Baby

April 26, 2018

3 Tips for Picking A Car Seat

This post is sponsored by Walmart and SheKnows Media.

When it comes to having little people, there are a LOT of decisions suddenly thrown at you. It can be a little overwhelming for anyone! I love going to other experienced moms for advice and try to share my own whenever I can, in hopes of helping a nervous new mom somewhere! Joe + I were just shopping at Walmart for a new car seat so we can keep one in his truck for easy transfers. With car seats + our research fresh in mind (not to mention FIVE kids), I thought this would be the perfect time to share 3 tips I use when picking out a car seat.

…PICK A CONVERTIBLE CAR SEAT…

I love convertible car seats. Knowing that you can pick out and invest in one care seat is a game changer. For the first few years, it works as a rear facing car seat. When your baby is ready, it can easily be switched to forward facing. I love knowing I don’t have to go find a new car seat after only 2 years. Probably the biggest benefit for us is it works for both babies! Harper can use it as a rear facing seat, but if Houston needs to use it, it works perfect for his size too. One of the biggest selling points for us in choosing the Britax Emblem Convertible Car Seat from Walmart, is the 10 position harness, it goes from tiny newborn to 50 pounds!!!

… PICK YOUR FABRIC WISELY…

When it comes to picking a car seat, safety is of course my number one priority, and I’ll talk about that next. But right below that on the list for me is finding one that is easy to clean. I feel like as a new mom, you don’t realize how messy your little one is going to be. A quick trip to the grocery store and back can mean spilled milk + smashed granola bars. So having a car seat with removable cover for easy clean up is a must in my book! Walmart had so many good options, but I love that this car seat has an easy to remove cover for quick clean up, without having to take the whole seat apart.

In addition to picking something easy to clean, the other part of this tip is to pick something that has a neutral color pallet. The excitement over knowing if you are having a boy or girl is so fun. It totally makes you want to go all pink + flowers or blue and baseballs. But if I can give some advice, it would be to save that for decor or accessories. Sticking with a neutral color means the seat can work for future babies too.

…SAFETY FIRST…

Taking a new baby home is such a scary thing. When we brought Hunter home I couldn’t believe they were letting us leave! She was so tiny + fragile. Didn’t we need some kind of special training?! Haha! So to help put your mind at ease, you want your car seat to be as safe and protected as possible. Britax has always been one of our favorite car seat brands. Their safety ratings are always at the top across the board thanks to their SafeCell Technology. The 10 position harness + 3 position recline ensures your baby is extra comfortable, as well as strapped and angled safely for their size. Two layers of Side Impact Protection help keep your baby’s head and neck secured too!

Choosing what is right for you and your baby is completely up to you. What works for your situation might be different. I love to share my experience and tips that have worked for me, in hopes of helping out someone needing some advice! So hopefully you found these tips helpful! I’d love to hear your car seat must haves + favorites too!

in partnership with Walmart

photos : aubrey taiese

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Home

April 25, 2018

Our Home: Office

After being here for almost 5 months, it finally feels like our house is coming together! So far we’ve shared how the main Kitchen + Dining area and the Family Room came together, and we are loving them! In addition to those on the main floor, we have our Office Space. It was the last of the main floor to take on, and I am so happy with how it turned out!

When we were designing our house plans, we did not want any wasted space. A lot of house plans we looked at had a formal dining room or additional living room on the main floor. We just didn’t see our family using those. We decided the best use of space would be a family office. The windows bring in amazing light, so it has become one of our favorite spaces in the house!

I mentioned + showed over on my Instagram Stories that since this was our last room to take on, it kind of became the dumping ground. With it being the first thing you see when you walk in the door it drove me crazy. I was kind of at my wits end + just done with organizing, so I reached out to Chelsea from Neat Method, who I now consider a great friend, and asked for her help.

So after seeing what she accomplished in our pantry, I knew she could help! I honestly wish I would’ve taken before and after pics. They were only here for a few hours and completely transformed the space. It went from piles of papers and endless boxes of crayons + markers to organized heaven. Every single thing is labeled and has an easy to find home. They even folded and made a home for my tissue paper! It makes all my organizing dreams come true!

In addition to being home to all of our art supplies, these beautiful cabinets house a few others things too! I love children’s books, and having them in my home. Living in a rental, we have never had the space to really display them. I l love that we can just open a cabinet and take our pick. The office is also home to all of our wrapping supplies, as well as one of my favorite little spots, the present basket. This basket is full of lipstick, gift cards, hot wheels, and other fun gift ideas. When my little people have a party to go to they just pick a present out of the basket. They can use the wrapping supplies that are in the very same area and take care of everything themselves! We have all loved it + it makes last minute gifts so easy!

While I’m loving the look of everything perfectly organized, life gets messy with little people. I know it won’t look like this every single day. For this reason, I really wanted everything to be able to be closed off and hidden. I love the way we accomplished that with our custom cabinets. Our designer Ashley worked her magic to help me create the clean, modern look I wanted that complimented the cabinet work perfectly. So I love the pop of color the chairs and couch bring and add to the bright light from the windows.

Because with the help of our amazing designer Ashley + Organizing Queen Chelsea and the team at Neat Method, the room came together just how I had hoped. It is equal parts clean, organized, comfy and cozy! We are definitely loving having this space complete and ready to enjoy! If I missed sources for anything you are curious about, leave your questions and I’ll add to the post!

grey + white basket + large basket w/handle | black hanging tags

TILE

Also this has got to be one of my favorite little details is this charging station!!

photos : aubrey taiese + design: ashley cooper design

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Family

April 23, 2018

3 Tips for Cleaning with Kids

It’s no secret I’m a super clean person! I can’t handle messes + germs and really feel like I am so much more productive + happy in a clean space. As the little people get older, Joe + I have tried to teach them they all have a responsibility to help with the cleaning. I talked about how we do our daily chores here, but they are kids and aren’t always jumping for joy to pitch in. haha. Over the years we’ve figured out a few tricks that have helped! So today I wanted to share 3 of our go to tips to make cleaning with kids not become a chore itself, and why eBay is my new favorite place to shop cleaning supplies!

MAKE IT FUN…

Even as an adult, cleaning can be so mundane. It is amazing to me how a few changes to the typical routine can make it so much easier. The best thing we like to do during a big cleaning session is turn on some dance music. Something about dancing around just makes it feel like a party instead of a chore. Before I know it, all the complaints have stopped and my people are laughing and having the best time. Plus have you seen the babies dance moves?!

Another fun one we do a lot to motivate the little people while cleaning is turning on a timer. Something about turning it into a competition or race against the clock makes it so fun! I’ve seriously never seen my people move so fast just to get that satisfaction. They are so distracted by the clock they don’t have time to complain or snail their way through it. Major win in my book!

MAKE IT KID FRIENDLY…

When we moved in to the new house we installed a central vac to keep up with the messes. Right now with two babies eating multiple times a day, pulling out the central vac is not very practical, and really a pain in the butt. I didn’t want to buy a huge vacuum because that defeats the purpose of the central vac. I wanted something small that the kids would think was fun + easy to use so they’d be more excited to pitch in.

A few friends online had shared this hand held vacuum with rave reviews, and had me interested. I wanted to try it! It looked perfect for the little people but the price was a little shocking. When searching online, I found out eBay had so many good options at up to 50% off the typical price + free shipping. There are tons of “buy it now” items, and while used is an option, they have refurbished and new for great prices too.

But back to the vacuum, it has seriously been such a game changer! I’m not kidding when I say my little people now fight over who gets to clean up little messes around the house. By far the most in love is Houston. I’ve shared over on my Instagram Stories how obsessed he is with cleaning, so getting this vacuum was like a dream come true for him. Haha! He follows Harper around with it, cleaning up her every crumb. Had I known that, I would’ve bought it years ago!

Another way that has helped bring things to their level is letting them pick out their own cleaning supplies. Something about having your own cleaning supplies, or even dishes that are yours makes them take an ownership and want to keep their things nicer.

REWARDS…

Cleaning with kids, and the complaints that come with it can be frustrating. For us, we always try to focus on a reward and not a punishment. If I really want their help and little complaining, I’ll offer 15 minutes of tv, or a trip for ice cream if they can get it done in a certain amount of time.

I’m really no expert in this, but we do our best to try and push the importance of taking responsibility. We are in this as a team and we all gotta pitch in! I hope some of these tips will you and your people be a little cleaner + happier at the same time!

in partnership with eBay

photos : aubrey taiese

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Family

April 20, 2018

April Update

April has been a busy month for us! It has been a few weeks since our last update, so I thought I’d catch you up on what is new with our little crew . . . including our house, travel plans and more!

HOUSE UPDATE :

The interior space is FINALLY almost done! It feels like it has been going on and on forever, and the piles of dust were going to be never ending! But we are feeling so grateful to be able to create this dream space. For the interior of the home, we just have the boys room + the girls room left to finalize a few design items! I am loving how they are coming together and can’t wait to share with you.

In case you missed anything, so far we’ve shared the Family Room, Kitchen + Dining, Harper’s Nursery, Playroom Closet, and the Laundry + Linen. We have some fun reveals of the Master, Office, and Basement space coming soon! If we’ve missed sourcing on anything you haven’t been able to track down in those above posts, you can probably find it in our Frequently Asked Home Questions, but leave any additional questions you have in the comments and I’ll be sure to let you know!

TRAVEL UPDATE:

Joe and I had such a good time in Arizona, especially eating allll the food. We shared about all our favorites here. We are excited to head down to St. George today to be with family for our sweet nephews baby blessing. There is nothing I love more than family time in the sunshine! I haven’t been to St. George since Thanksgiving so I can’t wait!

As soon as we get home we are heading to California to spend a week with our medical school friends we haven’t seen for a year! They really became like family to us and we are all so excited. The little people (and even me) have been counting down the days! I really feel like this will be so good for my heart. Going through the process of medical school + then residency is hard to be away from family, but you are so lucky to kind of be dropped in to pods of friends. Everyone is kind of in the same place in life, and can totally relate to the crazy you are going through for your career dreams. I think going through the trenches together instantly really formed some of the best friendships that we really cherish now.

It has been such a change and different transition to be thrown in to the real world where everyone kind of has their own agenda and making friends isn’t necessarily as easy. We really do LOVE our neighborhood and having so many sweet families close, but I think just feeling that connection will help boost my spirits.

FAMILY UPDATE:

harper – Sweet Harper girl has officially conquered walking and running around the house with ease. She totally thinks she is one of the big kids and can keep up. Her new favorite word is “uh uh” (like no) and is her answer to everything. Not sure where she picked that one up, but it’s still pretty cute! A not so fun new stage she has gotten in to is taking off her diaper. ALL the time. If she doesn’t have pants or leggings on over it, it is off within minutes!

houston – We are slowly taking the steps to potty training Houston…sometimes. Ha. I am so not into it and he goes back and forth, so I’m not really pushing it yet. His love for cleaning gets funnier by the day. He loves to wipe Harper’s face and help vacuum up any messes she makes.

hayden – Hayden is thrilled to be starting the Chinese Immersion program at her school next year. If any of you have done this with your little people, send me all the advice! My bigger two never did anything like this in California! Her obsession with LOL Dolls is still going strong and you can usually find her accessorizing or seeing if she has enough money to add to her collection.

hudson – Baseball is in full swing for Hudson and he is loving every minute. If he isn’t at practice or a game, he wants to be outside practicing with Joe. We also dealt with our first Instagram conflict too. You may have seen I shared a little video of him talking about kickball over on my Instagram stories. Some of our neighbors saw, and showed their kids. When they told Houston, he was SO embarrassed. We’ve never really dealt with that before because I mostly share the babies. So now we are figuring out where we draw the line on these things, because I never want my people to feel uncomfortable.

hunter – Cute Hunter is growing up way too fast. She is in the stage where she wants to choose being with her friends a lot more then family and it kind of breaks my mama heart. I just want her all to myself, but she is growing up and wants that freedom. First this then what?! Can’t time just slow down for a minute?!

I think that about does it for our update! We can’t wait for this warm weather to stick around! If you have any questions from the last couple of weeks, you can always leave them in the comments or send me a Direct Message! I hope you are having a Happy Spring with your people too!

xx kails

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Home

April 18, 2018

Our Home: Laundry Room

Today on the home tour is a space that is not necessarily one we all get excited about, but is definitely used daily! When we were designing our house plans, this was a huge space that was a big concern to us. We’ve never had the space to dedicate a large room to laundry + organizing but we were excited to be able to utilize it. So today I’m sharing all the organizing details that went in to our Laundry Room!

With 7 people in the house, I swear the mudroom/laundry room has become the dumping ground for all the things. From baseball equipment to snow boots it all seems to find a home in this space. After seeing how well the pantry organization has worked for us, I knew I wanted something similar for the Laundry Room. So when The Container Store reached out to help, I was ready for an organizing overhaul!

I was actually shocked at how well the little people have kept things in their place in the pantry, thanks to designated boxes and easy to read labels. I wanted the same easy flow in the Laundry Room too. Everything from light bulbs, sports equipment, snow clothes, and first aid supplies each has an easy to locate home. It has made it so much easier to keep clean. My biggest tip is to have the option to close door to hide everything away, like these cabinets. If you don’t have time to completely organized, you can keep it covered.

cabinet hardware | storage basket | houston jeans | harper romper + headband | bag

I also love having these lockers. Each of our people has their own locker and love it! Joe + I have even been sharing with the babies because they are so convenient! It is just so nice to have one easy to find spot for their school things.

So if you are looking for easy organization options, The Container Store is the place to go! They have a box, bin, or basket to fit every need you could have. Even if you feel like you don’t know where to start, they have organizing experts to offer their tips. My favorite options are these white + grey baskets. I have them in the Pantry + Master Closet because I love them so much. The white are so easy to clean and I love the simple look. The grey hide their contents well and a pop of color + texture, so it isn’t completely white and sterile.

white containers | labels | basket | hanging tag

Even if you aren’t quite ready to take the plunge and organize your space, now is the time to head to stock up. Also The Container Store is having their closet sale now through May 13th and the prices are some of the best they have all year. I always take advantage and stock up on everything for future projects because you can’t beat the deals!

black wire organizer

light | roller shades | washer + dryer (from Boulevard Home Furnishing) | grey towel

clear bins: small + large | black tags

. . . LINEN CLOSET . . .

grey baskets | black tags | towels

in partnership with the container store

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Family

April 16, 2018

My Kids Daily Schedule

Back in January when I asked what kind of content you wanted to see here on the blog, I got a lot of requests for kind of a peek inside our kids daily schedule. Most people hear 5 little people, and assume it’s pure insanity. It definitely has its moments of crazy, but we have kind of figured out a system that works for us. Now keep in mind I am no expert, and what works for us may not work for you. But since there was a lot of interest, today I’m taking your through a day with us!

MORNING…

Every school day we set the little peoples alarms for 7:30. Since we moved in to the new house, we have been using these as their alarms and LOVING it. The girls struggle to wake up in the mornings, and we usually have to set 2 alarms before they are actually up. I love that I can talk to them through the alarm from the speaker in the kitchen, instead of yelling down every 5 minutes. They have been such a game changer for us in the mornings.

Once they are awake, they start on their daily chores that I talked about here. They are pretty basic things like getting dressed + making their beds. Once those are done, we get hair done + lunches packed before breakfast. If I could give you only ONE TIP when it comes to the schedule it would be to have your people do everything before breakfast. It has made the biggest difference with their time management. Instead of eating slow, and then being in a frantic rush to get lunches packed and out the door, they know that the longer they take to get ready, the less time they’ll have for breakfast, so they work much more efficiently.

Once they are done with breakfast, they are out the door to school. I am one of those mean moms that makes them walk to school, but they have survived just fine!

Around 9:30 Harper goes down for her first nap, and it is my one on one time with Houston. Things are usually so busy around the house that I really cherish this special time with him. Lately we’ve been working on his speech, but even something as simple as being able to read a book with him has been so great for us.

AFTERNOON…

Hayden gets home from Kindergarten at around 12 and we start lunch + homework. We usually try to bust out her homework packet and finish it in the first day or two of the week. She is our drama girl and we have to get it done while she is still interested!

Around 1:30-2 both of the babies go down for naps, if they are in a cooperating mood! haha…totally depends on the day recently. While they are napping Hayden finishes up any homework she still has and plays while I try to squeeze in some work for the day. One key to the babies taking naps at all when the big people are around is these sound machines. Hayden is never very quiet during their naps, but they usually sleep right through the noise thanks to these! We have used them for all of our babies and seriously never go on a trip without them!

At 4:00 our busy shift starts! 2 days a week Hayden has a tutor that comes over to help her with her reading and sight words, because we’ve found she usually works better on this + stays more focused with someone that is not me. Some days are fine and we read together, and some days are tutor days, but that is what works best for us.

At the same time Hunter + Hudson get home from school. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at least one of them has baseball or soccer practice so we usually have time to change clothes, grab a snack/snack bag, and jump in the van. If it is an off day they will eat a little snack + do any homework they have.

EVENING…

5:00 is when I always try to start dinner prep. For us it is the best time that works the most often between practices and games. Sometimes we are eating as we drive from one event to the other, but at home I try to be consistent with 5:00 so my people are eating meals and not doing a ton of snacking.

Everyone helps with dinner clean up. Cleaning up after yourself + helping load the dishwasher are things everyone pitches in on. When their individual zones are clean, we start on baths/showers.

Right now Harper goes to bed for the night around 6:30-7. Usually around 7:15, we start our bed time routine. Everyone brushes teeth, lays their outfits out for the next morning and does their prayers + scriptures. This is probably the biggest struggle in our day as far as time it takes. On a good night they are all in bed by 7:45, but a bad night its closer to 8:30-9.

That about sums up the kids daily schedule. Of course this is not always consistent. It really depends on our day and what we have on our plate. Fridays are our friend days + of course weekends are full of sports and playing. For us we have found having a schedule helps my little people stay focused and know whats coming next in their day. Hopefully this was helpful to some of you out there! I’d love to hear any tips you have that make your day go a little smoother – cause we all know sharing is caring!!

xx kails

white bedding | pink blanket (similar) | pink fluffy pillow | beds (ikea) | grey sweater + jeans

photos : aubrey taiese

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Looks

April 13, 2018

Favorite Finds: Spring Shoes

Spring is finally in the air here in Utah and I am so so happy about it! So I am beyond ready for some nice warm weather and to see the sun again! Besides loving the warm weather and seeing everything in bloom, I love seeing the new trends in Spring fashion! It is always full of the cutest prints + colors! One of my favorite things to shop for is Spring Shoes! Something about the weather being warm enough to free your feet or seeing the pops of color just gets me so excited for the season, so today I’m sharing my favorites!

…SANDALS + FLIP FLOPS…

Is there anything better than getting a fresh pedicure + throwing on a new pair of sandals? It completely screams summer is on its way so I love it! I am loving the fun styles this season!

…TENNIES…

I love scoping out a new pair of tennies in the spring! The colors are always the cutest but even better, it is great motivation for me to get out and exercise with my little people in the amazing weather!

…FLATS…

Because it’s no secret that I have an obsession with flats. I love that they are such a quick option to dress up an outfit, but still so comfortable. I can easily wear them on the go with my people and feel a little more put together at the same time.

…WEDGES…

When it comes to a heel, the wedge has my vote! I absolutely love the look of them with a basic tee and jeans, but can be dressed up with a cute spring skirt.

Spring shoes are such a fun + easy way to brighten up your wardrobe! I hope you love some of these cute finds!! Also I really want to know your go-to spring/summer shoe!! So leave some of your favorites below!!

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Looks

April 12, 2018

12 of My Favorite Items from the Shopbop Sale

most worn jeans | favorite ‘v neck’ tee | slippers

So one of my favorite sales of the season is here! This week there’s a big sale going on over at Shopbop. So today, I’m sharing some of the best items from the sale. A bunch of the pieces sold there are higher end, so this is a good chance to grab them at a discount because everything, including sale items are all on sale!! Use the code EVENT18 for up to 25% off some of the best, on trend items. I love stocking up on item I know will be perfect for the upcoming spring & summer months because them I’m all set when the warm weather finally comes!

A bunch of items below I already own and especially love because they are great staple pieces that have lasted me years!! Like this black leather jacket as well as my $88 jeans that I wear allll the time. So just click on any image below to shop the shopbop sale!!

Use code EVENT18 for the discount!

romper sold out (linked some favorite rompers below) | white top | baskets

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Beauty

April 9, 2018

Upping My Skin Care Game: HydraFacial

If you’ve been following along here on the blog, you might remember that about 6 months ago I mentioned I am really trying to focus on taking better care of my skin. I kind of put it through all the tanning and sun damage as a teenager, and now that I’m getting older I have realized its time to put the investment + time into really taking care of it. I’ve been working with the team over at Form Med Spa and absolutely loving their treatments. I’ve shared some peeks into those over on my Instagram Stories and got lots of requests for more details! I thought the best way I could share and give you all the info is to highlight each treatment! So today I’m starting off with one of my very favorites, the HydraFacial.

The HydraFacial is exactly what its name says. It is a relaxing facial like procedure (PAIN FREE!) that nourishes + hydrates your face! It feels amazing and I love seeing how well it works!

The HyrdraFacial is a multi-step process. They start by cleaning your face. Once it is all cleaned up, the next steps are exfoliating + extracting. They use this little suction vacuum type of thing all over your face. It is used to extract + remove all the dead skin and impurities from your face. When they are done, you can actually see everything it removed from your face in a little tube. I know it sounds disgusting, but somehow seeing all of it is so satisfying and amazing to know it’s working.

Once the extracting is complete, they move on to nourishing. They use some amazing products on your fresh skin that include anti-oxidants, peptides, and hyaluronic acid. These combine forces to improve the look of any fine lines and wrinkles. They also give your skin a good healthy boost of nutrients it’s usually lacking.

The overall result is to reduce your pore size + redness + inflammation, as well as soothing and hydrating your skin. I have done a few of these facials now and love the way it leaves my skin feeling and looking instantly after wards. For those of you asking, the price at Form Med Spa is $165 and I honestly think the results I have seen are worth every single penny. They really take the time to help you get to know your skin better and what it needs for a healthier look and feel. Hopefully I answered all your questions, but if I missed any leave them here in the comments and I’ll add the answers here!

xx kails

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Beauty

April 4, 2018

My Hair Routine

jumper | necklace + here | lipstick (creme d’nude) | smoothing balm

One of the things I probably get the most requests for is my daily routine to get ready! To make it easier and as informative as I can, I’ve been breaking it down into sections in different posts. I shared about my daily beauty routine last week + what I’m doing to invest in my skin, and my 5 minute makeup routine here! That leaves the best for last, my hair routine! I’ve been doing hair for almost 17 years now (that makes me feel old!), so you could say I’ve got my method kind of down to a perfected routine! I decided the best way to share my go to favorites is to walk you through from wet to dry + styled!

SHAMPOO/CONDITIONER :

I definitely don’t keep a secret how little I wash my hair! It might seem gross to some, but it is actually good for your hair to keep some of those natural oils and not dry it out by over washing. My hair is naturally curly, so it holds my curl longer without the greasy look. So for me personally, dry shampoo is a girls best friend!

When it does come to washing my hair, I want a shampoo + conditioner that gets the job done well. My main goal in using any product is to make sure it is making my hair healthier. My favorite shampoo + conditioner is by far this one, and really it is mostly because of the amazing smell. I always buy in bulk and by the time I’m done with the giant thing, I’ll switch out to a different kind. If you stick with a professional line, you should be good no matter what you choose. They are full of healthy ingredients to boost your hair. One thing I will HIGHLY advise against is using Suave Shampoo. That is the one shampoo that will destroy your hair. If you want to rip out your color because you hate it, use that shampoo! Stay away!

LEAVE IN CONDITIONER :

This is by far my favorite go to leave in conditioner. I have used it for years and never found one that does a better job. It protects against all the heat you are about to apply to your hair through blow drying + styling. It’s second purpose is to detangle your hair. I love using it on my girls hair to get out any tangles so its not such a dramatic experience to do their hair! It also has Keratin. Keratin helps give you a smooth shiny look while making your hair stronger at the same time. Win win!

After the spray in conditioner, my next step is more Keratin with these drops. Again, I’m all about maintaining + strengthening my hair health! I can’t tell you how much Keratin should be at the top of your list for hair products. I use about a quarter size of this because my hair is thick + frizzy, but I recommend more like a dime size if you don’t have lots of hair.

And last but not least before we start drying is this smoothing balm. It is a deep conditioner in it that is amazing at smoothing my frizzy ends. I love that it moisturizes and gets in deep, but never gives you a weighed down feeling.

DRYING :

Normally I will dry my bangs so they are under control + not too curly, but besides that, I try to let my hair air dry whenever possible. If I’m in a rush and have to dry my hair, I always use this heat set first. Again this is another one to protect against heat + strengthen. I know it might seem like overkill. If your hair is fine/thin pick this or the smoothing balm, NOT both. My hair is blonde and curly so it can handle the excess, but the average person would be a grease ball with both!

STYLING TOOLS :

Once I’m all dry, it’s time to style. Before I touch my hair with any additional heat, I go for another heat guard. I love this one because in addition to protecting your hair, it helps hold the shape of your curls. I spray a very light mist over sectioned off pieces of my hair, making sure to hit all the layers.

My most asked question about hair has got to be what I use to curl it. Here is the magic tool. Haha! I love using the 1 1/2″ to get my preferred curl size. For shorter hair, I’d go with a smaller barrel. I honestly curl my hair once a week and try not to touch it much with hot tools after that. Avoid heat on your hair whenever possible! I will touch up my sides but usually that’s about it!

I really try to limit products after my hair is dry, to keep it cleaner and lasting longer. These are my favorite go to’s.

Texture Spray : I am OBSESSED with this stuff! It is amazing. It is basically like they took a wax and made it in to a spray form. . I LOVE using it when I really want my curls to have more texture and look their best. It is my go to for date night, a photo shoot, or even church, but definitely not something I’d put in my hair every day as it would add to much grit and make for quicker washing.
Hair Spray : This stuff is the BOMB! I have never liked hairspray but had a friend recommend this one when I was in Cincinatti and I fell in love. It gets the job done but doesn’t give you that hard sticky look/feel most hairsprays do.
Dry Shampoo : It is no secret this is my most used hair product. haha! I can keep my hair looking like day 1 for almost a week with the help of this goodness. This is probably the only product I will recommend that isn’t a professional line. It is cheap + amazing and gets the job done!

I think that should wrap up my hair routine! One thing I do want to mention, and this is not at all sponsored, is to keep in mind where you are buying your hair products. You’ll notice that I linked just about everything through stores like Ulta. If you know me, you know that if I can get something on Amazon with that beautiful 2 day shipping I’m going to do it, except when it comes to hair products. I have had multiple distributors (this is of professional lines) tell me that when they have expired products they go to places like Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.

I’m not saying everything you buy from them is going to be no good, but keep that in mind when you see an amazing deal at those places. It most likely is too good to be true. For me, hair products are something I’m willing to invest a little extra on to know they are going to work at their full potential!

So now that I’ve shared my hair routine, I’d love to hear some of your favorite hair finds! I always love trying new ones! And if you have any questions that I missed, please leave them here so I can add the answers to the post for everyone!

xx kails

photos : aubrey taiese

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Looks

March 30, 2018

Favorite Finds: Swimsuits

swimsuit + similar here | sandals | shorts | sunnies

Spending time soaking up the sun in Arizona celebrating our anniversary has me all kinds of ready for summer! I am such a summer girl so I seriously cannot wait!! Heading to the pool (or beach even more!) with my little people is so fun, but I am well aware how much of a struggle it can be to find good swimsuits! I did a lot of research trying to find swimsuits I love for our trip, so I decided today for my Favorite Finds I’d share the styles I’m loving most!

one pieces : To me, having a good one piece is always a necessity. It is the one suit that everyone looks good in. Being a mom of 5, especially with two babies, I am at the point in life where i need suits that I can get out and play with my kids and not worry about anything falling out. And believe me, I know from experience how easy that can happen! I am loving that the one piece is so in style right now! There are tons of cute ones to choose from!

high waisted : Another option I love if you want to show a little more skin or have some variety in your look is high waisted swimsuits. They give you the feeling of a bikini, but still help tuck in and hide things you don’t want to show. I usually wear these more on girls trips or trips with just Joe + I, and not as much with my kids but love having the fun option to switch to!

stripes : Also it should come as no surprise that stripe swimsuits make my list! I am a lover of ALLLL things stripes. When it comes to swimsuits, I try to stick to vertical. Vertical stripes will always be your best friend. They are totally slimming and to me a great basic to include in your swimsuit line up!

Swimsuits may not be the funnest thing to try on, but you won’t even be thinking about that when you are making memories with your people! So get out there and have some fun!

. . . more striped suits . .

swim | shorts | sunnies | hat

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Baby

March 28, 2018

3 Things To Help Sensitive Baby Skin

sweater | jeans | harper headband + diaper + wipes

in partnership with pampers pure

As a mom of 5, it’s rare that I come across something new in the parenting world – especially in the baby years. I’ve been to this rodeo five times over now, so coming across something new with Harper or Houston that I haven’t already experienced with one of the others is rare. I was thrown for a loop when both Houston + Harper came along with such sensitive skin. Since their skin was so sensitive I wasn’t willing to compromise on whatever touched it. After searching and finding the things that worked best for us, I’m sharing what I’m loving most for my babies and how I care for their sensitive skin.

First up – DIAPERS…

With both Houston + Harper’s sensitive skin, we have struggled with finding the right diapers. I was thrilled when Pampers introduced the Pampers Pure Collection. They are the first of their diapers to take the already trusted leakage protection + combine it with thoughtfully selected materials. With sensitive skin, something as simple as fragrance can irritate their skin so these have been a game changer. Pampers Pure Protection diapers are free of fragrance, lotions, and parabens. I especially love that although they are gentle, they really are strong when it comes to doing their job. They hold up well, especially overnight, and we haven’t had any leaks! And major bonus, the patterns are SO cute!

WIPES…

In addition to the diapers, the Pampers Pure Collection also introduces a new line of wipes. With the same more natural approach, they are 99% water and have a touch of premium cotton – perfect for my little ones. I love knowing what I’m using to clean my babies bums, hands, and faces with, instead a list of mystery ingredients. They also pass the multi swipe without ripping test, which is a must in my book! Nobody likes a wipe that is so thin you are more stressed about what is going to get on your hand instead of getting the mess cleaned up!

SOAP + LOTION…

This one was such a struggle for us, especially with Houston. A lot of the time when sensitive skin is an issue, you also get the bonus of very dry skin. Houston would constantly have rashes and dry patches. One of my girlfriends had the same struggle with her babies. She had some great tips when it comes to bathing. First, we are trying to cut back on actual amount of baths to every other day. It helps to keep some of those helpful oils in their skin. The other biggest + most helpful tip was to be sure to lather the natural creams + lotions on when they are still a little wet from their bath, don’t completely dry. It helps lock the moisture in and fight the dry rashes.

Parenting is always full of surprises and for me sensitive skin was a big one and one I know a lot of you are going through or have been through! I’d love to hear the tried + true products that you love for your little ones sensitive skin.