Wednesday, February 21, 2018

SEVEN QUESTIONS

I receive a LOT of questions and today I thought I'd answer seven that I've received recently (and often) and then I'll pick another seven to answer in another post on a later date (and so on and and so on) ;)



- ONE - 
HOW DO YOU STORE YOUR JEWELRY?

I have a shelf in my closet and I hung a framed wire photo holder on the wall for earrings and necklaces.  If I'm being honest I really only wear the big leather earrings (I have them in a few neutral colors) o most days because they're so light and easy to wear, but I do still find occasions to wear some of my other pairs.  If you're in the market for a great, lightweight earring I love the large size from Nickel and Suede.  I also have some hooks hooked onto the board where I have a few bangles and then a few other sentimental pieces (like my charm bracelet) that I don't wear as often but love to look at.  The little hooks to the right hold a couple of wrap bracelets and necklaces...


... and this wooden stand (it used to have drawers) holds all of my Farmgirl Paints cuffs.  


I have a tiered stand on my bathroom counter and have a couple of little trinket dishes on there as well where I keep rings. 



- TWO -
WHAT KIND OF THINGS DO YOU DO TO MAKE LIFE AS A WORKING MOM EASIER?

I do what I can when I can - if I wait for a time when I can clean my entire house or even entire kitchen it's just not going to happen so I sneak in what I can when I can.  Something is better than nothing, right?!?! And I'm often amazed at how those little things add up to getting a LOT accomplished in a day.

We try to get organized at night to make our mornings easier including getting lunches prepped and packed, uniforms laid out, backpacks ready, etc.

I cut myself some slack :)  I might not be able to help with every class party or chaperone every field trip but I CAN host a kick butt pizza Friday for my kids and plan a fun craft to do on the weekend.  Doing what I can when I can and knowing that I can't do EVERYTHING all the time has been freeing.

- THREE -
WHY AND HOW DID YOU END UP IN TEXAS?

I was born in Toronto, Ontario (Canada) and lived there until I was 8.  My dad had a two-year work assignment (he was in telecommunications) that brought us to Raleigh, NC.  That two-year job turned into 6 years at which point he switched jobs and we were transferred to McKinney.  I was in the 8th grade and was NOT happy about leaving Raleigh, but now I wouldn't change a thing.  

I'm still a Canadian citizen (I'm a permanent resident of the U.S) but my kids are all American :)

- FOUR -
WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE?

Don't major in the minors :)  I leave all the lights on and have a super hard time keeping my closet clean and he leaves practically-empty tupperware containers in the fridge and sleeps in socks (who even does that?!?!) and we try not to nag each other about things that don't matter (although he's better at this than I am).

We don't argue often, but when we do it's pretty much ALWAYS the same argument (literally... the same one we had in my parents driveway when we first started dating) and we've gotten good at recognizing that, acknowledging how each other is feeling and then having an actual discussion instead of an argument (pretty much I need to work on my filter (I literally can hear myself saying "don't say that" in my head and then next thing I know I'm saying it) and Dave needs to work on not being uber-defensive... we both know this about ourselves and each other which helps) ;)

Know each other's love language(s)!  Knowing how we each show love and like to receive it is invaluable.  If you've never read the book I highly recommend it!  My love languages are receiving gifts and acts of service, but Dave's are words of affirmation and physical touch and it's important to know this because if yours are different from your spouse you'll probably have to remind yourself to "speak their language" instead of your own :)  It's almost like when you buy someone a gift that you really like and then they're not super excited about it... same thing with love languages.  I may be showing love through MY love language (because that's what I would like), but that's not what Dave needs (that makes sense in my head! hahaha).  (Love languages are applicable to kids too and are super helpful to know!)

- FIVE -
WHAT ARE YOUR GO-TO GIFT IDEAS FOR KIDS?

These are some of my kids favorites things to give and receive...




- SIX -
WHAT DO YOU ORDER AT STARBUCKS?

It's ALWAYS a Venti English Breakfast tea with a splash of non-fat milk and three sweet-and-lows :)  ALWAYS.  I grew up drinking English breakfast tea with milk and sugar and I just can't quit it.  The funny thing is that as soon as I was pregnant even the THOUGHT of hot tea was enough to make me nauseous but I craved it in the hospital after they were born!


- SEVEN -
WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE TRAYS YOUR KIDS USE?

Right  HERE!  This might be my most-asked question and I am always more than happy to shout the praises of these little trays . We use them for crafts and as placemats and they're the best because of that little lip around the edge.  They wash well and have lasted several years.  We LOVE them!!!


Hopefully I answered something you were curious about and didn't know :)  I'd love if if you'd leave your other questions in the comments and I'll either reply with the answer or save it and answer it in an upcoming post.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY, FRIENDS!!!

PS - this post contained affiliate links... thank you so much for reading and supporting my blog!

25 comments :

  1. How do you feel about having a public blog? I have always wanted to do it, but I think the hurtful comments and trolls would really get to me. Do you ever regret having so much of your life posted online?

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  2. Hahahahaha! Because of you, we use the trays ALL DAY LONG! It's one of my most popular questions too :) .

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  3. I’m so glad you ended up in Texas too!!

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  4. Love this post! You should do these more often!

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  5. I didn't know you were Canadian and ended up in McKinney while you were still in school. Now I want to know how you and Dave met! xoxo ERIN

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  6. Where do you find fashion inspiration? Where do you most often shop for clothes?

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    1. That's my question too! :) I know Matilda Jane, Nordstrom, and Free People and I know that just by reading the blog. lol!

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  7. Loved this post as well...thank you for sharing!!! I actually have bought several of your kids gift ideas and they have always been a huge hit. ❤️😊

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  8. How did you develop your own sense of fashion? First of all, it's really cute! (In fact, yesterday I put on a flowy top with layers, a distressed cap, my jangly charm necklace & leather earrings and told my sister I was channeling my inner Andrea!) But I just wondered how you stay true to your own sense of style when it seems like none of your friends share that particular style?

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    1. You should totally do a post about that... I'd love to read it. You have great, unique style.

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  9. Your kids gift ideas are the best, my grandchildren can attest to that:). I may have asked this before but do you have a stategy for shopping sites like Zulilly? Do you browse or look for certain brands? The prices are good but it's overwhelming to me. Try to stay dry today:).

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  10. English Breakfast tea is the only hot tea I drink. I’m southern (Hey TN), so I love me some sweet iced tea though best.

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  11. I LOL that you and Dave have the same fight over and over since day one. My husband and I are the SAME way. Keepin' it real! This was a fun post! Have a great day!

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  12. Great gift ideas! I've never had English Breakfast tea. Thanks for sharing!

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  13. I was born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada (6o miles from Toronto) and moved as a newlywed to Durham NC to work at Duke. Guess I just need to move to the McKinney area now ;)

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  14. Where did you get your tiered tray in the bathroom?

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  15. Where is your tiered stand from ?

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  17. LOVE THIS! I started reading your blog because I came here from another mom blog and now only read yours because I find you so dang relatable and REAL. I work full time in accounting (went back to work when my son was three months) and I struggle to balance everything! I took a tip from you and also do the one chore here and there. Like you I also feel like my husband is a true partner and I'm grateful he's so hands on, makes being a working mom and wife easier.

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  18. I’ve been wanting to do that for my earrings but what do you do with your earrings that have posts and not hooks?

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  19. Knowing each other’s love language! YESSSS!! Love this post!

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  20. Don't major in the minors is too true! I would like to add ' especially if your husband has an empty stomach' haha - Best Wishes, Europafox x

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  21. Always love these posts. Your kids do have Canadian citizenship as well, you know??

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  22. I love that your dad let Griffin put makeup on him!! Also, I read Erika’s post about the witch hazel...and people you know were saying they hadn’t heard of it. I was like wait..Andrea told us about it awhile ago...and it was even in your bathroom pic in this post. They must have forgotten or missed it!

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  23. Your kids always seem to be doing fun crafts and building/creating awesome things. I have 4 kiddos and they love to craft, color, build, etc. but there is SO MUCH MESS all the time! Can you share how you organize your crafts, where they do their crafting, and how you kind of monitor it? I have a few older kids and one toddler and if she finds a marker, she's on a roll with it :)

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