Getting ready for the holidays

Pink Satin Top//Denim Jeans//Sequin Jacket//Faux Leather Pants//Glitter Boots

Now that Halloween is over, I can't help but start thinking about my holiday looks. I featured this shirt in my post on Monday (which I wasn't planning to do) but I love how versatile it is and planned to wear it in a few looks to show different ways it can be worn.

I had it dressed down in my post from Monday with tennis shoes and my teddy coat. Perfect for running errands or a casual day. 

My first look in this post I dressed it up with glitter boots. If you haven't checked out Call it Spring you should. They are owned by the same company as Aldo and have stylish choices with a lower price point. These boots are super fun and add just enough to the outfit to make it dressy without being over the top. Although I probably was a little extra at pickup at school that day in this outfit. 

The last look is a full on party, going out look. I paired it with this sequin, fur jacket. For me sequins and fur just scream the holidays. The black faux leather leggings take it over the top. I happened to score these at Nordstrom Rack recently after the zipper broke on the pair I had. These are super soft on the inside and a little thicker, so they are a little warmer. They also just pull on and have a nice stretch to them. 

I have a few other holiday outfit ideas planned to share including last year's Thanksgiving outfit (pieces are all still in stock!) and the one I plan to wear this year. What are some other things you guys would like to see on the blog as I plan? I love to hear different ideas! Leave me a comment below or contact me through one of my other social media sites. 

Widow Wednesday--New everyday life

For the next few months things were very monotonous. The girls were staying with my parents at this time and I would go every day to see them. It broke my heart that they were staying there and I hated to leave them every day. Ray couldn't handle the noise (even the little bit they would make) or them trying to play with him. He didn't have the energy or the strength and asked if they could just stay with them. He liked to visit my parent's house and almost every day we would go over there to see the girls and eat dinner or just get out of the house.

My days consisted of keeping the house clean because I was worried any little germ could potentially be fatal. We were also constantly emptying bags of fluids. My house began to have a "sick" smell. If I did bring the girls over I made sure they sanitized like crazy and everything was clean. If we had gone to a play place I would bring them in and strip them down as soon as we entered the house and throw them straight in the bath. If you ever wonder why I am so bothered by bringing kids sick to activities this is why. I remember one day taking Lily to her gymnastics class and the other little girl was visibly sick and running a fever. She was crying and her nose was running. The mom told us she couldn't handle being in the house one more day, she had had sick kids for 2 weeks at home. I never told anyone our situation but at this point I couldn't help but tell her how if my daughter now got whatever it is that her daughter had it could land my husband in the hospital or kill him. She was so apologetic and said she never thought of it like that. I still to this day keep my kids home from activities if they aren't feeling right because it isn't worth it you never know who you can come in contact with.

His mom stayed with us for the first little while too. After a short time we realized it wasn't really necessary. He would just sleep most of the time or watch tv. My days were filled with just hanging around in case he needed something.

Monday was chemo day and also Summer's dance class. In the beginning his mom and I would go with him. Sometimes it would be a quick trip just for chemo, other days it would be a very long day with fluids or appointments. He would sit in the chair and sleep and we would read. It was so hard going to these appointments and getting into the waiting room and being the youngest ones in the waiting room. Majority of the patients were quite a bit older and doing "well". Most would be beating the cancer with treatment and not just prolonging their life with it. It was a hard thing to do every week. After a while his sister decided to come too and three people sitting in a room didn't make sense. I started to take Summer to her dance classes every now and then. It was refreshing to be doing something "normal" and to go back to being a mom. I felt like I was missing out on so much by not being with them but also struggled with not being with him. I talked to him about it and he agreed it didn't make sense for everyone to go and I was doing the right thing.

During this time he became sicker and sicker. Weight continued to drop and he began throwing up everything he ate as the tumor wrapped around his intestines and the food had no place to go, but back up. They decided at this point to put a tube down his throat that came out his stomach and whatever he ingested would go through the tube and into a bag that would have to be emptied. He reminded me of a doll. Everything you put in came right back out. He also had to be put on food bags for nourishment. I remember him being in the hospital and all upset and the nurse telling me he wasn't dying and that this would help him. Every time things progressed I knew we were closer to him dying. I continued to be an anxious mess.

I wasn't trained in the medical field I couldn't hook up food bags and disconnect them. I couldn't clean the tubes, etc. What if I messed up and killed him? At the very beginning of his journey his first chemo appointment he couldn't even walk and was out of it. We found out he had been given the wrong dose of medication and his blood pressure was so low if he wouldn't have come in for chemo he might have died. He ended up needing a ton of fluids that day. I asked for an outside company to come in and assistant with all training because we were all too invested and I wanted to make sure feelings didn't get in the way of doing what was right. Now my days were even more structured around caring for him. I had to wake up at a certain time every day to hook up his food and go to bed at a certain time every day to take it off. He lived on 7-11 Slurpees one of the few things that he could tolerate that wouldn't make him sick.

Every now and then he would get a craving for some type of food because he could no longer eat. One day he was craving Salsarita's burrito. He insisted I take him to get one and he was going to blend it up and drink it. Can you imagine wanting something so bad you would be willing to blend it up and drink it? I remember going into the restaurant and the stares from the employees and customers. He probably weighed under 100 lbs at this point and had ashy skin. I just remember asking for extra sauce because we needed to blend the burrito and make it more of a liquid and the lady looking at me like I was crazy. He did end up blending the burrito and drinking it. Now when people ask me why I let my kids eat junk all the time...this is why. What if one day they can't have it?

The "it" coat for fall

Pink top//Jeans (similar, mine were bought in store and can't find online)//Coat

I am completely obsessed with coats. I mean, we live in Michigan! No one sees your outfit most of the time anyway, they only see your coat. I am always cold so I look for coats that are warm and also a bit longer. This coat became popular last year, but I didn't jump on the train of owning one. This year I was browsing Forever 21 and happened to see this coat and at a great price point. I knew this could be dressed up or dressed down and is super neutral. I have pretty much not taken this off since I bought it. 

It is warm and I can wear my chunky sweaters under it without a problem. I wore this jacket for multiple photos the day I was shooting outfit pictures, so you will probably be seeing a lot of it in blog posts. Since it became quite popular last year I have been seeing it at all different price points this year. I am going to link a few more options of this coat beneath. 

Kensie Teddy Coat

Boohoo Teddy Coat

Lulu Teddy Coat

Shein $31 Teddy Coat

Shein Kid's Clothes Review

I did a Shein review the other day, but wanted to do a separate review on the kid's section. If you know me, you know I am always looking for new trendy retailers for the girl's clothes. As I was surfing through Shein's website I noticed a new kid's section and was instantly excited! I grabbed Lily (my little shopper) and we started to go through the section. They have so many amazing things at a great price point.

Lily has worn Shein for 1st day of school, school pictures, and now for my holiday promo shoot. Like the adult clothes, I measure the girls and order according to the chart and so far everything has been accurate. They have worn all the items a few times each and only one piece I had to resew a seam it came undone. I was worried about the pearl pants and those have gone through the wash (hung to dry) quite a few times and none of the pearls have fallen off.

I actually own the same button up Lily is wearing in a few of the pictures and was planning on doing a mom and me shoot but haven't had time yet. As I was looking through the site they actually have quite a few items in both the kids and the adult section. I love to dress the same as them, when they let me ;)

The first photo was taken as part of my holiday promo shoot for my photography business and I am in LOVE with Lily's outfit in that one. The jacket is adorable with the fur trim. My favorite item that Summer has is in the bottom photo. The white lace dress is so pretty and is a nice, thick, soft material.

Would you guy's want me to do a post with some of my other holiday photo outfit picks? Or other items we have saved? Leave me a comment!

Click here to go directly to the girl's section!

Widow Wednesday--The best advice given to me

After Ray was diagnosed and we talked with the doctors the next few days were a blur. He decided he was going to fight even though his prognosis wasn't good and it would only prolong his life we were told. So appointments were scheduled and things started to move along. In all of this, it was always a waiting game. We were told he couldn't be seen at Karmano's for a few weeks. The anxiety of all the waiting and not knowing was always terrible. With some help he was able to be seen much quicker. Beaumont told us he could go home if they weren't going to treat him but first they were going to put a port in. A port for anyone that doesn't know is a small plastic like round disk that is surgically placed under the skin that connects to a vein so that chemo and blood draws can be done through it.

I was very unprepared for what life was going to be like. The girls were staying at my parents since there was so much back and forth to the hospital. They were my daily routine and now they weren't home. I couldn't eat. I felt nauseous constantly and couldn't even think of food. I felt like I was floating. I lost 5 lbs in a few days. I insisted on getting a job...I mean how would we survive and live? I was angry because I had quit my job that I loved to be at home even though I didn't want to at the time. I wanted to work one day a week and at this point all I could think was how I would have a job to go to if I had. Mainly though, how were we going to go on without him? Thoughts of who would walk my girls down the aisle played through my mind as if it was happening tomorrow and everything else he was going to miss and we were going to miss. I was constantly on the verge of tears.

Ray came home from the hospital for a night to go back early the next morning for his port. When he came home I didn't know how to act around him. He was sick...what do I do? What do I say? How do I help him? I went to sleep next to him and felt anxiety like I had never felt. Would I hurt him sleeping next to him? Looking back this was so crazy to think but I don't think I could think at this point. I ended up going into my closet and sitting on the floor and trying to calm myself down. Over and over all I could think was why didn't they find this sooner? We did everything we were supposed to do. My heart was beating so fast I felt like I was going to have a heartache. I knew from being a counselor it was anxiety and I knew what to do...I mean I taught this to people! After about a 1/2 hr I was only getting worse and now I was angry because I couldn't calm down and was also in tears. I called my parents and asked them to take me to the urgent care.

My Dad picked me up and gave me the best advice anyone did the entire time, "You can't change the past, you can only focus on the future. Nothing you do will change what has happened." I constantly had to remind myself of that the entire time and still now till this day.

They ended up running a bunch of tests and like I thought, it was just anxiety. I was so embarrassed, I was trained on how to help people with this and I couldn't even help myself. I was prescribed the lowest dose of an anxiety med and sent on my way into my new way of life for the next 8 months.

Shein Review

I see people asking all the time about Shein and how the sizing runs, quality, etc. I thought I would do a review since I have been ordering from them for years.

Sizing-- I always check to see the exact measurements of the items I am ordering. You can select the size and it will tell you what they are. I have found them to be very accurate. I also always wash them in cold water and hang the items to dry so that they don't shrink.

Quality-- I find the quality to be the same as something from similar priced retailers, for example Forever 21. I check to see what the material is that the item is made from and try to scroll the pictures to see if it indicates quality. The higher priced items also seem to be made of a nicer material than the super cheap ones and wash up nicer. Every now and then I order something and it wasn't what I was expecting, but majority of the time I am pleased.

Shipping--When I first started ordering from this retailer years ago, the shipping took FOREVER! They have really upgraded the shipping in the last little while. Usually normal shipping takes about a week and the expedited comes in the couple days. I have never not received my items. I also ordered a pair of shoes this past summer and they shipped from the US and came super quick.

Kid's Line--They recently added a kid's line and I am in love. The items are super trendy and not like what you will find in other stores. This works out perfectly for Lily because she doesn't like to wear what everyone else is wearing. The price is also cheaper than the other stores we normally shop at for her.

Right now they are offering free shipping on their site and I have a coupon code for 10% off your first purchase or $10 off a $90 purchase. I also have a few outfit posts coming up with items from Shein so keep checking back!

Click below to start shopping or browsing!
10% off your first order!
$10 off a $90 purchase with Halloween10!

Fall Traditions

It is so hard to believe summer is over and Halloween is almost here! The fall is my absolute favorite and I always look forward to making new memories with the girls. Time goes by so quickly and I really try to make every minute count. I thought I would do a post rounding up some of our favorite fall activities. The girls were all in because they knew if I did a post I would more than likely want photos and treats would be involved.

1. Yate's Cider Mill--We love going to Yate's all year round, but it is the best in the fall. I am obsessed with donuts and you can't beat the warm, fresh oily donuts and cider. After we get treats, we walk the trails. The girls like to take the path by the water and I can usually hear them talking and laughing through the trees. It is so nice just to breathe in the nice cool fresh air and if you go during the week or in the mornings it is fairly quiet and peaceful.

2. Tillson Street-- This has become a tradition for us to visit almost every year. This was our first time going while it was still light out and we still had fun. Usually we go at night because everything is lit up and making noises, etc. One house even had thriller dancers doing shows. If you haven't been to Tillson it is a must do, the kids love it. It is a street in Romeo that has historic homes on it that all decorate for Halloween. People will just drive the street, but I suggest getting out and walking. As it has become more popular it is more and more crowded. We have found going about a week before Halloween you beat some of the crowd and pretty much everyone has decorated by then. A tip...it is a street...you don't have to walk in a line! You can walk around the line that people tend to start making as they are going house to house and get through it much faster. We always end our Tillson trip with a trip to Panera for hot chocolate after to warm up.

3. Pumpkin Carving-- The girls love to carve pumpkins and just one more reason I wish their Dad was here to do it with them. I am terrible at carving pumpkins and he was quite the master. One Halloween he carved a pumpkin with both their foot prints and names on it.

4. Spending the Night Class Party-- If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram then you probably already know about the spending the night class. After Ray died, my sister started staying at my house once a week to play with the girls and spend time with them. It also gave me a bit of a break. Summer would always plan crafts and activities for them to do and slowly started to run it like a night school and hence the name. It slowly evolved to also include parties for all the holidays. We don't do birthday parties at our house so they like to go all out for these. They plan crafts, games, snacks, decorations, etc. They look forward to these every season and I know this will probably turn into one of their favorite memories when they are older.

5. Trick or Treating-- Since I have to stay home and pass out candy it has been a tradition that Uncle Mike, Aunt Laine, Aunt Sara, Jonny, and Uncle Paulie take them out. They absolutely love it! We usually have a pizza dinner and off they go. I am sure it is much "cooler" to be out with all your fun aunts and uncles instead of lame Mom haha. Plus this way I get to stay in the warm, dry house.

This rounds up our list of some of our favorite traditions. Anything that you enjoy that we are missing out on? Leave me a comment below!