12.21.15

{Sunday Spotlight}

Today I'm sharing with you an Etsy shop called Sweetlace Shop owned by Laci in Iowa.  She offers a variety of colorful and high quality crocheted items including party hats, pacifier clips, headbands, etc.

 

One of the first things I ordered for Norah from Etsy was a crocheted pacifier clip from this adorable shop.  Let me tell you the quality is amazing!  We ran ours through the washer and sometimes the dryer (oops) and this thing is till intact as you can see in the photo below.  Obviously the material looks a little worn from doing so but I think it is still in great shape.  I highly recommend her products!

You can find Sweetlace Shop on Etsy and Facebook.


Why did you begin your handmade shop?
As a stay at home mom of two, I really needed a creative outlet (my kids were 2 years old and 6 months old at the time). And extra income never hurts. :)

How long have you been in business?
It will be 3 years in February!

What are two random facts about yourself?
1.I got married at the age of 17
2.I have never watched The Wizard of Oz

What would you say is your peak and pit of owning your own business?
I would definitely say the peak would be being my own boss, having flexible hours, and deciding what I want to design and sell. The pit is trying to find the time to do everything (make orders, shipping, photography, and adding new items) since I am a one woman show.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone wanting to open a handmade shop what would it be?
Start slow and don't be discouraged if you don't make a sale quickly. It takes time to establish! Don't sell yourself short when it comes to pricing, your time and efforts are worth it.


I hope you enjoyed today's spotlighted shop & thanks for hanging out!

Love,
Katie

12.15.14

{Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm}

Today I wanted to share a favorite lip balm of mine by Burt's Bees.  I first bought one of these about 6 months ago and have bought two more colors since because I absolutely love the product.  It gives my lips a hint of color and the perfect amount of moisture which to me is the perfect day time lip combo especially during the colder and drying months.  I also love that these can be applied without using a mirror, perfect for on the go!

 

Here is some info from Burt's Bees website about this product:
*nourishes with shea butter and botanical waxes
*nine flattering shades
*100% natural
*wearable everyday shades

Below I have the three of the colors shown on my lips.  These photos are unedited and were taken in front of a large window with sunlight so the the colors are a bit lighter in the phones than in person.

bare lips

Red Dahlia

Forest Flower

Sweet Violet

Forest Flower - is a nudish mauve
Red Dahlia - is a lot like Forest Flower but has a hint of red
Sweet Violet - a light fushia color

I hope you enjoyed my review! Let me know if you have a favorite lip product.

Love,
Katie

12.9.14

{Cinnamon & Coconut Scrub} 

The other day I posted that I was trying out a homemade body scrub and needless to say it turned out AMAZING!  (in my opinion of course)  It seriously smells like you are bathing in snicker-doodle cookies!  The sugar makes for a mild scrub that gets the job done and the coconut oil leaves my skin feeling so soft and moisturized that I don't even need lotion after the shower.  I leave the jar of it in my shower and use it every other day.  Keep in mind since there is coconut oil in it it will harden in cool temps but as soon as you scoop some out with your hand it will melt into a lovely scrub due to your body temperature and shower steam.
 
Recipe:

1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon

In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar.  Melt coconut oil and pour over sugar mixture.  Stir until everything is combined.  Pour into your favorite jar.  The jar pictured is from Target.

 

Enjoy!

Love,

Katie

12.7.14

{Sunday Spotlight}

I wanted to start a series called Sunday Spotlight where each Sunday I share a handmade shop or small business with you.  I've always been an Etsy shopper but once I had a baby and joined Instagram I've found even more small businesses and I've shopped more handmade than ever before.  I have many favorites and love supporting these shops for many reasons plus most are hardworking mommas and they are just too good not to share!

This Sunday I wanted to share with you Little Big Dreamers LLC.  I found this shop on Instagram this past summer and Norah was one of their first brand reps which was so much fun!!  The owner, Keri, is an extremely hard worker all while being an awesome momma to two precious girls.  She has the most adorable head wraps, leggings & apparel.  I am blown away at how she has grown her business in such a short time and am so excited to share Little Big Dreamers with you.

Why did you open up your handmade shop?  I wanted to work from home, answer to no one and learn something new. I absolutely love creating items for mamas and littles and really wanted to challenge myself. Well I did. This has been quite the journey.

How long have you been in business?   I have been in business for 10 months

What are two random facts about yourself?   Hmmm I still watch Friends every.single.day. And not like re runs, i actually put the DVDs on while I work. I love to sing and dance. I secretly want to be in a flash dance mob (is that what they are called haha)

What would you say is your "peak and pit" of owning your own business?   I would say juggling it all is the toughest part. Being a work at home mom is tough. Something usually falls through the cracks and it's typically cleaning my house.  The best part is meeting all of the amazing, hard working, people I have met. I had no idea how much kindness was out there. I absolutely love collaborating and making new friends along the way.

 

If you could give one piece of advice to someone wanting to open a handmade shop what would it be?  Try not to compare or get caught up in the numbers and followers. Your items will speak for themselves if they are made with hard work and love.

You can shop Little Big Dreamers here and find them at the social media handles on Instagram: littlebigdreamers and Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest: littlebigdream1

Thank you for joining me for Sunday Spotlight!

Love,

Katie

12.1.14

{White Chocolate Toffee}

For the first day of December I wanted to share a recipe that I tend to make around the holidays for several reasons.  It's very easy, SO good, has minimal ingredients (4 to be exact) & it's super cute packaged up to give to friends, neighbors or coworkers. 

[Ingredients:]

• Saltine Crackers (I use the whole grain ones, it's silly I know but I think they taste better)

• 1 cup of unsalted butter

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• one bag of white chocolate chips (I usually buy two just in case I need a little extra to cover the entire tray) 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan (baking sheet with sides) with parchment paper and then lay out crackers side by side on the pan in a single layer. 

Next, combine sugar and butter in a small pot, melt and bring to a boil.  Boil mixture for three minutes stirring occasionally.  I always watch it to make sure the sides don't burn.

It should become this caramel color.  Pour mixture over crackers and spread carefully so that all crackers are covered. 

Put the pan in the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes. It will bubble up like show in picture below.

Take pan out of the oven and pour chocolate chips over top and let it sit for about a minute and spread the chips as they are melting to cover the crackers.  Immediately add sprinkles or other toppings you are using.

Let it cool completely, about one to two hours and then break into pieces. 

I found the treat boxes at Target and used tool to tie it closed.  I hope y'all enjoy the recipe and thanks for reading!

Love,

Katie

11.24.14

{DIY plant sign} 

We live in a nice neighborhood with a very strict HOA and it's a non-soliciting community.  However, we still have solicitors.  I get at least one a week knocking on my door or ringing my doorbell.  I've had artists selling paintings to young adults selling magazines to vacuum companies & many more. I used to open the door every time without hesitation to hear the spill on what they were selling but it's just not safe to do that anymore in today's world especially if Norah and I are home by ourselves.

I wanted to put something on our front door to deter these individuals from our home but I didn't want it to look tacky.  I came up with this plant sign idea that I think is somewhat cute & I wanted to share with yall. Obviously, you can write whatever you want on yours if you don't need it for the purpose I made it for like "welcome" or even change the saying with the holidays and seasons.

 

I got the plaque & chalk marker from Target and I found this piece of scrap wood from my husbands workbench. 

 

I did several coats of the chalk marker and letting each coat dry before doing the next.
 

Then, I hot glued the wood to the plaque and stuck it in the plant by my front door. 

 

 

I have no idea if it will work but I'm crossing my fingers!

Love,
    Katie

11.20.14

{Snow Cream}

As I was watching my YouTube subscriptions the other night I came across this fun recipe using snow to make "snow cream" which is like "ice cream".  I watched the video and immediately wished we had snow here in Texas!  Even though there's a one percent chance I will be able to make this recipe I wanted to share in case any of you are able to!  The recipe is from Carah Amelie's channel and you can watch the video here.

Let me know if any of you make it!

xo,
-Katie

11.19.14

{Fun Amazon Find}

Hi friends!  Today I wanted to share with you these sunglasses that I recently bought from Amazon.  I saw Veronika from Veronika's Blushing (her blog here) post about them on Instagram saying she ordered them because Megan from Willow Crowns (her blog here) had bought them and said nothing but good things!  When I saw the price of $5 I just couldn't pass them up and try them out for myself.

While I was ordering them I found another pair for around $10 so I went ahead and ordered them as well.  We do Amazon Prime so I got free shipping too!  I was so surprised when they came in the mail how nice they fit and how sturdy they felt. They did not feel like $5 sunglasses!  In fact, they felt way better than my Marc Jacobs sunnies I got from Nordstrom for way more.

Below are pictures of them on my face because it might help if some of you want to order them.  They are pretty large glasses, I have a round face and they still look over sized but I love that! 

Left: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008INZ466/ref=pe_385040_121528360_TE_dp_1
*these are more rounded, I ordered the tortoise color

Right:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FWBJX0A/ref=pe_385040_121528360_TE_dp_1
*these are more cat eye, they are black faded into tortoise

I hope y'all are having a great Wednesday!

xo,
-Katie

11.13.14

{Norah's Birth Story}

I'm finally sitting down to write out Norah's birth story.  It's something I've wanted to do for a while so that I can have it as a keepsake, well, really just so I will remember years and years from now... Mommy brain is serious stuff!  Also, for Norah to read one day. :) 

Norah's due date was on Sunday, September 22nd but she was very cozy and didn't enter the world until Thursday, September 26th.  I had my last OB appointment on the Wednesday before and my doctor made the decision to induce me the next day.  The plan was to call the hospital at 7am the next morning to see if they had a bed so that I could be induced.  Morning comes and I called and they told me that they didn't have a bed and to call back at 11am.  Not what I wanted to hear!  I knew those hours would creep by so slowly but not 15 minutes later my phone rings and its the nurse saying they are ready for me!  Nerves, tears, smiles, worries all came over me.  I could barely get the words out to tell my husband "it's time!"

The last belly picture I took at 39 weeks and 3 days.

Having experienced a miscarriage one year prior I never fully let my heart love this unborn child, I know that sounds harsh but not only is miscarriage a hard thing to go through, pregnancies after are too, and answering the question "is this your first?" I get asked weekly is hard too!  You just live for the next appointment where you get to hear the heartbeat or next sonogram where you can actually see it's for real, there's really a baby in there.  I lived for the next reassurance.  But the day was finally here, we made it and I just knew in my heart everything was going to be okay and we were HAVING A BABY!!

We arrived at the hospital, got a room and as the nurse began to get everything ready I started contracting on my own.  My doctor was concerned about me having a vaginal birth due to the structure of my body but she wanted me to go into labor and see how my body responds since she believed my body would know best.  After a few hours of dilating, which went unexpectedly fast, I started to push for about an hour with the nurse, who was the best!  She stayed past her shift to be in the OR with me, I'm not sure if she could tell I was nervous or what but she went above and beyond!  Finally, it was time to call my OB.  I pushed a few times with her and she said "this isn't happening!"  I'm so grateful for a doctor who is honest and I feel that I can trust completely.

So off to the OR we go!  I remember as they were wheeling me down the hallway tears started rolling down my face and the nurse in front looked back and asked if I was okay, and I said "I'm just emotional" and she smiled and responded "well, it is an emotional time."

As they prepped me for surgery, Josh waited outside.  The time flew by, or they just worked really fast.  Josh came in.  I was shaking so bad from the anesthesia that the anesthesiologist had to hold my arm down each time the blood pressure machine checked my blood pressure.  It seemed like only a few minutes until my OB said "are you ready to see your baby?"  Me: "already?!" "yes!"  As she lifted our sweet, healthy & precious Norah over the curtain I smiled, cried, and turned to Josh and said "is this for real?!" 

7lbs 2oz & 20.8 in // 9/26/13 at 7:09 pm

Finally taking our girl home!

She was finally here.  I was finally a Mom, something I had dreamed about ever since I was a little girl.  Josh was finally a Dad, and he turned out to be more than I could have ever hoped for to help me raise a daughter.  Our hearts were so full, still are, and forever will be.  I thank God often for blessing us with our sweet Norah Kate.

xo,
-Katie

11.11.14

{Cranberry Almond Granola Bars}

I wouldn't say that I love to cook.  I don't like feeling rushed to have dinner done by a certain time or pressured to have a elaborate meal cooked.  Those two things just aren't manageable (for me at least!) with a one year old.  Thankfully, I have a husband who understands!  Most weeks I cook about two to three times and we enjoy leftovers the other nights.  Most of the time I keep it simple, like tonight I just popped some sweet potatoes in the oven and I am sauteing squash on the stove.  We have leftover brisket that my husband will have with the other things I'm cooking and I'll probably have some avocado with mine.. and no, we don't eat this healthy all the time but we really try to be smart about our choices during the week.

Okay, so back to the "I don't love to cook"!  I will say that I enjoy trying out new recipes.  Recipes that look yummy, don't have an intimidating ingredient list, and are somewhat "clean".  Every once in a while I will try a recipe that has that intimidating ingredient list, clean or not clean just because I will get an itch to cook or bake but like I said before MOST of the time I like to keep things simple!  As I'm sure most Mom's do!  

I wanted to find a breakfast that I could cook and have for the rest of the week, that was easy to make, could be eaten on the go and that both Norah and I could enjoy.  I searched Google and Pinterest for ideas as I always do and eventually came up with these super easy Cranberry Almond Granola Bars.  I think they are very tasty and by leaving out the nuts in a separate batch Norah can enjoy them too and she really seems to like them! 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp honey

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 3 cups old fashioned oats

• a few dashes of cinnamon (i always use a heavy with cinnamon because I LOVE it!)

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries 

• 1/2 cup milk or almond milk (not pictured)

Mix all dry ingredients together and then add in wet ingredients and mix mix mix!  Here I left out almonds and once everything else was mixed I split the mixture in half and added almonds to one batch and left them out of the other. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking pan (or two if you are doing one without almonds) with parchment paper.  Pour mixture in pan and spread.  Mine was thick so I kind of spread and pressed into the pan as evenly as I could get it. 

Bake for about 20 minutes or until it's golden brown like you see in the photo. 

Let cool and then cut into squares.  I cut Norah's into smaller squares than I did mine.   I stored these in a tight container, in the refrigerator and they kept all week.

 

With only eight ingredients and one (maybe two) bowls I can see myself making these over and over again!  I bet they would be wonderful with dark chocolate chips added to them.  If you make them, let me know what you think!

xo,

-Katie

11.7.14

{my favorite every day face}

I have to admit one of my guilty pleasures in life is watching fashion, beauty & lifestyle videos on YouTube.  I just love hearing what other people's favorite products are, the tips they use, or deals they find!  I'm not going to lie.. I've secretly wanted to start a channel but for now I'll just stick to blogging. :)

Today I thought I'd share my favorite products I use for an "every day face".  Now, if I'm only going to the gym or to get a couple things from Target then I usually just wear concealer but this "every day face" is if I'm going to the mall, to lunch, or anywhere I want to look more put together.  I've never timed myself but it takes me less than ten minutes, maybe closer to five from start to finish.  A one year old doesn't allow for any more time than that! 

I love Maybelline's FIT Me Concealer. It has a gel consistency so it doesn't crease on me and I love the coverage it gives. I use it under my eyes, around my nose, on my chin, and on any blemishes or discoloration I may have. It's also very comparable to my MAC prolongwear that I use for a more full coverage face.

Next, I use MAC Mineralize Skin Finish to set everything I just concealed and to provide a little more coverage. This powder gives a very subtle "healthy glow" finish to the skin. I never go without this! 

No matter what time of year it is I usually always bronze! This LORAC bronzer is perfect because it adds a tad bit of color and sheen but is very buildable for the summer months.  I never buy the full size of this product which is very bulky and $32.  I always buy the travel size because it lasts me a very long time and it's only $7. I know if I bought the full size I would break it or it would expire before I used it all.

The MAC blush in Melba gives a very natural flush that can be worn year round and would work with so many skin tones.  

I discovered Benefit Gimme Brow a few months ago and I will probably never use another brow product.  It gives the right amount of color and definition to my brows and sets them at the same time. I love this product because it does so much but my brows still look very natural!  

If I could only have two makeup products the rest of my life it would be concealer and mascara.  I love trying out new mascaras but Loreal Carbon Black is an all time favorite!  I always use two mascaras together for my top lashes. There is something about how the formulas combine and work together it gives my lashes way more oomph than when I just use one. Rimmel Lash Accelerator is another favorite I usually layer on top and I also love this one for my bottom lashes since the brush is on the slimmer side. 

The Smith's Rosebud Salve is so moisturizing, adds shine and a hint of color to my lips. I also love the ease of the tube application. 

I hope you enjoyed hearing my "every day face" favorites.  I'd love to know what some of your holy grail products are! Tell me in the comments below or find this post on my Instagram @mrskatieree and let me know there! 

Xo,

-Katie

11.3.14

{Halloween 2014}

First off, is it really November already?!  I swear I think time flies even faster when you are watching little ones grow before your eyes.  And if you didn't know already, Christmas is only 51 days away! You're welcome! ;)

This Halloween was our second one with Norah but our first to actually get out of the house since she was only a month old at this time last year.  A local church held a Spirit Fest at our city park with games, trunk or treat, live music, food, etc so that is where we spent a bit of our Halloween evening and then ended it with dinner at good ole Chick Fil A. 

A few weeks before Halloween I was searching for a costume idea for Norah.  A few days later Willow Crowns happened to post a pair of cat ears she had recently added to her shop, and I knew I wanted Norah to dress up as a black cat so I ordered the ears.  I kept it simple by putting her in a black leotard, black skirt, black shoes and a few whiskers.  I love how her costume turned out and I know I'm biased but I think she made a pretty cute cat!

 

 

 

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween with your precious families!

xo
-Katie