Friday Favorites

Happy First Friday of 2018, friends!

And what a doozy of a week!

We made it back from Kansas on Sunday, laid fairly low until yesterday, when Sloane had a small surgery in the morning. Sidenote: Thanks to everyone that sent sweet messages and checked in on us! The surgery was very fast and we were home by 10:30 and she was back to her normal self by 10:45. She has a small bandage on her forehead and won't be able to take a bath or shower until Saturday. We will also have to work on the small scar that will accompany this, but we will take that versus the alternative.

But we have earned these Friday Favorites, so let's do it!

This first favorite is in honor of my dad. My anal retentiveness comes from him (Thanks, dad!) and he and I are in total sync when it comes to the organization of electronic cords. When I had left my charger at home during Christmas vaca, my dad told me where to go to find his extra chargers.

I opened the magic bag and behold - organized cords! And all because of these fastening wrap strips! For $6.99, you too can have an organized bag of cords! These bad boys are wonderful and keep everything together, rather than one big heaping pile of tangled madness!

So for the organized freaks like myself and my dad, or those that are eager to be more like us, start here! ;)

I've told you all about how I have an issue with following bloggers on InstaStories and buying everything they tell me to swipe up for (it is a goal in my life to have enough followers to be able to have you all 'Swipe Up' on my Instagram account - sad goals? Maybe. But it's a goal, nonetheless). This is one of those purchases! 

Loreal's Lumi is a liquid illuminator. You can use it by itself to contour, use above and below the brow bone to enhance your eyes or you can mix it in with your foundation to give a highlighting effect, which his what I do. It comes in three different shades: Ice for cool skin tones, Golden for warm skin tones or Rose for neutral skin tones. 

And don't you worry, my pretties... our favorite place - Target - sells these! 

We are staying on the Loreal Paris bandwagon for one more second. Back in October, I asked the question, "What's your favorite mascara and eye-makeup remover?" And holy cow - did I get responses! That has been one of my most-read and most-commented-on blog posts since I started this blog (who knew!). 

Everyone had great recommendations. But in the end, I decided to try a store-bought brand first. And to my surprise (and relief), Loreal's Voluminous Mascara has been great! It totally reminds me the Clinique version that we all raved about, but that only came in the "gift with purchase" set. Downside is that it gets a little clumpy sometimes, but bright side is that it goes on well and is less than $8. Win-win. 

So if you're hunting for mascara, I'd definitely give this one a try! 

My name is Allyson and I have an expensive shoe problem.

Hi, Allyson.

Good news is this problem isn't something that I take action on. As in, I want ALL of the expensive shoes but don't own one pair of them! So... maybe not a real problem? But I'm winning the lottery so ... SHOES FOR EVERYONE!

I saw these Everlane shoes (The Day Heel) on a blogger (shocker) and THEN I saw them in ruby red. Lawdy... this Kansas girl can't stay away from a ruby red shoe! :) I'm in love with them, but here's the deal - I wear dress shoes maybe once a week for maybe an hour and a half. I wear Uggs every day, all day. So spending $155 on a pair of shoes is tough for me... but these shoes. I need.

I LOVE this color as well - they are super classy with a pair of black pants. Oh Lottery Gods, come hither! :)

I bought this sherpa jacket from Amazon after reading about in from The Mom Edit. They showed theirs in an oatmeal color, and I honestly couldn't decide which color I liked more so I went with the gray.

It's more of charcoal (as you can see on me, in the left),  and probably not AS pretty as the version they show on the right (with their beautiful lighting). But it's unbelievably soft and comfy, which was the comment I got from most people yesterday - it looks soft and comfy!

It has two pockets in the front and a hood in the back... and it's perfect for those lazy days. I'm not one that finds sherpa to be something you wear out to something nice... but for those days where you just have errands to run and want to be comfortable, this is it!

And... it's $22. I got a small and felt the sizing was right on. Grab one before they are gone and won't be back until April! :)


That's a wrap for this week, folks. We are laying semi-low this weekend - probably a Costco trip where we will be strictly buying from the list, maybe a movie with Sloane to treat her for being so brave on Thursday and a big trip to UPS to ship off all of the gifts that arrived AFTER we left for Christmas break! Classic! :)

Have a great weekend everyone and stay tuned for a new and improved Tess and Elm, hopefully coming to you next week! EEK! :)

XXOO,
Allyson

Surgery is Surgery

We are kicking off the New Year by spending Thursday morning at the Children's hospital.

Insert a big wahhhh-wahhhhh.

Sloane is scheduled for a 7:30 AM surgery this morning and I can tell you that we are terrified. She has reason to be (it's her first surgery and surgery - neither how big or small - is scary) and I do not except for the fact my baby is having surgery.

She had a spot pop up on her forehead around February and after thinking it was a pimple and trying to mess with it (I'm on of "those" people) and being scolded by the Asian woman at the nail salon ("Leave her lone. She a child!"), I finally did the parental thing and took her to the pediatrician.

If you look closely on her forehead, you can see the spot!

She didn't have much cause for concern but said if it didn't go away in a month to see a dermatologist. I knew it wasn't going anywhere so we went to the dermatologist, who also thought it was nothing, but gave us a cream to apply and said to come back in a month.

We were no longer going to be in Bentonville a month from then, but whatever...

The summer went on, life happened and by September, I felt like it was starting to change color and get larger (and then smaller). We met a dermatologist here in Chicago and she felt like it wasn't a big deal but that it didn't need to be there. So we came back a month later and they sliced that sucker off (I can say it like that now but at the time, I was - and Sloane was - about to pass out).

Way to adult, mom!

They sent it off to be biopsied and called us a few weeks later. What she had was a Spitz Nevus (see image below).

I never feel I correctly explain what it is to people. What I know is that it had a form of melanoma 'attached to it' and thought it was benign, the dermatologist felt like more of the skin attached needed to be removed, but we had to see a pediatric plastic surgeon.

So... off we went to the big children's hospital here in Chicago (Ann & Robert H. Lurie's Children's Hospital to be exact) and met with a wonderful surgeon by the name of Dr. G (because spelling her last name and pronouncing may not ever be able to happen for me in the lifetime). She explained what we needed to remove and why. The why being that this area wouldn't affect her now, but it could affect her in 20 years. So it's best to remove it now and be done with it.

And that is what we are doing.

Bright and early. On the fourth day of 2018.

We haven't told her much about this because I have never been one to bring up big events, such as this, that might scare her for weeks until a day or so before. I remember her first dance recital - she was three. We had no idea that she would be in a recital, but sure enough, they wanted the young ones up on the stage to perform. Other moms said no, we aren't doing it. Some told their kids what they would be doing and the kids didn't want to do it. I never mentioned it to Sloane until we walked out the door. And though I was hesitant about the entire thing, I was SO glad I sent her to do it. It's one of those extremely happy moments in my life that I wish many others could have witnessed. She was carefree... and hysterical... up on stage!

Just before we left for her recital - she dressed in her favorite attire! 

So I won't change my approach now. Tonight before bed, I will walk her though tomorrow morning and explain as much as I know. She may or may not sleep with us (I do NOT like her to sleep with us - she's an awful sleeper!), but when you're scared, the best place to be is with mom (and dad). And we will get up tomorrow and go to the hospital.

It's not a long procedure, but she will have to go under anesthesia, which is where I could possibly lose it. But once it's done, it's done. She will have no pain. Just a scar we will have to work on. 

But she will be fine. 

But until then, neither of us will be fine.

Because surgery is surgery. It's scary, even if it is minor. And it's my baby. 

So here is hoping I can hold the tears in until after she is not in my sight anymore. And then happy tears when we see her again!

XXOO,

Allyson

Welcome to 2018!

Hello friends!

And just like that... 2017 is in the past. And 2018 is now before us.

I asked my brother-in-law which day was most depressing - December 26 or January 2. He felt like January 2 was fairly brutal because that's when most people go back to work. Jury is still out for me - I'm leaning towards December 26. So much hoopla to get to Christmas and then with a snap of the finger, its over.

But alas... we made it to today. And I would have to say... January 1 felt nice. It felt like... a fresh start.

2017 was not one of those years that I'll look back at and think, "MAN! That was a CLASSIC year!"

We did have some big things happen that I'll never forget (i.e. Sloane graduating from Kindergarten, selling a house/apartment living/buying a house (or attempting to repeatedly), moving to Chicago, birthdays, new school, Reece started Kindergarten...), but there were a lot of things that I'd rather not remember.

And we wrapped it up by saying goodbye to my grandma Dean. I need to take a second and thank all of you that reached out to me and my family - I received lots of messages, lots of reads on my last post, cards in the mail... and I'm so grateful for all of it! So thank you -- it was really, really hard, despite having really lost her many years ago (suck it , Alzheimers)... to actually have to say a forever goodbye was rough.

But seeing my family, reminiscing on the many, many memories and pictures helped bandage that wound. I'm incredibly lucky in that regard!

So January 3, 2018... it's that time of year when we set New Years resolutions that we say we will not break and then three weeks later... AHEM.

Or is that just me?!

I try not to set myself up for failure by making my goals not that hard to achieve.

Last year, it was to be a nicer person.

Shouldn't be too hard, right?!

Ehhh... I kicked it into gear mid-November.

Always. 

This year?

Budgeting. Being smarter with money. Finding something I'm really good at and trying to turn it into a job.

I mean, those sound realistic, right?!

I'd love to know any and all tips and tricks to how you all budget. I honestly have never had to budget. This doesn't mean I go and shop for fun all the time. In fact, I almost never shop for fun or for myself. But I am one of those Target shoppers that goes for groceries, and leaves with 10 extra things like cupcakes, coke and another air freshener.

Those were not on the list.

I'm also keeping track of what I spend on our credit card. Sometimes, it has to be used. But I'm really pushing myself to only use it on those 'has to be used' times. So I don't have to have conversations about money.

If my husband and I have downfalls in our marriage, it is lack of communication and talking about money. I HATE talking about money. Like anytime he even brings something up that has anything to do with money, my stomach gets in knots, I'd rather be barfing or sitting in the 20-degrees-below-zero weather for 15 minutes with no coat on.

Is this just me? I am 100 percent sure that if I had a job that was bringing in a steady income, this wouldn't be my feelings. And it ALL comes back to Mom Guilt 101 (please see my above resolution on finding something I'm good at and turning it into a job).

So seriously - light me up with how you guys ... do it all?!

I'll take all of the help I can get!

Happy 2018 to all of you! Here's to a new year, a fresh start and a better me. And you. :)

XXOO,
Allyson

Sweet Farewell

If a picture could tell a story, this one is the perfect one of my grandma.

The hair, the glasses, the smile... the sweatshirt.

How many of you can raise your hand to say you've owned a sweatshirt like this, made by Grandma Dean? Or maybe you preferred the t-shirts with the curly-q ribbons sewn on?

I can guess that a few of you owned them. And if you didn't own them, you saw them (and maybe wished for one)!

This picture tells a million stories to me and will forever be the image that I attach to the memories.

This sweet lady left the earth on Wednesday, Dec. 20 in the late hours after her body finally decided to give itself away. Grandma had the dirty Alzheimer's disease for the last years of her life and though she didn't remember much or remember many, she still had those eyes. I always told my mom that I was CERTAIN that she would outlive us all. She didn't remember anything but she was always physically doing as fine as one could be doing at 92 years of age.

Then mom saw her this last weekend when she attended grandma's Christmas party at the nursing home she had been living at in Coffeyville and she told me that something just didn't seem right to her. And my mom should know... she will be martyred one day for her selflessness when it came to care for her own mother (and father). Three days after that conversation, the nursing home called and said she wasn't doing well.

That night, after really struggling to breathe, she took her last breath.

And left us all behind to reminisce... and miss... that sweet white-haired lady down the block.

Most of my childhood was spent living only a block from my grandparents (and also in the same town as my other grandparents - we were pretty lucky).  If one of us was sick, we were with grandma. If someone needed to go to the orthodontist (that would be me), we went with grandma (and got Sonic burgers on the way home).

Me and Grandma (1983ish)...

Grandma and I (2016ish)...

If you wanted to die of boredom, you would go with grandma shopping at JCPenney's or Sears or Wal-Mart. If you wanted to get in trouble, you would wrestle with your cousins, only for one who shall not be named to whine he was being tortured and she'd come running to his rescue. And he would smile.

If I could tell you one thing about my grandma, it's that she had a heart of gold. She would do anything for anyone... even if it meant picking up a hitchhiker on the side of the road and taking them to the nearest town... or buying a vacuum cleaner from a door-to-door salesman just to help the poor kid out. All of these things would drive my mom CRAZY (as it should have), but that was just grandma.

There are so many stories I could tell you, memories I could share, but instead I'm going to just spit out random things that come to my mind that were totally my grandma:

 -- Barbara Bush and Nancy Regan. She loved these first ladies and I feel like I faux-read all of the books she had of theirs numerous times.

-- Jewelry. My grandma had some snazzy jewelry that I would play with in her back bedroom and I never remember seeing her wear any of it! 

-- Lauren. My sister seemed to make adults her best friends: Lisa Doty and grandma. 

-- Debbie Reynolds and Doris Day. My love of old movies is because of my grandma Dean. If you've never seen It Started with a Kiss or Send Me No Flowers, I highly recommend you put them on your watch list.

--Stories. I distinctly remember staying at grandma and grandpa's when they lived on Elm Street, sleeping in what was my uncle Woody's room, grandma laying with me and I'd ask her specifically to tell me the story of... how my uncle Dave and aunt Carol met. I donno. :) 

-- Hidden Twix. Sometimes, if I got lucky, I would find Twix bars hidden in a cabinet above where the landline was...

-- Wiffle ball. My brother would have his friends (and their friends) over to play wiffle ball tournaments every day in grandma's backyard.

-- White Diamonds perfume by Elizabeth Taylor. 

-- Laundry and ironing. The woman ironed like it was her business. And also did our laundry free of charge. But to clarify, she TOLD my mother to drop the laundry off because she enjoyed doing it. She just would tell everyone in town that she was SO busy because she had to do Mary Ann's laundry. 😂

-- Singing and dancing. I can just hear her! AND see her. Do I wonder why my mom dances around in the kitchen? Nope. She got it from her mama! 

-- RC and Sam's Choice Cola. These were grandma's soda choices. And even when I went to college, I would go to Walmart and grab some Sam's Choice. 

-- Dogs. My grandma did not like dogs. And then my uncle named his dog after her mother, Agnes, and I feel like she sort of had to give in. 

-- Family. The absolute best of times were when her house was full of family. And at this time of year, it was packed. Many years, my brother, sister and I would be standing inside grandma's house, at the door, noses to the windows, waiting for people to arrive. And waiting to watch my uncle Steve unload the 356 presents that were coming from the back of his car (this is no joke). 

The Barnes Family (minus Marcia) circa 1986ish...

The Barnes Family circa 1990ish...

The Barnes Family 26  years later...

My grandma might have left this earth, but the memories of her and the stories will never be forgotten. It's fairly impossible - she had six kids, who had 16 kids, who had 20 kids, who had three kids. I mean... there are Barnes' everywhere!

I can tell you that as a 35-year-old mom of three who lives 10 hours away from my kids grandparents, I definitely took for granted the time my grandma gave to me and my family. I read a quote recently that said something to the effect of "a thousand moments that I had taken for granted mostly because I had assumed there would be a thousand more" is the story of my life with all of my grandparents. My grandma Dean was the last of my four to pass away... did I ever dream I'd see the day when I didn't have grandparents anymore?

No. Absolutely not.

Do I now cherish those moments I had with all of them even more now?

100 percent yes. 

Do I know that I will see them again someday?

Yep. 

So until then... grandma, thank you.

Thank you for your laugh, your singing, your dancing, your cleaning, your appliqué sweatshirts, your love of Page Cavanaugh, your hugs and for my family.

I'll see you on the other side of the stars. 💗

XXOO,
 Ally

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone! And welcome to what is probably my next-to-last Friday Favorites of 2017... next Friday is the kids last day of school and the next day, we leave for Kansas.

"Alleluia. Holy sh*t. Where's the Tylenol?"! (Name that movie!)

And on that hight note...

I've been a nightly chapstick user for years. Every night, right before I go to bed, I swiped on Burt's Bees.

And then I started wearing LipSense.

And what I learned was the reason most lipsticks don't stay on your lips is because of the wax in them. And how that is a reason why your lips tend to get so dry. Same goes for chapstick. If I continued to use a wax chapstick, lips are going to continue to feel dry and it won't help my LipSense-wearing one bit.

So... I started using the LipSense lip balm this summer. And boom. Sold.

It has a nice, silky feel to it and now with the cold weather here to stay, my lips haven't felt cracked like they always do at this time.

If you're a constant chapstick user, give this one a shot. You won't be disappointed! (I've got three available -- good stocking stuffer!)

This.

I need this.

I tried it on in a medium, but needed it a little smaller... but they had no smalls.

SO comfortable and soft and perfect with jeans and my New Balance sneakers or go-to Uggs.

Comes in a really pretty blush pink as well, but I'm digging the white. So Lauren, if you're reading this and Matt asks, like he always does, what I want for Christmas... after you tell him a new desk or kitchen (yes, I've asked for that), tell him this. :) 

Speaking of Uggs... they have upped their shoe game! No longer is it the short or tall basic lined boot, they have now given it some style! 

These are the Elvi Harness Boot and I got a SUPER similar pair for my birthday (thank you Amazon Wish List and my brother-in-law who only buys from the Wish List) and am obsessed! They are so warm and comfy and look really cute with leggings or skinny jeans. 

This is part of the Koolaburra brand of Ugg, which to me means they are Uggs at better prices. These are only $78! I'd go add them to your Amazon cart quickly before they are gone! 

Not sure how many of your hands, during the cold months, get so dry and crack at the cuticles... but mine do and it HURTS. SO. BADLY! 

A dermatologist recommended this to me (I believe I even bought it from the doctors office the first time I got it and paid $22 for it) and I have never been able to find anything better. But am completely open to suggestions! 

This one is thick enough that it feels nice and feels like it's doing a job. I put it on in the mornings and at night before bed. 

I've tired all kinds of lotions specifically for the splits and cracks I get by my nails and this is the only thing that has ever felt like it's worked. 

I've owned many water bottles in my time. Very few did I use. I probably had a Nalgene hanging from my backpack in college NOT because I was planning on drinking tons of water throughout the day, but because everyone else was doing it and it looked cool and healthy.

You know... SO me. 😂

Then came a time in my life when I was really drinking a lot of water and THIS water bottle was the main reason why it was so easy. 24 ounces of water could be swigged down super fast. All because of the straw. 

Then in a weird twist of events, Contigo becomes one of the companies that is under Matt's 'umbrella' at work and I lose all of my water bottles like this... and he tells me he can't find another one for me because ... and I quote "no one uses those anymore." 

What? Who is no one? I am someone and I only use these! 

I told him I would look for a different brand if I had to get a water bottle with a straw. He scoffed. And the next day, came home with this water bottle... in stainless steel. 

I"m back to my water-drinking ways and so happy! You guys... this is a GOOOOOD water bottle. If you're not a good water drinker, this one is for you. You inhale 24 ounces of water without even knowing it! 

Thanks to everyone that reached out to me about my 'Aha Moments' blog post from earlier in the week. Lots of texts and emails with great words of wisdom as well as stories of your own to share. I loved it -- that's exactly why I started this blog was for moments like those. So thank you! 

Have a wonderful weekend and we will see you next week! 

XXOO,

Allyson

Gift-Giving Via Etsy

We are now two weeks away from Christmas, which means I'm officially in a constant tizzy. I have lists upon lists of gifts to get, my Amazon cart is full, and yet I'm always hunting for those one-of-a-kind gifts that you can't just run to Target and grab.

Which is why Etsy is fantastic!

I'm going to give you some great gift options that will be fan-favorites!

1. 2.

3.4.

5.6.

7.8.

9.10.

11.

1: Large Oversized Initial Necklaces  are adorable and a perfect gift for any female in your life!

2: This Pumpkin Serving Set would be a fantastic gift for any family member/friend that loves to entertain and have the cute dishes to show off! This set might be a little pricey, but there are a lot of really cute options in this shop!

3: Pardon me as I immediately buy this office work mug for my husband and his boss. It that subtle or not? :)

4: For book club friends... you can't go wrong with a Bookstore-smelling candle!

5: I know many guys that could probably fill this Beer Cap Map up in a weekend.

6: I feel like this may be the perfect shirt to wear to the gym... or to Taco Tuesday. Or any day of the week. :)

7: I'm actually really sad this mug wouldn't ship until after Christmas. My dad would LOVE this. Maybe a birthday present?!

8: A pretty and simple Gem Slice necklace with LOTS of different stone options... I love this one and the pink!

9: These personalized acrylic keychains would be great gifts for bridesmaids, high school cousins, freshman in college who still have keys to their dorm rooms...

10: I've always been a stocking-stuffer-lover... they are small items, but usually fun and practical! This Bourbon lip balm be a great one for the men in your life.

11: And we can't forget about your wonderful coworkers ... or that extremely special one who helps get you through long days. This candle is for you!


Happy shopping friends ... and just a little reminder that those shopping days are numbered!

XXOO,
Allyson