Memorial Day Weekend [2015]

Our Memorial Day weekend included a short lived camping trip due to the darn storms that swept across Michigan all night Sunday and all day Monday but it didn't rain on our parade... literally! We enjoyed delicious hobo pizza pies, s'mores, and walks to the park for L to play. Luke's first camping trip was less than exciting for him, he hated it. He laid in the dirt, played with leaves, scratched at the tent all night long and didn't sleep. It definitely looks like Luke won't be joining us next time on our camping trip!

It was actually really nice being able to come home early Sunday! Dan was amazing and took care of all of the laundry, camping crap, dishes, etc. while L and I napped the day away. I can't imagine my life without such an amazing hubby, we are so lucky! Monday we spent the day relaxing... It was so nice to have a quiet family weekend. We ended up taking L to the Memorial Day parade downtown for lots of candy for her to enjoy and for us to enjoy the remembrance of our fallen hero's. Although, the parade consisted of more half-clothed teenage dance groups than actual veteran remembrance and that was very disappointing. But, nonetheless the parade was a good time. It started with memorials, veterans support groups and patriotic music to go along with the flying flags. It always makes me so emotional thinking about the hero's we have lost and it makes me hold mine a little tighter at night and be so grateful that he's home safe.

Memorial Day weekend 6 years ago I was in Tennessee for the trip of a lifetime with my best friend that passed away that same year just four months later. Since we had met we told each other that we would go on a road trip together and then randomly we decided to take the weekend off and hit the road. The long weekend consisted of a speeding ticket, lots of candy and loud music on the way down there, sleeping at a rest stop, and of course having a blast in Nashville! I was looking back on my time hop app and saw my old posts about driving to TN, going to the parties, going exploring downtown, laying by the pool and going to the waterpark. There have been so many great memories over Memorial Day weekends but that one was definitely one of the best!

After the long weekend I was sad to see Dan go back to work today but L and I had such a fun time going to the splash park, having lunch together at the park and then cleaning the crap out of the house  during the storm! Luke wouldn't leave my side, and still won't... as I am typing this he is laying on my lap, makes it quite difficult to type! Lennon fell asleep at 8 and now I am relaxing with my tea trying to keep my eyes open until Dan gets home but the chances of that happening are getting slim to none!

Happy Memorial Day... I will forever be grateful to the hero's, the men and women, who have served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we all have today. God Bless.

XO, K.

Baby Bump | 3 Months

Well friends, we recently announced the most exciting news this year for us... 

We are expecting Baby Klepsch #2! 

We are so thrilled, beyond thrilled to be blessed with another pregnancy, a healthy pregnancy and we can't wait for Baby #2 to arrive! After a long end of the year last year we decided it wasn't the right time to try for Baby #2 but then after much debate, trying and failing I was convinced my ovaries hated us and my endometriosis was just too bad to conceive another baby. We had planned to see a fertility specialist and then BAM... Baby #2 was ready to make it's debut! I prayed a lot, cried a lot and prayed some more and here we are with a positive pregnancy test, a fast little beating heart and a growing little "booger".

How far along: 12 weeks
Due Date: December 4, 2015 (Happy early Anniversary, Mom & Dad!)
Baby Size: Lime / 2 inches! 
Gender: ? yet. But heart rate was 170 at 7 weeks. Hello, old wive tale telling us it's a GIRL. Just kidding... we won't find out for real until July... and then we are planning a super fun gender reveal party! 
Sleep: I swear I am never going to catch up on sleep. Between Lennon waking up at any hour of the night and crawling into bed with us, Luke laying in the middle of the bed or having puppy dreams that cause him to bark and whine, tossing and turning and then waking up at 2am to pee, then again at 4am to pee... I am going to lose my mind. Thank God for nap time or I would be a zombie.
I am feeling: This week I am feeling a little better than before, my morning sickness is going away in the mornings but in full swing at night time and I can't even drink my hot tea. I am sick of feeling sick! Hopefully within the next couple of weeks it goes away for good. Oh, and I am finally feeling pregnant on the outside... I finally have a belly!!! :)
Cravings: So far I have been craving anything and everything that's greasy, spicy, carb filled and not good for you. My top favorites have been pickles, rice with yum-yum sauce, subs, burgers, and any kind of mexican food except Taco Bell. Although, the past couple of days all I have been craving is sushi from Genji (with yum-yum sauce of course) and salads. Maybe we are finally on a healthy kick now.  
Currently loving: I am loving my leggings, loose t-shirts and tanks, sports bras and everything comfy. I am also loving white tea over ice with a lemon, cold water, pickles and lazy days with Lennon! I am also loving that Lennon is so gentle and careful with "baby booger". Yes, she has nicknamed her little sibling "booger" already! She rubs my belly, kisses it, rubs my back when I am sick and tells baby she loves "him". She insists it's a HE. Maybe it's a sign? :) She has made us all laugh numerous times when she asks how the baby got inside my belly. We tell her that God put it there so she replies with, "When I get big I want God to put a baby in my belly too". It made me cry, cringe and laugh, then cry some more!
Currently hating: Mornings, I am so not a morning person. I am hating the smell of cheese, fish that's not sushi, BBQ sauce, chicken and the smell of anything Dan makes to eat for a late night snack in bed.
Anxious for: I am so anxious to go to the doctor at the end of May, talk about the baby and ask about working out again. I can't wait to work out, stay fit this pregnancy and hopefully start feeling better once this nausea goes away. I am super anxious for July to come so we can find out what we're having and start talking about the nursery theme and names! EEEEK!

Here are some of our favorite moments telling our family... We spilled the beans to them right way. We were only 5 weeks along when we announced it to our parents and they were beyond thrilled. Then, the hard part... We made them wait until now to tell everyone too! :)

We surprised my family up north for Easter weekend with cookies that said 

"Baby #2 coming Dec. 2015"

We surprised Nani & Papa with a cookie and we waited to see Nani's reaction to Lennon's NEW shirt she was so proud to show off! Grampa Tuck was super excited to see the shirt and Lennon was eager to send a picture to Jenny at work that day! 

and... my Great Grandma was thrilled when I gave her the cookie that told her that I was pregnant again. She is elated to be a Great-Great Grandmother for the second time! 

SAHM Beauty Faves

It's not everyday that a SAHM gets ready with a full face of foundation, concealer, eyebrows colored in... you know, "the works". I like to save that for once a week, usually on Church days and even then I don't go crazy with my Naked pallet and get to enjoy the darker colors that I never touch! So today I decided to go on an adventure a bit and enjoy some makeup time while I was getting ready and L was playing.

On a normal, pshh... what's normal?, day Monday-Friday it's really surprising if I get the chance to take a shower before bath time at night. I literally wait as long as I can knowing I am just going to get frustrated with my curling, frizzy wet-but drying hair and Lennon will destroy something she isn't supposed to or Luke will eat a toy and then I will have a toddler running into the bathroom while I am mid-soap asking for help. It's never an easy time in the mornings. So, we usually save showers and baths for night time... then we are all happy! So, today I finally got ready. Yep, took a shower, didn't wash my hair so I guess I cheated a bit there, and even shaved my legs... double bonus!

I love my face now that I have amazing products to use on it! Before I splurged and bought the recommended products I never loved wearing makeup because it was more of a hassle than anything. But now, I use a variation of brands and brushes and I am finally HAPPY.

Today I used my favorite face moisturizer by Alba this morning followed with my make-up setting spray by Ulta (cheap, and literally the same as all of the top name brands!), then I began my makeup.
#1 Tarte Powder Foundation with Tarte Kabuki Brush: I love this for so, so, so many reasons! It's light, literally... it's weightless on your skin. It blends perfectly... (if you use the kabuki brush) I mean, blemishes are literally gone and my skin looks (almost) flawless every time. I bought a shade darker than I normally wear year round because in the summer I am darker, duh. When I am not tan I use my new MAC Foundation Powder. I am amazed at how well it covers and I just use my regular large brush with it. I love it!
#2 Benefit Boi-ing Concealer: I splurged big time on this one. It's $20 for this teenie-tiny container but it's the BEST concealer I have ever had in my ENTIRE life! It covers my blemishes, acne, tattoos, you name it!
#3 Revlon Bronzer: I use cheap drugstore finds when I have something that I use so often and run out almost every couple of months! So this bronzer was probably under $10 and it's perfect.
#4 Mac Pink Blush: I splurged big time again on this one because I finally found the perfect blush to match my skintone. It's shimmery, pink and perfection!
#5 Urban Decay Naked 2 Pallet: I am in love with this pallet because it's got every single color I need on a day to day basis. I can go natural with a little shimmer, and then do a smokey eye at night! I love it!
#6 E.L.F Mineral Based Mascara: Another cheap, cheap, drug store find that I am obsessed with! I will never go back to Ulta and buy name brand mascara again. I have always had sensitive eyes when it comes to eyeliners and mascaras. Once I quit using eyeliners I realized my mascara was irritating my eyes just as bad. I switched to E.L.F when I found it for $3 at Target. It's perfect, light, no clumping and comes off easily with a makeup cloth. LOVE it and just bought another one for when I run out!
#7 E.L.F Eyebrow Kit: Another $3 find at Target. I officially love all of E.L.F products. They're cheap but great quality. The eyebrow pallet comes with a dark pigmented wax on one side and a lighter powder on the other. Gives you the perfectly colored, natural looking brow everytime!
#9 Ulta Makeup Setting Spray: WAY cheaper than the name brand makeup sprays and works well, with a fresh light scent. I love it. The makeup consultant recommended I use it before and after makeup for ultimate moisture, hydration and to make it last!

I don't use fancy brushes, except my Tarte Kabuki brush that, in my opinion, was way overpriced. All of my brushes are Real Technique. As long as I clean my brushes every few months they last and stay in good condition. I am happy with them so far. Although, I do wish I had the $ to spend on amazing MAC brushes! 

A woman always needs three different kinds of body sprays (not just scents!). I use the Pure Romance KISS on a daily basis! I am so obsessed with the light scent of it and it lasts all day to keep me smelling great. Bath & Body works is on my SH*T list, and after this spray is gone I will never buy another thing from there again but anywhoooo.... This LUSH Pink Body Splash smells great and is great for any outdoorsy summer outing! Then my most favorite perfume that's a couple sprays away from being gone... Sean John, Unforgivable Woman. OMG, it smells amazing! 

And then there's my beauty pantry... All of my daily must haves that I would die without! 

#1 Alba face moisturizer: (Daytime) I am obsessed. I will probably NEVER buy another moisturizer in my life as long as this one exists! It's not too cheap, but it lasts forever and it's so light and smells great. I haven't had any breakouts since I started using this and it doesn't make your face greasy through-out the day.

#2 Suave lotion: The only kind I buy anymore! It's so amazing! 

#3 Not Your Mothers Dry Shampoo: a must have for all mom's on the go or mom's that just stay home! It's light, doesn't saturate your hair with grayish white powder and it doesn't stink. I use it EVERY day, thank goodness it's cheap! #4 CHI Silk Infusion: I use this on my hair and Lennon's. It's amazing on the ends to keep your hair silky, soft and frizz-free! Oh, and it smells like men's cologne. 

#5 Aussie Hairspray: I don't use it that often, but when I do it smells amazing and of course scents are the number one reason I buy things, duh. It really does work good too.

#6 Not Your Mothers Sea Salt Spray: For the days I want to rock my natural wavy-curls. I spray some of this in my hair and let it go. It's perfect to make your hair beautiful beach hair in a second! 

#7 Eufora Powder Lift: Love this for the days when I actually do my hair to give it some extra teasing power and lift! It's pricey... I paid $25 for it at the salon almost a year ago. It does last forever, it's not even close to being gone and I will definitely be buying more when it is. It's like crack dust for your hair! 

Even though that's a long list of (almost) my entire makeup collection I literally only use a few of this things on a daily basis. I will usually throw on my foundation, a tiny bit of concealer and some mascara on a daily basis. For my hair, it's usually in a pony tail, still wet but infused with CHI silk or some dry shampoo! I'm nothing fancy, that's for sure! 

So, that's my beauty blog. I am definitely not a professional makeup artist. Shoot, I didn't even own concealer until this year. I had no idea how to contour, and still don't even want to mess with it.... but I love my makeup, I love the brands and how well their products are made and I love dressing up and playing girly-mom for a day or two.  :)

XO, K. 

Mommy's Timeout

Have you ever had one of those days where everything is falling apart and you want to crawl into a hole and scream? That was me this morning. After breakfast I was exhausted, couldn't keep my eyes open, and to top it all off I had to be a mom... an alert, happy, playful, cheerful, "take me potty, wipe my hands, get me a snack" mom. Usually it's not hard, but this morning I had reached my breaking point. As I sat on the couch in tears I realized I needed a break.

Thankfully I am blessed with an amazing family who would drop anything and come to our rescue. So they did just that, and within an hour I was free. Although I was free, my tiredness and exhaustion took over me and I did exactly what I needed to do. I grabbed a hot cup of tea, picked a random Netflix movie and laid on the couch until I had to pee! Literally, the puppy and I were luckily on the same schedule today so we took potty breaks together - and the rest of the time he left me alone and we snuggled. After my first movie I ate, and slept a lot... and then watched another movie! In the moment j was so thankful for alone time. 

Then Lennon came home after she had been fed, shopped out, played til' she was pooped out and bathed and when that little curly-haired babe ran to the front door yelling mom I couldn't have been happier! 

Sure, moms need time outs. Most moms in today's world work full time jobs so they have a break, a time out, a life outside of home, yoga pants, no makeup... and mom-life. I don't get that. My days off are well... non existent and until this morning I was happy with my full time mom life. I was content sitting home, playing games, coloring and learning. This morning my emotions, being sick for the past couple days and not being a happy camper got the best of me. I wanted a break, needed alone time and needed someone to come to my rescue. Thankfully I got that. But in the end it just made me realize a few things...

1. I have an amazing family who will do anything for me (and anything to spend some time with Lennon!)

2. I love being a mom! I missed her when she wasn't here all day, it was lonely. Sure, it was lovely being able to watch a movie I wanted to watch instead of Disney and it was amazing being able to nap, eat alone and then nap some more. But, I missed her. I love being a mom but sometimes mommy just needs a time out for herself.

So now that hubby is home from work he's putting L to bed and I'm sulking in the warmth of this hot tea and bubble bath. I guess I'm spoiled today. :) I am truly blessed😇

Next mommy time out day better include a pedicure.