Hey mommas,
I decided to extend the giveaway for the Solly Baby wrap for one more week!
Winner will be announced July 1, 2016 via Instagram.
If you’re interested in winning a fabulous USA made wrap by Solly Baby, details to enter are above. Wishing you moms the best of luck!
xoxo
The moment I found out I was pregnant, I had many mixed emotions. I won’t lie and tell you all that I was overjoyed because the reality of it was that I was extremely anxious, worried and scared ; more than I thought I’d ever be. At the time I found out I was pregnant I was five weeks, I had recently gotten engaged and in many ways it wasn’t the timing that I had envisioned in my “plan” to become a mom. Now looking back it really couldn’t have happened at a better time in my life.
I think society automatically puts pressure on moms when entering ‘motherhood,’ because you’re suddenly expected by society standards to give up who you were before mom duties kicked in. You’re no longer able to really get a good night sleep and if you do get to sleep-in you suddenly find yourself feeling guilty for not being up with the baby. I quickly learned the first two weeks that that expectations I had for myself as a mom were totally unrealistic and that it was okay if they weren’t fully fulfilled. Constantly remember that it’s a learning process from day one. We weren’t born knowing what to do as moms, it’s a process of testing things out and finding what’s the best for baby and you. You can read as many books as you want, watch as many documentaries as you please but nothing will prepare you for the journey you’re about to take. It’s scary but also refreshing to know that every experience you have with your little one will be your very own.
The first two weeks…
Boy, they’re hard.
The hardest nights I’ve ever had…I got little to no sleep, and the sleep I did manage to get never seemed like enough nor like I’d be able to function properly and even more so with a baby.
I don’t think anyone ever warned me about the first two weeks and the difficulties that came with it. I wish I had knew what to expect and how to tackle on things much better than I did.
The first night I came home from the hospital was by far the worst. I had managed to breastfeed at the hospital, give her plenty of skin-to-skin and really bonded with her in such a calm, quiet way. It was breathtaking how easy it seemed it was going to be. She didn’t fight me on sleep, she really didn’t even cry all that much. It was nice, but it wasn’t going to last very long.
I remember that night we came home, my husband ran out to grab us some take-out to eat for dinner, she was asleep and I was exhausted. I was sore, feeling like I had just been ran over by a bus and I was immensely tired from just bringing a human being into this world. We finished our meal and were ready to call it a night. Fifteen minutes of my head on the pillow and an uproar of yelling and crying came from my seven pounds of joy. That crying lasted…realistically an hour but it seemed like an eternity.
The first two weeks are essential for both you and baby to adapt to one another and have a daily pattern of eating, pooping and sleeping schedule. Schedule. That’s something I wish I would of done since the beginning. If you learn to adapt a schedule for the baby, you’ll achieve to have a better sleeper and it’ll make life much easier. You’ll find yourself actually having an hour or two just for you!
You’ll face many crying sessions with your baby where you won’t even know where to begin. You’ll find yourself constantly asking, “why are you crying baby? I’ve fed you and changed you and sang to you all night.”
After you’ve fed, changed, and done just about everything else to make sure their okay…just hold them in your arms. Remember that your little bundle was within your warmth for months and the best thing you can offer that little baby is your sweet-loving arms.
Reassure yourself you’re doing perfectly okay, give yourself a pat on the shoulder and always remember to treat yo’ self! Being a mom is hard work, it takes time, dedication and large amounts of patience. It’s not a job fit for everyone but feel grateful you’ve landed one of the most important jobs, if not that most important job, you’ll ever have.
I was lucky enough to have my parents live fifteen minutes away from me, to call for advice as well as show up at their door step with tears running down my face asking desperately for help.
But just remember that although those two weeks may seem eternal, it eventually gets better….three months in and I can truly assure you that it really does.
The best advice I could of really used during those two weeks was breathe in and out momma, everything will be alright.
xoxo
Happy New Year to all my lovely readers!
One of my favorite things about a brand new year is the chance to start from scratch; saying good-bye to all the negativity 2015 brought us and inviting all the good vibes and company to stay for 2016.
I always try to set new goals for myself at the start of each year and this year I’m really sticking to my guns and staying committed to each and every goal I have in mind for my family and I.
I’ll admit, I usually give myself about a week of “cheating” so I can fully commit without having any excuses, does anyone else do this?
This year one of my top goals is to post four times a week! I don’t want to let my readers down so I’ll be incorporating different material each time to keep it fun and fresh. I really want to stay true to myself and what is going on in my life shine through my blog. Staying honest about what my life is and looks like is as important to me as the number of material I put out.
I definitely want to eat better, incorporate a better daily diet for myself and my husband while staying active! It’s a lot easier said than done, of course, but I really want to change for the better this year and try to see my body as a “temple” – being really cautious about what is going in my body so I can reflect the absolute best.
Reading at least a chapter a night to keep my mind active as well is super important to me. It’s the best way to keep in touch with what I love to do and really spend quality time with myself. Quiet time is the best time, ya’ heard?
Showing my creativity is one of many things I’m also striving for this year. I guess you can say I’m one of those people that seems to have a mind filled with imagination but being lazy seems to gets in the way at times. Staying inspired daily is always a work in progress; I’m wanting to stay dedicated and inspired throughout 2016.
Most importantly, I want to show my love and appreciation, to my loved ones on a daily basis.
Since getting married, I’ve really come to love the companionship of my lifetime partner. I really couldn’t have chosen a better friend, partner, lover. Reminding him daily that I absolutely admire, as well as appreciate, all his sweet thoughts and actions towards me and our dogs is so important in wanting to show him just how lucky I feel to wake up to him everyday. My parents also play a big role in my life, moving out of their home wasn’t an easy step to take. It took time to adjust and during that time I really came to appreciate the tight bond I share with them. They’re my best supporters in life; showing them just how much their time and love has been valuable to be in each phase of my life is important. They’re wonderful parents who should know just how admired they are by me for their self giving actions they take everyday.
So many wonderful things we can do to become a better individual, the start of a clean slate gives us the opportunity to really let the best of us shine through. What are some of your goals for 2016?
Weather changes, life changes…throw them all in the same bag for me this year! Phew, it’s a miracle I’m still alive after all the chaos and changes I’ve been riding out.
Let me give you a quick run through of what you’ve “missed” out on:
Let’s start off with the incredible time change giving us non-morning folks a break for once! Although an extra hour of sleep doesn’t seem like much, my body is really soaking in every single minute of it. It’s pretty great to be able to get this much sleep at this time in my life.
Can I also please announce how in love I am? I think so, and because of that…after a year of being with my boyfriend, asking me to get married…we are tying the knot! I had always envisioned something big and grand that day I’d get married but the older I got, the more I saw that no venue, guest list, five course meal and big gown would really matter at the end of the day…as long as I was committed to my lover for life. It won’t be anything big, actually nothing at all. We’ll be walking to court to make it official. It’s a sweeter memory I’ll hold in my heart, just him and I, in this together till the very end.
If you didn’t know, ever since moving back from Austin, Texas I moved in with my parents. It was one of the best/worst decisions I could of ever made, for several reasons. I love my parents to death and am super fortunate to be really close to both my mom and dad. It was fun to come home to family the first few weeks but it quickly turned into a drag. I quickly realized if privacy was something I had hoped for living with my parents, I was very mistaken. It’s nice being home for a week, maybe two…but once it turned into a year it got me thinking if the trade off of rent free living was worth giving up my privacy and space? Till this day I’m not so sure…but I’d still recommend to anyone moving back home after college to settle with your parents till you get on your feet. It became more evident to me that I had to consider moving out after getting engaged, cause that’s what you do…right? It was incredible hard for me to admit it and accept that idea of growing up and leaving my parents place. My boyfriend was always encouraging me to move and get a new place with him. I finally gave in and the search was on to find the perfect little place for him and I. Little did he know I would be almost impossible to please. What can I say, a girl knows what she wants! After six months of looking for a niche to call our own, we found one. Probably in the least expected of places but it’s perfect and just what I pictured in my head.
There’s something about an old house turned into an apartment that makes it so charming! I’ll definitely be posting pictures as soon as the place goes up.
Finding the perfect apartment was difficult and what seemed almost impossible but with a little searching, persistence and patience we found our first place as
Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn.
Last, but certainly not least…the biggest news of all is…yet to come.
I’ll be making a post about it, something that’s been in the works but it has to be announced appropriately! Stay tuned for my next blog post.
Safe warm.
xoxo
Hello? Is anyone still reading?
If you’d happened to stick around, I’m real sorry I’ve fallen off the face of the planet. Kind of, sort of. My current life situation has been so hectic, not enough time to collect any ideas, sit my booty down and get to writing. Although, it made me sad that have to abandon my blog for what seemed years…I’m so excited to come full force with exiting material.
I promise if you stick around for a while longer it’ll get better! “Bare with me!” Something I used to hate hearing coming from any grown ups’ mouth…but I’ll make it worth your time.
Hope everyone is doing great and enjoying the beautiful fall season!
xoxo
I’ve always gotten asked what I think “makes” an outfit, and I personally think that there isn’t a more perfect way to “make” an outfit than by expressing yourself through accessories. A black-on-black outfit can seem bland but after some pop of color here and there, you’ve changed the presentation of the outfit.
Studying textiles and texture is a hobby of mine. Unfortunately though, you can’t always change the material of a shirt or the lack of buttons a jacket has but what you can do is embellish an outfit with the right accesories.
Here are a few pictures of some of my favorite recent accessories to wear on a daily basis.
My Casio watch is one of my favorite jewelry pieces to pull on any given outfit. Bracelets or a cute detail to add to your wrist for some whim! Earrings are a lovely feminism touch, if your ears aren’t pierced try adding some ear cuffs! Just as stylish and fun. Rings also add a little dimension to your outfits and an unexpected detail.
What are some of your favorite accessories? How do you style them?
xoxo~Lola
A new member has joined the family and she couldn’t be any sweeter!
Her name is Waffles and she’s approx. a year and half and a poodle mix. She’s really the sweetest thing and I’m so happy that she’s landed into our world. I found her on the streets about two months ago and I knew that if I couldn’t find her rightful owners she’d fit in just right with the rest of the clan.
She’s my little stray whom I love very much, I hope to post many more pictures of her and the rest of the gang soon! Love is the best gift we could give and I’m so lucky to get to love Waffles each and everyday.
Three pets and counting…
xoxo~Lola
My father has always said that the cure to a busy head is a clear space and sometimes we get so busy it’s a necessity to escape. An adventure doesn’t always have to mean spending money on a trip or packing a weekend getaway bag. I’ve learned that even a little park and a picnic will do just fine!
My last picnic was accompanied by my partner and our dogs, Badger and Aiko. I love being able to escape for a couple of hours with my loved ones, it makes the adventure all that better. We opted for a some bagels to tag along with us and a cute picnic blanket that was bought at Target as part of the #PeanutsforTarget brand they’re carrying during the summer.
It was the perfect day to lay around and enjoy the weather.
What’s your favorite way to escape?
xoxo~Lola
For as long as I could remember, I use to give El Paso, Texas so much grief. “Why is there nothing to do in this town?,” “Why can’t El Paso be more progressive?,” I guess I came to find out later on that the city is filled with activities to do. This city, although big in area and population remains very true to their traditional views and feel. Just across the Mexican border, you can’t help but feel the richness of culture oozing out in every corner. One of the most enriching areas of El Paso is the amazing downtown area, located in the heart of the city. It’s filled with local businesses that bloom the city with it’s noise during rush hour as well as night life. Not only is it an area that allows you to keep busy but the buildings have been standing ground for years, some since the 1920’s. I haven’t always been the most interested in architecture of era’s but these building illuminate history, it’s one of my favorite places to draw inspiration from.
It’s so lovely to see my city coming together to achieve greatness and downtown EP has always been part of that movement for bigger and greater. We might not be a city full of skyscraper views but our old art deco buildings along with our desert mountains might just win this battle.
What interesting sights does your hometown have?
Share in the comments below!
xoxo~Lola
Welcome to an updated Little Miss Duty!
I’m incredibly excited to get to share this new facelift for my blog, it means a lot to me to be able to share this with you all.
I’ve deleted my post so that I can create new and better material for all of you, if you’d like me to post of my old material, I’ll be happy to have it make appearances as well.
I’ll keep you updates through my social media when it’s ready to reveal completely.
xoxo~Lola
