot yet I honestly believe there are books that she really enjoys more than others. Maybe it’s the pitch in my voice, but today I want to share her favorite reads with you all. These are on constant rotation and yes that means some books get neglected, but why wouldn’t I read what makes her smile?

These below have been our go-tos for the past month or so.

What are some of your little one’s favorite books?

 

Mommy Hugs | Where’s Ellie | Will You Be My Sunshine | Your Baby’s First Word Will Be Dada | Everything is Mama | Giraffes Can’t Dance | Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Grieving the Child I Thought I Would Have

As I was entering motherhood there were things that were not told to me. How would I function on a few hours of sleep, how do I know the baby had enough to eat, how huge a poop can be, etc. One thing I was not told was what to do if the pregnancy didn’t go as I hoped. This is where grieving came into place.

Yes of course people lose children and they grieve. But as a special needs mom I grieved the child I thought I was going to have. It is completely normal to do so and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Every time I went to my OB I would get bad news after bad news and there was always something to grieve. I didn’t know what to expect. Will my child talk? Will my child walk? There were so many what ifs and I grieved. I felt so alone. I felt like my life was falling apart.

Now looking back, I am surprised about how I got through it. I never knew I could be so strong. But I have to be. I need to be there to raise Lexi, be advocate, be her best friend, etc.

I experienced three stages of grief and I would like to share them with you. I’m sure many of you have read a few posts close to mine but writing this gives me some peace.

1. Anger. I was angry at everyone. Myself mostly. I felt that my body let me down. That I was the one that caused this.

2. Scared. The unknown scared me and it still does. There are many question marks that come with Lexi’s diagnosis. How was I to prepare? Would she walk? Would she talk? All of this really can weigh you down.

3. Acceptance. This happened when she was born. It was hard to accept her diagnosis. There are times that I still struggle, but I have accepted that life will be different. Lexi is a sweet, funny, happy little baby and I wouldn’t trade her sweet little self for anything.

It has been a long process, but I am so grateful for her and our family. I hope this post helps any other moms out there that may be struggling with a similar situation.

 

Photo by: Hannah Decossas Photography

Favorite Amazon Beauty Buys

Hey lovelies! I just wanted to start out and mention that I am addicted to ordering from Amazon. I probably place an Amazon order at least once a week. And yes, I am an Amazon Prime Member, so at least I save a little money with that service, right? Of course you have to pay for the service but you do save in the long run. I order a lot of random things, things for the baby, and beauty products so today I wanted to show you my favorite beauty buys. More posts coming soon on the other products.

Now on to the beauty buys:

 

 

Makeup Brush Holder | Blenderelle Makeup Blender Sponge Storage | Silicon Makeup Brush Cleaning Mat  | John Frieda Hot Air Brush | Olay Professional Pro-X Cleaning System | Vanity Trifold Makeup Mirror | Kaizen Beauty Roller

5 Pregnancy Tips I Wish Someone Had Told Me

Being pregnant, especially for the first time can be scary and so exciting all in one. It is such a surreal experience. You are gaining weight, your hormones are all over the place, and knowing you are growing a little human inside of you can be nerve wracking. When expecting for the first time you do get a lot of tips and advice. Here are some tips that I wish I knew when I was pregnant with Lexi.

1. Don’t Google everything. When I was pregnant I would google every symptom and I would end up scared out of my mind. If you need to know something just call your OB.

2. Take a Nap. You need your rest. Being pregnant takes a lot out of you. It is important to get rest. Besides, after you give birth naps become scarce.

3. Take pictures. It is no secret that I had a rough pregnancy so I didn’t take many pictures. I wish I have. I wish I could look back at more than just my maternity shoot and have more to show Lexi.

4. Don’t listen to everyone. You all know who I am referring to. Family, friends, and even people you don’t know. They all want to tell you about their experience. This is your experience. Just smile politely when they tell you their story.

5. Embrace your pregnancy. It goes by fast. It really does. You may not think that now, but when your baby is born you will think “wow it went by quick”.

Do any of you have any tips that you want to add?

 

Photo by: Hannah Decossas Photography

Adorable Baby Girl Clothing

Hello lovelies!

I absolutely love shopping for my little baby girl. Now that Spring is approaching I have found myself ordering so much for her.

Below are some of the items I currently have in my shopping cart for her.

 

 

Striped Romper | Flower Headband | Dinosaur Jersey Dress | Ruffle Floral Dress | Floral Dress | Polka Dot Top + Pants | Dinosaur Onesie

The Backpack Bag

Happy Monday!

As a mom I don’t want to only carry a diaper bag. I want to carry a beautiful bag as well. Sometimes it gets annoying to carry my Neverfull along with the diaper bag so I went for a backpack bag. It is such a convenient bag and I can still carry Lexi’s diaper bag and not have both bags in the way.

How many of you carry a backpack bag?

 

Backpack: Rebecca Minkoff

 

These are some other pretty options:

Zac Posen Eartha Iconic Convertible Backpack | Topshop Lucy Metal Tab Backpack | Gucci GG Marmont Quilted Backpack | See By Chloe Olga Backpack