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Showing posts with label jesse coulter blogger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jesse coulter blogger. Show all posts

New Look + Affordable Blog Templates

I decided on a whim that I wanted to redesign my blog, and with not a large budget I searched Etsy for templates. I found a great designer that lives in Munich, Germany and she was super affordable! Premade templates are THE way to go if you want to start a blog and don't have any HTML experience. You can find templates for Blogger and Wordpress, and for an additional cost designers will work with you to customize the site.



Clean Out Your Closets Using VarageSale

Taking down Christmas decor is tough, but starting the new year with a clean slate is refreshing to a minimalist like myself. I've been cleaning out closets like a crazy woman, especially since I'm in the final few weeks of my twin pregnancy...hello nesting! Thankfully I've discovered the app ,VarageSale, and have started listing my items. I listed Turner's high chair recently, and 1 day later I sold it! The app was super easy to use, and it's great to scroll through if you are looking for a specific item or at a specific category (like baby items). 


What is VarageSale?
  • A platform to buy and sell new and gently used items with your local community.
  • We’re unique because the community is built around trust and real identities, which has resonated well with people, especially moms.
  • VarageSale is available in local communities across 42 states, and has millions of users
  • VarageSale is completely free to use, and available on iOS, Android and online at www.varagesale.com

Why VarageSale? With VarageSale, you can:
  • Buy items at a fraction of the retail price (some up to 90% off!)
  • Earn extra cash by decluttering your home and selling unused items
  • Shop with confidence by browsing member profiles to see real names and photos which have been vetted by local admins and moderators
  • Get to know your neighbors in a fun, social environment


VarageSale communities in Austin:
 


I hope you try out this super user friendly app, and let me know what you think!

This post is brought to you in partnership with VarageSale, and all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands I love!

31 Weeks {Twins}


How Far Along: 31 Weeks (this is a week late so I can give you a full update on my 30th week of pregnancy)

Babies Genders: Boy (Walton) AND Girl (Whitney) #WaltandWhit

Due Date: February 8, will deliver no later than January 25

Things to Note:
- I threw a Favorite Things Christmas party on Friday night. It took a lot of prep work and cleaning the day of, which was a bit hard on my body. Using the Swiffer wet jet was the most exhausting part, and caused me to have a ton of Braxton hicks every time I contracted my stomach.

- Saturday night I went to a friend's tacky sweater Christmas party and my neighbor let me borrow her amazingly horrific denim jumper. It was a hit at the party, and thankfully I didn't have to worry about how I looked...because I was wearing a bag. I ate a TON, and then had horrific heartburn all night. I've been popping tums like they are going out of style.   

- I've bought the cutest boy/girl outfits lately (mostly from Old Navy & Gap).  Buying for boy/girl twins is seriously the funnest thing. I don't think if I had girl twins or boy twins that I could buy the same outfit twice, so I love it when I find matching outfits but in contrasting colors.

Nursery: Hoping to begin working on the closet very soon with an awesome collaboration. Stay tuned!

Symptoms:
-  Braxton-Hicks contractions

- Heartburn, especially during the night. Propping myself seems to help a bit.

- I wake up about 3 times per night to use the restroom.  I wake up around 3/4 I'm wide awake so I have to try very hard not to get on my phone.

Exercise: 30 min. walk. I've basically given up on exercising. At this point, every time I move I have braxton hicks contractions, and the weight is definitely putting a toll on my body so I've decided to take it easy from this point on.

Clothing: I'm really hoping that I can nurse the twins, so I've been eyeing nursing friendly tops and bras. These Bravado nursing bras look super comfy! Do you have any recommendations?

LADY ATX Mag Contributor

I'm excited to announce that I'll be guest contributing to Austin's new online magazine, Lady ATX Mag, created by Nikol Moen. The site is simple and pretty, and it's sole purpose is to connect women in Austin. Check out my first article recapping my night out at Love Ding learning how to make flower crowns!


21 Weeks {Twins}

Maternity Countdown Tee

How Far Along: 21 weeks

Babies Genders: Boy AND Girl

Things to Note:
- My friends, Katie and Josh, along with my Mom and Sis hosted a baby shower for Alex and I over the weekend. I decided months ago to have my shower early because I wanted to make sure it didn't coincide with the holidays, and I wanted to have plenty of time to know what to buy/save for.

- Purchased a matching Britax car seat, IKEA cribs and a few Rock n' Play sleepers via Craigslist.

Nursery: Decided to participate in the One Room Challenge and complete the nursery in 6 weeks! Follow along my journey, as I will be posting updates every week till the big reveal on Nov. 12th.

Symptoms:
- Definitely feeling baby kicks and maybe a few Braxton hicks contractions. I'm not 100% sure if the tightening is from a contraction, or if it's the position the babies are in.

- Every time I do Body Pump, my stomach gets extremely hard and the babies drop super low. It's a very uncomfortable feeling. Are they mad because I'm moving so much?

Exercise: Body Pump (weight training), 30 min. walk x 2

Clothing: It's still super hot in Texas so I've been wearing non maternity summer dresses and non maternity stretchy jogger pants before it gets cold. At this point, I'm pretty set on basic fall pieces, but I am interested in purchasing some comfy post pregnancy pajamas, slippers and nursing bras. I remember after Turner was born I wore the same pair of pajama pants and interchanged two nursing tanks from Target every day.

Cravings: Caffeine...soda and tea. I try not to have more than 1-2 glasses per day.

One Room Challenge: Twin Nursery

 
I am SO excited to be participating in Calling It Home's popular One Room Challenge this fall! The timing is perfect as I begin to decorate for Walt and Whitney's twin nursery, and it gives me a 6 week deadline to have it done. The anxiety of having these babies much earlier due to a twin pregnancy is much more real, so it will be refreshing to have the nursery done by the time I'm 28 weeks and before the holidays.  The challenge officially starts a week from today on October 8 and lasts for 6 weeks. Every week I will give you a sneak peek into their nursery and take you through my design process along the way. On November 11 I will show you the transformation in a BIG REVEAL post, so stay tuned!

I'm dreaming of an eclectic and gender neutral nursery for boy/girl twins. Here are some nurseries that have sparked my inspiration!

All images via Pinterest

Summer Bucket List 2015 - Recap

We didn't complete all 25 activities on our Summer bucket list, but we added many more unexpectedly. After #14 you'll see the extra activities we added to the list, and the best part about it was that many of these activities were Turner's FIRSTS. He definitely had a summer full of new experiences!

1.) Cool off with a Snow Cone - discovered Hula Cowgirl Shaved Ice in Georgetown...amazing!


2.) Kayak or Paddle board Lady Bird Lake - no picture of this, but we were lucky enough to go with our neighbors as well as take our host daughter, Sophie.

3.) Have a picnic at the Round Rock Splash Pad


4.) Date night out dancing - One of my favorite things to do for date night. Not always Alex's favorite, but he knows how much I love two stepping.


5.) Neighborhood BBQ - We had lots of game nights and pot lucks with our neighbors. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such awesome people!


6.) Attend Free Yoga on the Lawn at the Domain


7.) Spend the day at Hawaiian Falls water park


8.) Paint master bedroom furniture


9.) Redecorate guest bedroom in preparation for host daughter - Bed Frame: $15 from a garage sale, Bedding: SteinMart, Gold Trunk: Estate Sale, Lamp: Target


10.) Vacation in Maui, Hawaii sans toddler


12.) Swim at Round Rock's Rock'N River Family Aquatic Center

13.) Take Turner to his first movie at the Dollar Theatre. Turner's first movie, Home, was a huge success...thank you popcorn and ICEEs. Since he did so good, I took him to see Minions on a week night later in the summer when Alex was out of town.


14.) Swim with my niece's in their new pool


15.) Take Turner Bowling -  He absolutely loved wearing the bowling shoes, and danced the entire time.  We had to bribe him with the arcade so he wouldn't have a meltdown over taking off the shoes.

 
16.)  Republic of Texas (ROT) Biker Rally - Talk about a little boy's heaven. To say Turner LOVES motorcycles is an understatement, so he was in absolute awe during the biker parade.


17.) Transfer Turner to a big boy bed - The first night went AMAZING and he went right to sleep. We've been pretty successful ever since. It's honestly super cute when he barges in to our bedroom in the morning and gets in our bed to cuddle....except when he does that before 7am.


18.) Take a mini vacation - We took a 2 day trip to Tapatio Springs which is about 2 hours outside of Austin. We stopped and ate at the cutest German restaurant in Boerne.

 
19.) Attend a Round Rock Express Game - We ended up going to 2 this summer.  $1 hot dogs, cotton candy, and every once in a while some baseball watching. 

 
20.) Take Turner Fishing - We weren't planning on fishing, but one night while we were walking around Academy, Turner spotted a fishing pole and had to have it. We bought it and some worms and the next day went to a pond near our house. He caught 3 fish in the less than 5 minutes.

21.) Visit downtown San Antonio - We visited Gruene and ate at the Gristmill on our way down to SA. We toured the Alamo, Riverwalk, and ate lunch at one of my favorite Tex-Mex restaurants, Mi Tierra. While walking around the mercado, we had fresh watermelon juice and churros! 


22.) Co-hosted the 4th ATX Blogger Mixer


23.) Visit TopGolf


24.) Saw Garth Brooks live in concert - We were lucky enough to grab 3 tickets, and took our host daughter with us!


This truly has been one of my favorite summers! Lots of unexpected turns (with totaling both our cars and finding out we're having twins), but we have been extremely lucky to experience some great vacations and many firsts with Turner. I can't even imagine what next summer will look like as a family of FIVE!

How was your summer? Are you sad it's over?

Decorating a Cubicle


Sitting in a cubicle with absolutely no windows in site is not ideal (I sometimes dream of being a landscaper for a living), but it pays the bills and atleast I am blessed to have a job and a quiet place to work. I spend 8 hours of my day at my desk, so I might as well make it feel a bit like home.  

Below are a few snapshots of my cube and how I've decorated. I like to have LOTS of family photos around to keep me motivated. When decorating your desk or cubicle, I would stick with a common theme or color palette to make it easier. I chose gold, black and white based off of the photo frames I already owned. I am also obsessed with free printables, and they truly brighten my mood when I look at them (think Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, etc.). During the holidays I usually have a lot more decorations including at least one or two garlands hanging.


Sources
(left to right: clockwise)

1. Globe: Target, Gold Frame: Target
2. Magnets: Target, Photo Frames: very old, can't recall where I bought them
3. Be Kind & Work Hard Print: Elm & Gray FREE here, Lamp: Target
4. Gold Tray: Target, Clear Organizer: Target, Black & White Frame: Homegoods

P.S. They just opened a Homegoods 2 minutes from my office. I'm in trouble.

Do you work in a cubicle? Have you decorated your desk?