2018 Theme Song

Hello my lovely friends! I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season and are as excited for the New Year as I am.

Today I am supposed to talk about my theme song for 2018. As you may know, every year I pick out a theme song for the year. I've been doing this since I graduated high school and it's something that means a lot to me because music is such an important and special influence in my life.

Usually, I have thought about my song choice extensively for months and have the song picked out by November (because the past few years everytime November hits I'm ready for the New Year). This year was the hardest to pick out a song. In fact, I'm not even 100% behind my song choice. I blame the past few months of learning to be a mom and to be unemployed. My life is SO different than it's ever been and I think it's hard to adjust to that. My usual habits and tendencies are hard to go back to considering I'm suddenly a stay-at-home mom of two.

While I did end up choosing a specific song for 2018, I made an entire playlist of songs to help motivate me through the year. I'll go over it below and my reasoning behind them.

Overall, I wanted a song that would motivate me to do something outside my normal comfort zone. If you aren't a regular blog reader of mine, I have depression and social anxiety and can be an all over emotional wreck a lot of the time. I tend to stay in my private little box, too afraid to take risks and go after my dreams for fear of failing. This year I want to get outside that box and change my life.

A few weeks ago I finally was inspired by a song that came on over my Spotify. As I mentioned, I'm not completely obsessed with my theme song as I usually am, but that's why I have a whole playlist.

Anyways, my theme song for 2018 is "I Lived" by One Republic. 

There are so many lyrics in this song that just speak to me, so it's difficult to go over which ones I want for 2018 without quoting the whole song. But I think more than anything, I love the actual title of the song. I LIVED.

When I was seventeen years old I was suicidal and made a few attempts at ending my life. I had no idea as a teenager that my life would end up like this: married to my soulmate with a cute dog and the most adorable baby girls. I don't believe seventeen-year-olds make the smartest decision, but by far the greatest decision of my entire life was to not end it.

I survived my teenage years. I survived college and the struggles I went through there. I survived cutting myself, sexual assault, and a miscarriage and have ended up today in the best place I think my life has ever been in. I survived so much pain and I hope to continue to fight through every struggle that is thrown at me.

However, no matter how grateful I am for my life so far, I feel as if I've merely been surviving each day. I want to live each day. I want to wake up every morning with an excitement for each day and the possibilities it could bring. I want to end this year quoting the song: "I owned every second that this world could give."

I want to plan adventures for not just myself, but for my husband and my daughters. I want us to make memories to last a lifetime. But I think more than anything, I want to build an excitement for life in my daughters that I never had. I know they're young, they won't remember this year, but I want to get into the habit of giving my children opportunities and excitement.

2018 is about living life to the fullest and I'm excited for this year and creating the best year ever.

Now real fast I'm going to go over my playlist. I subtitled this as my "Power Playlist" because it's all songs that motivate me to get up and do something. These are great workout song, hype songs, and dancing song. This playlist is great for so many things and I am already so obsessed with listening to it all the time. I'm sure I'll continue to add new songs throughout the year because this is my "Power Playlist" and if I find a new song that empowers me, it belongs.

Quick note, the first part is all females because originally that's what I wanted: female empowerment. But honestly, no power playlist is complete without "Butterflies and Hurricanes" by Muse, so I broke the original rules, but I'm so happy with this playlist I wouldn't have it any other way.

Do you pick out a theme song for the year? Let me know yours in the comments below!! 

3 Months Old

My baby girls are three months old today!! Here are a few more facts about them not shown on their chalkboards.

-Only in the past month have we started reading to them. They are loving it though and just wiggle around when it's storytime.

-These girls LOVE their pacifiers and almost always have them in their mouths.

-They are smiling now, but it's rare and super hard to get on camera. But if you follow my Instagram account (@_cowgirlkaylee_) I post a lot to my story and you can see more smiles on there.

-Nicknames: Lately we've been calling Makell "Mini Marshmallow" because of her adorable chubby cheeks but we have always called her Miss Makell. For Zoey we stick with Zo or Miss Zo.

-My girls are on a specific "no spit-up" formula, but they almost never spit-up anymore even when we try them on other formulas. So yay!

-Zoram is now more into them and loves to lick their feet and hands, and the girls love him back. They stare at him a lot and seem to enjoy him. I'm glad my girls won't be afraid of dogs like I was the majority of my life.

-They love hugging blankets which is so like their mom.

-My girls are not afraid of strangers and will let anyone hold them or get near them. We think the NICU prepared them for that because of all the different nurses taking care of them.

-Chris and I think they're getting so big, but then we see other three-month-old babies and realize how little ours are. They're premies though so it makes sense. And little petite girls are adorable.

-They can both basically hold their heads up. I don't really have to support their heads anymore, but I also don't trust them in certain circumstances.

-They love going on adventures with mom and dad in their carriers. (See my Instagram account.)

-They are out of newborn clothes. The onesies they're pictured in are actually newborn, but tight, so this is the last time for these pink ones.

-They are very chill babies who can entertain each other and don't cry that often. But every now and then they just get irritated and it looks a bit like this. But still, they're very calm and quiet.

-Unless they're hungry, in which case, they scream.

-Starting this past week they sleep about ten hours straight at night, which would be lovely if my dog hadn't gotten used to middle of the night feedings, and now Zoram wakes me up instead of them.

-These pictures don't do their cuteness justice, so here's them with Santa.

(They're both looking over at me on the side. They honestly love staring at me. No complaints with that.)

Stocking Stuffers For The People In My Life

Ironically, the year I'm living in an apartment with a fireplace, I don't have stockings. I had plans to make some but don't have the money yet. But I don't mind too much since my girls aren't aware enough to notice or care. And they're still getting gifts so it doesn't matter.

Below I've made short lists of stocking gift ideas for all different types of people that I see commonly in my own life. Because they are stocking stuffers, I tried to stick with as cheap as possible. Also, can I get a shout out for writing most of this post on my phone because my laptop wasn't working? It's so hard to do this on a phone!

FOR WRITERS

Let's start with a category I'm most familiar with because I'm a part of it. I highly recommend 642 Tiny Things To Write About and Q&A a Day. I have both of these and while I don't use them as much as I should, they are both great for helping boost creativity. Notebooks and pens and pencils are always great items as well.

PET LOVERS

While you can always give them dog or cat toys directly, most things with an animal, or specifically their animal is appreciated. For example, I have a sheltie so dogs like Lassie appeal to me more. People also tend to give me cow or cow print items because they know I'll appreciate it. Keychains, notebooks, stuffed animals, and mugs are great go-to items.

STAY AT HOME MOMS

I'm now (mostly) a stay at home mom. It was a weird and hard transition for me, but totally worth it. For someone taking care of kids all day, great gift items include slippers or comfy sucks, books, music, baby toys to entertain the little ones, and... I'm often told wine, I personally don't drink so I don't know what wine drinkers enjoy, but if you know the recipient is a fan then go for it!

MUSIC LOVERS

Ah music. I'm obsessed. As a music lover, I'm always a fan of CDs, iTunes giftcards, and headphones.

MAKEUP ARTISTS

I always appreciate new makeup tools and products to play around with. There are literally too many options out there and most makeup items can fit within a small budget. Just visit Ulta or your local drugstore to get good prices on fun items.

BEARDED MEN

I love having a husband with a beard. Beards are sexy. Beards also take a lot of upkeep. Similar to makeup, there are a lot of options out there, you just have to go look.

NERDS & GEEKS

Being a nerd or geek is the best. I think everyone has something that they're a nerd about. For me, it's Arrow and Sherlock. For Chris, it's Star Wars. For my sister, it's Harry Potter. Though I'm positive all of us have a lot more nerdy-loves as well. One of my favorite Christmas gift ideas is to find that person's nerdy side and just go with it!

COOKS

Bakers and cooks are fairly easy, because buying simple cooking tools can be really cheap (you can get like anything from the Dollar Store). Because it's so easy, it's fun to make it cute. Like giving ingredients for a cookie recipe in a mason jar, or wrapping wooden spoons in pot holders. There are tons of cute ideas on Pinterest for this one. 

FITNESS JUNKIES

This one can get more expensive, but it doesn't always have to. Headphones, water bottles, sweat towels, and other small items to help out a gym goer are always appreciated. 

These are the most common people in my own life, but hopefully, this gives you an idea for other types of people as well. Buying stocking stuffers doesn't have to be expensive, in fact, I typically go to the Dollar Store for most things, it's all about being creative, finding a person's niche, and having fun with it. Overall, people will love you just for the effort you make to get them a gift. 

What category do you fall into or which one did I miss that relates most to you? Let me know down below!! Thanks, you're a hero! 

My Christmas Wishlist

Hello, friends and welcome to December!! I am doing Vlogmas this year, which, we'll see if I can actually complete it, but I'm determined to post a short video every day til Christmas. So if you aren't already, go subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch all the videos. And wish me luck. But because of that, I will also have more blog posts this December that relate to or go with the videos, so follow me on all my social media accounts to be notified of those.

I'm working on designing an awesome emailing list, where each email would give you recent highlights from my blog and other projects, a preview of upcoming projects, and a special message to my readers. I'm hoping it'll be ready for the New Year, but this month may get a little too crazy. But be on the lookout for that and then you'll always know what's been happening with me and my blog!

If I'm being honest, my real Christmas wishlist are things that other people can't get me. Like getting me into the new apartment that I want. There's a big waiting list so I'm out of luck there for a while. I also really want a Mac PC, but that's completely unrealistic to ask for as a gift. So is asking for a second car, which we really want/need. So in this post, I'm sticking to the more realistic things I'm wanting.


PAJAMA PANTS

If you follow me on Twitter you may have seen my sad tweet about getting a hole in my favorite (and albeit, oldest) pair of pajama pants. I'm super upset about it because they were perfect. They were long, soft, not too thick and hot, and were black, white, and silver, AKA, my life esthetic. So yeah, I'm upset, especially since I don't have many other options and do laundry specifically for those pants. But now they're dead, I'm sad, and I need some new ones.

FUNKO POP FIGURINES

I love these things! We currently have Jon Snow, Moriarty, BB-8, and R2D2. But Chris and I have a running list of ones we want. We need Rey from Star Wars and Luna from Harry Potter because those are our twin's middle names. But I also really want an Oliver Queen/Green Arrow one, more Sherlock ones, like all the Harry Potter ones, Toothless, and there's a ton more I want. I think they're super cute and fun and show our nerdy side because Chris and I can be big nerds.

THROW BLANKETS/PILLOWS

I'm just a huge fan! I love comfort and snuggling and it really bothers me that in my entire marriage (coming up on five years now, yay us) we have never had throw pillows on our bed! I know Chris does not like them, but it's not like I want a million. Just a few good ones to make the bed a bit cozier. Plus, in my history, when I have throw pillows I'm more likely to make the bed because I want it to be pretty. So... win.

A MIRROR

I want a couple mirrors actually, but what I really need is a full-length mirror. Storytime! So during my pregnancy, I was ridiculously swollen, but I never had a full-length mirror, so I honestly didn't realize how big and swollen I was. It wasn't until I saw my sister's wedding photos that I really saw the full length of myself and I was a little shocked by it. And if I was so in denial and unaware then, then maybe I still am a bit too. I really want one.

AN AREA RUG

Except, if you're actually buying me Christmas presents, maybe don't. Because I'm super picky when it comes to rugs apparently. Why else would I still not have a rug in an apartment with no carpet? I've looked around but honestly, I just cannot decide or don't have the sufficient funds (ha, when do I ever have money to buy anything?).

CLOTHES

I have a carefully mapped out plan to post one fashion post on this blog every week next year. But I absolutely HATE my current wardrobe. I know what I want, I have a plan, but I'm being stopped to completely change my wardrobe by two things: I'm not at my ideal weight and still have some pregnancy weight to lose and, again, the money thing. It's really hard to make money when you're forced to leave your job because you can't afford daycare, but if you can't work then you can't afford your lifestyle and sometimes even your rent. Honestly, one of the first things I said in this post was that I want to move to the other apartment we have picked out because it'll save us so much money and will just be a better situation for us all around. If I had known we were having twins, we would not have moved to this current apartment. But... anyways... I want clothes.

BOOKS & CLOTHES FOR MY GIRLS

I love when people buy things for my girls. I want to buy stuff for them all the time, but, again, money. But buying cute baby girl clothes is something I'm more likely to go out and buy because it's just too cute. Funny how becoming a mom changes your priorities. I also just want books. Lots of books. All the books. I grew up reading all the time and then college stopped my reading habits (I also think it had to do with getting a laptop and internet access...). I'm trying to get back into reading this year and I want my girls to grow up surrounded by books and reading. Reading is the best.

A DOG BED AND TOYS

Zoram needs a bed. He's so cute and has a specific place by my side of the bed and I put a pillow there that he rests his head on, but I'm sure he'd appreciate a bed of his own, even if he sticks to his usual habits and only puts his head on it. Also, those throw pillows in the following widget are just the best things I've ever seen seeing as all day long Zoram is in my bed sleeping.

BLOGGING & VIDEO THINGS

Lastly, I want video editing software (which I'm still debating on which one I want), an external hard drive, a computer that doesn't freeze and shut down every other day, a camera stabilizer, and for someone to give my blog a makeover. Yep. None of this I actually expect to get for Christmas. It's more on my "saving up for" list. AKA, I want money for Christmas.

What's on your Christmas Wishlist? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading, you're a hero!! 

November 2017 Favorites

Hello friends!! November is over, which is crazy, but I'm also just kind of thinking it's already 2018 so I'm not really that surprised. Also, I am totally into Christmas this year because it's my girl's first Christmas, it's a big deal, and I already have my tree up which is something I'm typically against. No Christmas before December!! ...But I broke my own rule this year.

This past month flew by and I'm just a little confused at where it went, but at the same time I feel like my birthday was months ago. Here's a quick recap of the highlights this month (since I didn't blog all month so you wouldn't know).

November 4th: My birthday!! Kneaders breakfast, Olive Garden dinner and Thor Ragnarok.
November 5th: My baby girls got blessed.
November 9th: I went to the dentist in tons of pain, learned my crown had cracked and my tooth was completely dead, got this large mass in my gum drained, scheduled to have my tooth removed.
November 10th: My girls turned two months old and got their shots.
November 13th: Went in to get my tooth pulled out, got to see the cyst that was on it, got a bone graft. Didn't realize how much pain I would be in/how the drugs would affect me and had to call in my dad to help with the girls. (Thanks, dad!)
November 15th: Took my girls to get their hip ultrasounds (a typical thing for babies who were breached). They're both fine and they had no issues!
November 23rd: Thanksgiving!! Had a lovely Thanksgiving with the Farnes family. Made green bean casserole.
November 27th: Went back to the dentist to get my stitches out. Set up another appointment. (The whole thing is like a nine-month process, which sucks so bad.) Also started my 30-day workout thing (more info below).
November 29th: Went to Festival of Trees, saw BB-8, went to the mall, walked through the "Harry Potter Christmas in the Wizarding World" display, bought new boots.
November 30th: Wrote this blog post.

So yeah, this month consisted of a lot of dentist stuff. For all my readers, DO NOT PUT OFF GOING TO THE DENTIST!!! It had been way too long for me and they haven't even checked the rest of my teeth yet, which I'm positive I have at least one cavity, but I'm known for going in and they find five, and this time it's been so long that there will probably be like thirty. Is that even possible? Anyways, I'm not looking forward to that appointment where they check all my teeth, but I'm planning it for January when I know my new insurance is all good and ready.

Anyways, this post is supposed to be about my November favorites yet I'm talking about the dentist, which is one of my least favorite things (which is why it has been so long). So lets get into the favorites!

ALMONDS

I have been loving almonds this month! I've always loved almonds, but since I'm trying to get healthier, lose weight, etc., almonds have been such a good snack for me. I typically get the Blue Diamond Lightly Salted ones. That's just my preference, but honestly, all almonds are good.

CITRUS BLISS INVIGORATING BATH BAR by DOTERRA

This soap smells amazing, makes my skin feel great, and even has a slight exfoliating factor. I'm really enjoying it.

LASH SENSATIONAL LUSCIOUS FULL FAN EFFECT MASCARA by MAYBELLINE NEW YORK

Ah, Maybelline. I love you. This mascara makes my lashes look ah-mazing!! I'm obsessed. I'm planning on doing a full review at some point so that's all I have to say for now, but I do love it and if you're looking for a new mascara you should consider this one.

PEACH HAND CREAM by TONY MOLY

I got this is my last Ipsy bag and am so obsessed with the smell! With winter here and constantly cleaning bottles and changing diapers and washing my hands, I'm using a lot more hand lotion lately. I told Chris to buy me this lotion for Christmas because I love it.

MINERAL HAND CREAM by AHAVA

Another Ipsy product and hand cream. I need them lately and while this one doesn't have a peachy smell like the last one, it is a great one to stick on the nightstand to use after middle of the night diaper changes.

*Quick note, I promised a great Ipsy post this month but I had a whole credit fraud issue, my card didn't work, and long story short, I didn't get an Ipsy bag this month. It should be all worked out to get one for December though.


TRICK AND TREAT CREAM CONCEALER by HEY HONEY

I've now gotten two Hey Honey products in Ipsy packages and I've loved them both so much. This is a company I definitely what to try more of. This is a great simple, light concealer to just throw on when I'm feeling insecure about my dark circles even though I almost never leave my house anymore. I love it a lot!

 ADVANCED CARE CLEAR TONE DEODORANT by DOVE

I may have talked about this before because it's my go-to deodorant. It feels great on my skin, smells great, and keeps me dry and stink-free. I love it a lot and am really grateful for it.

LOSE WEIGHT IN 30 DAYS by SIMPLE DESIGN LTD.

This is an app that I downloaded on a whim. I've been working hard to lose weight since my twins were born but I didn't have much structure and I just did whatever I wanted. I've been using this app for the past week and it gives me exercises to do every day, it goes through them all with me, makes it really easy to get a fast, strengthing workout in, and overall is a great app. You don't need any equipment (but maybe a mat) so it's easy to do anywhere. I've also gone to the gym and done some cardio as well to get more of a workout in, but the exercises they give me have already made me sore and I struggle each day to get through them all. It's fantastic and I'll be happy to share the final results when I reach day 30, but if you want to see a more day-to-day look at my weight loss journey, check out my health and fitness Instagram account, @kayleeshealthylife.

Let me know in the comments what your favorites for the month were and if you also love any of these products. Love you, you're a hero!

SONEic Sound Machine | Product Review

I was blessed to have so many people in my life give gifts to my girls. Honestly, everyone just killed it on my baby registry. My family is so lucky that we have such great family and friends, we could not be more grateful.

One of the gifts we received off my registry (thanks Aunt Cherene) was a sound machine. To be honest, I didn't do much research on any particular sound machine, I registered for this one mostly based on cost. But I have loved my sound machine these past few weeks and my girls love it too.

So here is my pros and cons list about the SONEic Sound Machine*.

You can purchase this product by clicking below*.

PROS:

-This machine doesn't just have white noise. There are many different options to choose from. My girls and I prefer gray noise at night while we're sleeping, but the rain, ocean, and brook are fun ones too.

-Though I haven't used it, this sound machine has a timer. So if you wanted to not waste electricity or don't need it playing all night, then you can easily set a timer to have it automatically shut off.

-It's an easy turn on or off knob, and when you start it up it goes to the last sound you had it on.

-This can be powered either by batteries or a USB, making this machine portable.

-The machine comes with a headphone jack. I haven't used it, I'm not entirely sure why someone would use headphones to listen to just sounds, but it's an option. This would also give you the option to plug it into an external speaker, for when you want to play it really loud, I guess.

-This may not apply to you, but the sounds don't seem to affect or bother my dog. This is important to me because I have a dog that barks at everything. He even seems to do well with the thunder sound and maybe I can use it to train him to not bark at real thunder. We'll see.

-It's a very lightweight machine (though I don't have batteries in it, which I'm sure makes a slight difference). It's small and not bulky which allows me to move it around the house easily. 

CONS:

-The volume knob is touchy. It takes a little while to adjust it to the volume that you want.

-Why on earth would someone want to listen to whistling wind while they're trying to sleep? I just want someone to explain why that noise is on there because I personally just don't get it.

-Many of the sounds begin to sound repetitive, which obviously they are, but for instance, the first night I listened to the ocean noise, which I enjoyed but after a while, I knew exactly when the big wave would crash. It got too predictable and then I had a hard time ignoring it. The reason we listen to the gray noise is that while it may be repetitive, it's so steady that I can sleep easily with it playing in the background. It's predictable in a different way that allows me to ignore it.

MY REVIEW:

As you may have gathered from my Pros/Cons list, my girls do sleep in my bedroom with me in their bassinets. Every night when I turn on the sound machine, it's for me too. This machine seems to help my girls sleep. It also helps me differentiate night and day for my girls, seeing as we only turn it on at night (I plan on writing up a post on how we taught our girls the difference between night and day in the future). I personally am not bothered by it at all and neither is my husband (though that man sleeps through everything, including his crying children).

This sound machine sits at the bottom price range of $20 along with a few others. However, of the other $20 machines I personally feel this one has the most features, has the cleanest look, and has a good variety of sounds. While I haven't tried out the other machines, I enjoy mine very much and am happy with my decision to put it on my registry.

I would recommend this machine to others. The gray noise helps soothe my children and allows them to sleep easier. It's easy to use and at a good price.

Look at how in awe and amazement my girls are about this machine!! 

*This post contains affiliate links.*

Pink October | Fashion Friday

ONESIES | PANTS | PACIFIERS* | BLANKETS | PILLOW

I had the idea months ago to do all pink Fashion Friday posts during the month of October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. However, as October drew closer I realized one rather large flaw to this plan. I don't own any pink. In my closet, I have a pink skirt, a dress with pink flowers, a few pink workout tops, and that's it. Nothing that I wanted to do for a fashion post (though my pink skirt has been featured before). 

But in the past few months, my home has become consumed with the color pink all thanks to the two newest additions to my family. So, seeing as I had no pink, I decided to take advantage of my children and the one thing they have that I lack... which is pink. 

Besides, isn't it more fun to see "fashion" photos of newborns than of a boring 26-year-old stay at home mom? I sure thought so. But in all reality, fashion posts are going to become more frequent on this blog, and I'm pretty sure once a month I'll feature these little ones instead of myself. I hope that doesn't bother anyone and if it does, I'm sorry but you'll just have to live with it. 

Anyways, as mentioned, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While my whole "Charity of the Month" idea continues to fail me, making my readers aware of different charities is still something I feel very strongly about. It is becoming nearly impossible for anyone to avoid being affected by cancer in some way. Whether it's a family member, friend, or even yourself, it's something that continually ruins lives and affects all of us. 

I would encourage you to reach out and do what you can for those who have been diagnosed with any sort of cancer. Make a donation. Visit your sick neighbor and bring them a treat. Take toys to a children's hospital. Do whatever you can this month to show that you care. Below are links to two major organizations that bring awareness to cancer. If you are able, make a donation and give hope to those who are in need. Thanks! 

Susan G. Koman - Breast Cancer 

American Cancer Society

MORE CUTE PINK BABY CLOTHES*:

Bonus points to anyone in the comment section who can guess which one is Zoey and which is Makell. This is another one of those tricky photos where I second guess myself... and I took the picture! 

*This post contains affiliate links all marked by an asterisk for your convenience.*

October Ipsy Bag 2017

I'm still just as obsessed with Ipsy and plan to keep up with these posts, sharing what I get in my monthly Ipsy bag. However, starting next month I will go back and give you a quick review on how I've enjoyed the products of the previous month's bag. I think this will be a great way to share what I get as well as giving you my honest opinion on each product.

And if you're wondering, I did get my bag a week ago but have been so distracted and busy with my new babies that I'm not getting around to this post until now. No judgment, please.

The theme for this month's bag is "Spellbound" and honestly, this bag is just gorgeous. I feel like the past few months Ipsy has stepped up their bag game. Every bag I get is so pretty I wish I had more reasons to use these bags on a daily basis. I love that they used a bat as the zipper pull. It's such a subtle Halloween nod but it's beautiful and fun. I also love the texture of the bag. It's a lovely lace pattern in a beautiful red, and it fits in with my personal aesthetic so much. The bag also came with this quote: "In my defense, the moon was full and I was left unsupervised." It's cheeky and fun and would fit in perfectly in a short story.

Here are my Ipsy products for the month of October as well as my first impressions.

My monthly Ipsy advertisement:  Hey, friends, I know I talk about Ipsy a lot, but it's my favorite. For $10 a month I get a cute new makeup bag and five sample size beauty products to test out. I may be poor, but I make it work in my budget to spend $10 a month for new products. I love makeup, hair, and beauty in general and Ipsy allows me to feed my addiction of trying new products without going completely broke. So if you enjoy beauty products as much as I do, then go check out Ipsy by clicking the link below.

PURCHASE YOUR FIRST IPSY BAG BY CLICKING HERE*

Phoenician Secret Scrub - Peppermint*

by Skinvolve

Original Cost: $25 

I am so excited to really test this out. It's meant for cellulite and stretch marks, and I don't really have cellulite but being pregnant with twins gave me a whole mess of stretch marks. If I start to see improvement on my many lightning scars, I would happily purchase this product. I'll keep you all informed. 

Trick and Treat: Active Propolis Cream Concealer

by Hey Honey

Original Cost: $36 for 0.5oz

I love getting concealers from Ipsy. It's probably one of my most common products I get and the most appreciated. It keeps me from having to go out and buy my own and gives me options for when I do need to buy more. I've liked Hey Honey in the past so I'm excited to see how this works for me. 

Peach Hand Cream

by Tonymoly

Original Cost: $12 for 1.06oz

I had never heard of the brand Tonymoly before, but holy moly, they have the cutest packaging ever! Like, I'm honestly upset I got an Ipsy sample. The actual product packaging is a peach and it's so stinkin' cute. One thing I always lack but desperately need is hand lotion. Getting this product is more than appreciated, especially with how much more often I wash my hands thanks to my girls. Oh, and it smells amazing!! 

Bye Bye Pores Pressed Powder

by IT Cosmetics

Original Cost: $29 for 0.31oz

My absolute favorite product I've ever gotten from Ipsy was an IT Cosmetics mascara. This is a company that makes the absolute best in beauty products. And seeing as I've run out of my usual powder, and am too busy and poor to go buy more, I was incredibly happy when I found this in my Ipsy bag this month.

Photo Finish Lid Primer - Light*

by Smashbox Cosmetics

Original Cost: $21 for 0.08oz

I hear such wonderful things about Smashbox Cosmetics from the many beauty bloggers and YouTubers that I'm obsessed with. I don't believe I've ever used a lid primer before, and if I have, I probably used it for something other than its actual use. But since being home with my girls I've experimented with makeup more, so I'm happy to try this out for its real purpose. 

*This post contains affiliate links all marked by an asterisk.

October Leaves | Fashion Friday

OUTFIT:

 JACKET (Similar Match*) | VEST |  SCARF |  PANTS |  SHOES | BAG*

It's my favorite time of year!! Chris and I took the girls on their first real outing to look at the fall leaves in the mountains, but it ended up being freezing so we never took them out of the stroller where they were all bundled up. There was a nice paved trail we walked on, really testing out our stroller for the first time (I'll do an official review on it at some point), and just enjoying the beauty of the mountains... while also nearly freezing to death.

This is my awesome diaper bag. I had so many diaper bags in my Amazon* wishlist for months trying to figure out which one I wanted most. I needed something at a good price, had lots of storage space, I preferred a backpack, and I wanted it to look nice too. I think this bag is so pretty and it holds everything I need for both my girls. I will be doing an official review on this bag soon, but I honestly love it and highly recommend it for anyone pregnant, with small children, or even who just loves backpacks as purses... with insulated pockets for bottles. Because, why not?

PURCHASE THIS BAG*:

MORE BLANKET SCARVES UNDER $50*:

Learn how I did my makeup in these photos by CLICKING HERE.

This post contains affiliate links that I receive compensation for all marked by an asterisk. 

Maybelline Volum' Express The Colossal Big Shot Mascara | Review

What's up my friends? I have a love of Maybelline mascaras, always have, probably always will. They're my go-to whenever I need a new mascara and I try my best to keep testing out different ones anytime I go to buy them.

My current Maybelline mascara test was on the Colossal Big Shot. So here is my review on this particular mascara. You can also check out my quick video review (if you would rather listen than read) on my YouTube channel by CLICKING HERE.

You can purchase this mascara here*:

PROS:

-Like most Maybelline mascaras (and the reason I love them so much) this mascara does not ever feel heavy or stiff on my lashes. I can brush my finger over my lashes and not be met with hard, stiff lashes.

-The price. Maybelline mascaras are always at a good price point while doing a great job and not feeling cheap.

-The application is easy. The brush isn't too crazy like some where it is easier to get on your eyelids.

-Easy removal. This mascara comes off easily with a little makeup remover or even just soap and water (but, also with tears, see cons below).

-It gives my lashes a darker tone without clumping or making them too thick.

-The brush isn't too thick and can be used on lower lashes without difficulty.


CONS:

-The brush. The product easily clumps onto the bristles, giving you a smaller bristle to work with, making application difficult.

-It doesn't really make my lashes seem any longer, unlike other Maybelline mascaras.

-If you're pregnant and have morning sickness and your eyes water, this mascara will get everywhere. (I've said it before and I'll say it again, mascara commercials are dumb and all I want is one where it shows a woman getting broken up with and crying, but it doesn't look like she's crying because her makeup doesn't move. That's the real test of good makeup, in my opinion, if it stays on well while crying.)

-Comparatively to many mascaras, Maybelline or otherwise, it just isn't anything special. It does its job but doesn't wow me in any way.


MY VERDICT:

I have nothing against this mascara, and it may work out really well for you, but it's just not for me. It doesn't give me the extra length that I crave and doesn't match up to literally dozens of other mascaras I've tried in the past. If you want a good price mascara that does the bare minimum of a mascara, then you should be good with this one. It's just not for me and I will not be using it again.

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So I will be doing a lot more reviews on my blog. This will include makeup and hair products like always, but also baby items that I use with my girls. If you have any requests on what I should review, leave a comment down below. And if you own a product or company and would like me to do a review for you, please email me at thedancingcowblogger@gmail.com. Thanks ever so much!!

One Month Old

Yesterday my baby girls turned one month old. It's weird for me to comprehend seeing as I've only had them at home for two weeks. Also, their real due date was October 12th. Can you imagine if I had to wait that long? I went on maternity leave early because of how miserable and large I was. Pretty sure it would have been impossible for me to wait until this week to have them. I would have been ginormous!

I guessed on the height and weight on their chalkboards. I didn't want to take the time to really figure it out when I could just estimate. Especially at this point when they're so small, their weight would be hard for me to figure out on my own, seeing as I don't have the appropriate baby scale. For reals, they're tiny. As a reference, when I was born I weighed almost ten pounds. Yes, I was born three weeks late, but still.

It amazes me that despite sleeping most the day, these girls already have personalities that are different from each other. Honestly, that last picture freaks me out because even though I know the one on the right is Zoey, at first glance I just think it's Makell. But despite looking identical, their behaviors and attitudes are not identical.

And please nobody ask me how I plan on telling them apart. I get that question from family all the time and I'm so incredibly sick of it. It's something we'll just figure out as they continue to grow.

Here's just a few more things about my girls not written on their chalkboards.

-In these pictures their hair looks pretty red, but it's a dirty blond. Though I wouldn't be surprised if they have red undertones because both Chris and I do.

-They have the prettiest dark blue eyes. I know eye color can change as they grow, but I'm really hoping it doesn't. I want them to have blue eyes like their daddy.

-The NICU put them on such a solid feeding schedule that they wake up every 3 hours on their own. I'm currently trying to change up their schedule so they sleep longer at night, but they're so set right now it may take a while.

-Both sleep really well at night (besides waking every 3 hours). I think we've done a good job at differentiating day and night with the dark room, swaddling, and a noise machine. Daytime naps they are much more active than at night when they're just out.

-My girls are not being breastfed. This is because they were born premature and I was not producing much milk, then they were stuck in the NICU while I was elsewhere. In the NICU and went through various formulas, the doctors thinking they may have dairy intolerance and the doctors there didn't want to give them my milk unless I was completely dairy free. However, they recommended I don't go dairy free, just freeze my milk and give it to them when I can. I did give them some the other day and Zoey immediately spat it all up. But they are doing really well on their formula so I'm not stressing about it.

-Makell, when she's hungry, tries to bite at everything looking for her bottle. The other day she "bit" my arm and it was the smallest bit of pain but mostly just weird, seeing as she has no teeth. I am worried about her keeping a biting issue in the future. We'll just have to see, I guess.

-Zoey is so chill and sleeps all the time. Makell is my problem child, for various reasons, and wants attention more frequently. But honestly, both girls are amazing and well behaved. I got lucky. Though if they want to scream, they can scream real loud.

-Being a mom of twins is difficult, not going to lie. Often I'll be feeding one while the other is screaming, but there's not much I can do for the screamer being alone at home most the time. But I wouldn't trade this for anything. I've wanted to be a mother for so long and I finally am, to the most beautiful baby girls in the world, and I don't care how hard it is some days. This is my life now, I've accepted it, I asked for it, prayed for it, and I love every struggle. I love my life as a mom.

If you want to see daily photos and videos of my sweet girls, I'm always posting to my Instagram story. Check it out @_cowgirlkaylee_