I write here all the time, so you definitely get tidbits of life here and there, but here's all sorts of info you never really knew you wanted to know about me- all in one place! It's the kickstart to a new Mama Style & Profiles series I'm starting here on Mondays. Here goes:
1. What are your favorite personality traits of your kids?
Sophie is in her element when she's helping or being creative, and I love the things that come out of her mouth when we have conversation... it's so fun to have chats throughout the day... and she's a big ham. She'll just pose in the craziest way or do "funny dances" at the drop of a hat. Amazing.
Maggie is one of those kids that lights up a room with her smile. She just giggles her way joyfully through life and I cannot get enough of her. The laughing is nuts in a good way. Crawling after her saying "I'm gonna get you" creates such squeals of excitement I can't even handle it. ADORABLE.
2. What do you like to make in the kitchen?
The things I like to cook are the things I want to eat. Generally that means Mexican food. My dad is Mexican, so we made a family recipe for the red enchiladas ages ago, and it took all.day.long. I mean, they were definitely really authentic and so so good, but I stick with my green (chile verde), American style enchiladas. One of these days, I'll take pics and share the recipe here. They're sooo good. My favorite dessert to make also has to do with my ethnicity, but the other side of the family: Swedish pancakes, aka crepes. My mom is the sweets girl because she's thoroughly Scandinavian, so we grew up eating the BEST desserts. My favorite to eat is Danish aeblaskivers but the Swedish pancakes are way easier, so I generally stick with those.
3. What's your favorite & least favorite part of blogging?
This blogging thing has been so good for me. It motivates me to come up with interesting things to do with my kids, it motivates me to make my time in the kitchen more fun, and keeps my mind fresh and challenged all the time. My least favorite part is that it is so much more work than I knew. I don't have all the programs that the pros do... no photoshop or illustrator or anything, so I have to figure out how to make things look clean and pretty-ish without and it's seriously trying sometimes! It's also been tricky figuring out how to incorporate posts into everyday life, so I don't have to spend too much extra time working on a post or how-to. It's starting becoming more of a natural flow these days. It's also helped to have the goal of posting every weekday, but not at any certain time of the day so that I don't need to be dictated by a blogging schedule. We let things happen the way they happen. :)
4. Favorite beauty brands & shops:
Almost all my makeup is from Benefit, which I absolutely LOVE. It never looks like the makeup is caked on, it feels refreshing, and the packaging is pretty. I have dry hair that I wash every other day or every third day. I use Neutrogena shampoo, and it really does take away the dryness. My favorite face lotion is Hope in a Jar by Philosophy because it's such a nice, soothing lotion, and not greasy at all. Burberry Brit is my scent; I haven't deviated in years! I wash my face with bar soap... don't judge. :) My favorite lip product is the Honest organic lip balm that feels just right, and doesn't dry out the lips. When I do something with my hair, I use the Bumble & bumble styling creme (the $8 container has lasted a year if that's any indication of my low-maintenance hair regimen), and a very cheap curling iron. It may be time to invest in something better, but eh...
5. Style Uniform:
Always color, always earrings. During the week I do jeans and a cozy sweater and "park shoes," which are usually my basic flats tinged with a sandy colored tint. Evenings and weekends... actually anytime out except to the park, I always wear my suede heeled beige booties (pictured below... I got mine last year; these are similar). I need to find more exactly the same because mine are beat up from all the love they get. For date nights I'm almost always wearing a dress or skirt because I need an excuse to get fancy at least once per month. When I worked daily, it was the total opposite. Dressy daily for work, and total dress-down every date.
There you have it! A glance at my life and favorites, photographed by pretty Kristy from Volatile. Thanks Kristy!
Also, happy Monday! Monday wasn't so bad, right? The workday is basically over at this point, so congrats on making it through. I had some technical difficulties today, so that's why this post is so very late.
XO,
Kate
PS. If you'd like to be a part of our mama profile series, please email me stylesmaller@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you about being a mom, balancing, and style/beauty tips!