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Our Greatest Surprise
Never ever thought I’d be sitting down to write this post. Talk about life throwing you a curve ball.Where to begin. Some Background… I guess I should back up for those who may not be familiar with our journey. We have two amazing daughters, Charlie and Quinn who are both IVF babies. You can read in depth about our journeys to our girls here and here. But to sum it up- after not getting pregnant naturally, we tried medicated cycles, IUIs, then upon finding I had a blocked fallopian tube, underwent an exploratory lap. That’s where the doctor found stage three endometriosis growing on my uterus, fallopian tube and ovaries.…
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Quarantined with Quinn: A Birth Story
My sweet Quinn Marie. As I write this, just days before your first birthday, it still feels surreal that you are here and all ours. AND that a year has gone by. You have been growing and becoming your own little person right under our very eyes. And we couldn’t love you more. Your birth story is a special one. It happened during a unique time in history, where the world was quiet, frozen in time. We prayed for you. And fought for you. And longed for you deeply. Every moment since the day of your conception, you have been fiercely loved. Our family needed you. The world needed you.…
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The Journey to Quinn
First, thank you for being here. To share this with y’all, is to share something sacred. So thank you for taking part in honoring our journey and our miracle… Quinn. I’ve been putting off writing this for quite sometime. While this is ultimately a journey of perseverance and triumph, it’s also one of utter heartbreak. What we went through this second time around was traumatic, both physically and emotionally and I still am still am processing everything that happened over that 8 months. Honestly, therapy should come with infertility treatments… That being said, I recognize how very lucky we are that while this journey was brutal, we had our big…
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Maternity Must-Haves
Well… it’s hard to believe but my days of this pregnancy are numbered. Such a mix of emotions.. excited, anxious, bittersweet, thankful… you name it. Since I’ve had two pregnancies in the last 3 years, I want to make sure I make this list before I forget what items were so crucial to me. Being pregnant opens up a whole new world to a woman… and an overwhelming one at that. Millions of options for things you didn’t even know you needed. Your body goes through so many changes… and with that so does your wardrobe, skincare, medications… you name it. This list is a thorough compilation of the items…
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Beautycounter: Countertime Collection
I am Jesse Spano excited about this one y’all. As I mentioned in my post about the Countermatch Collection, I plan on breaking down every collection, giving you all the details. THIS collection is the one I’ve been most looking forward to trying and now that I’ve tried… sharing. I splurged and bought the entire collection and look forward to using it everyday. I’ve only been using it a week, so not long enough to validate the 4 week results claims, but I can tell you my skin is more hydrated and soft than ever and I catch myself in the mirror and swear my skin is more glowy. This…
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Safe Swaps: Self Tanner
Let’s face it…everyone looks better with a tan. It makes you look thinner, more refreshed and awake and also hides cellulite, veins etc. And most of us have probably gone to some pretty serious measures to get that bronzy glow….you know… those sketchy tanning beds in college? In Georgia, we tend to skip Spring and go straight from Winter to a blazing hot summer… which means it’s time to get that pasty Winter skin ready for sleeveless tops and shorts. Going for the Bronze If you are like me, then you probably have a dark history when it comes to tanning (no pun intended). It began in my pre-teen years,…
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Beautycounter: Countermatch Collection
I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m indecisive AF. Too many choices stress me out and I like for people to take the thinking out of it for me. Well, call me your hero, because that’s what I plan to do- breakdown each line, giving you the stats and deets. Today’s post is dedicated to the very popular Countermatch line. A Bit about Beautycounter If you aren’t familiar with Beautycounter, it’s more than just skincare and cosmetics, but a movement for safe products. They have banned over 1,800 chemicals commonly used in American cosmetics in their products and implement the highest standard for quality and regulation. The company is…
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Full Coverage Face
This was impromptu. I was doing a full face for our maternity photoshoot, and have never used the time lapse feature….I thought it would be cool to experiment. Y’all were interested in learning more, so here I’m providing you the details- steps and products. This would be much easier to explain in an actual tutorial, which maybe I’ll get the nerve to do one day. For now, I hope the info below is helpful. Disclaimer: As most of y’all know, I am all about non toxic living and have been making safe swaps in our home- from cleaning products, to food, to cosmetics. My makeup is still in transition. I…
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What’s in Your Water?
Water. It’s literally our life force. And we are SO lucky to live in a country where we can access it so easily. My world was recently SHOOK when I learned that refrigerator filters only filter for taste. They may remove a few simple chemicals, but can behind leave HUNDREDS of other toxic ones. Yes, you heard me right. HUNDREDS. TOXIC. Think about how much water you consume or are exposed to daily- your morning coffee, in the shower, brushing your teeth, drinking water, making food, etc. Even if you aren’t gung ho about going non-toxic in your home ( I get that it can seem extreme), this is a…
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Oil Cleansing 101: and Why I Ditched the Soap
Dear Soap, You are wonderful at doing many things… stripping oils being the best. I’ve had you in many scents over the years… from bubble gum to Winter Berry to unscented. But the truth is, even the safest version of you is still not good for me. I will no longer allow you to strip the oils off of my 30 something- starting to show signs of aging- face and body. While I always thought bacteria was gross, I realize now that in order for my body to be functioning at full capacity…. I NEED my good bacteria. And I won’t let you wash it away any more. Though, I…