Turned 32 & had the most memorable birthday yet

For so many reasons, this particular birthday was one I’ll forever treasure and remember. It was the first one I celebrated with our twins, and just WOW – to think I have two beautiful girls at this age is simply magical. I feel so blessed to be in this moment of my life right now. To celebrate turning 32 in our backyard with family & friends was exactly what I envisioned; nothing more, nothing less. In fact, it felt all the more special than I could have ever expected.

Every year on my birthday, I share a post about X (age I’m turning) things I’ve learned up to this point. Here’s the latest list of 32 things.

Sunny & Hazel are 6 months old!

I can’t believe the girls turn 6 months (officially) on July 27 – time is a thief! They’re so much fun now, I can’t even begin to explain it. The first 3.5 months were a tough adjustment (rightfully so) but since month 4 it’s been the most rewarding time watching them grow into the people they’re destined to become. Their personalities couldn’t be any more different, and gently comparing to how they were only a few months ago has drastically changed.

Sunny went from having a resting grumpy face to the smiliest, happiest girl. She’s perfectly content sitting in her chair or lying under the play gym, an independent queen! Sunny is always the first one to fall asleep for naptime or bedtime, and lights up whenever Levi tries to lick her hands. Currently she gets very excited about anything that’s the color blue. Her love for sucking the left thumb has us thinking she’ll be a lefty, whereas Hazel prefers sticking her right middle & index fingers in her mouth for comfort. We might have a set of mirror twins here!

Hazel is much more observant in her demeanor, but has the sweetest smile and giggle that melts your heart whenever she shows her soft side. Getting her to laugh is so rewarding too, and we found that anytime we play music (especially instrumental tunes like Jazz) she seems to really enjoy herself. Right now she has two bottom teeth emerging already, which has made the last few weeks uncomfortable for her to say the least. She loves being held and carried around, which is tough when there are two kiddos to split your attention on haha. But she recently discovered her love for the Jumparoo Activity Center and it has seemed to keep her happily occupied/distracted – for now!

We’ve taken the girls to the beach a few times as a family weekend activity, which has proven to be so fun and confidence-boosting for us as parents. Just the act of getting out of the house & having all the right things packed/accessible is a parental stress simply by the thought of it alone. We’re proud of ourselves for making it work & being able to enjoy the things we used to do on a summer weekend, pre-babies.

Cleaned out my Spring/Summer wardrobe + pre-pregnancy jeans

Nothing feels better than looking at a closet full of clothing that actually fits you. And purging the things that you know in your heart you’ll never wear the same way again, literally & figuratively. I look at some of the things that used to fit me and think, “Wow, I never realized how hard I was on myself when I was this particular size..” Since becoming a mom, I’ve learned to be a lot kinder to myself – especially seeing what my body was able to do during the pregnancy and how quickly it adapted back to a more comfortable place (for me personally) in the postpartum. I also want to instill a positive relationship with my new body openly, as I have two girls who will always be watching & listening to how I talk about myself (especially behind closed doors.) There’s no better time than now to put those good habits into motion.

One of the jumpsuits I got in my Nuuly box last month

So instead of keeping clothes that currently don’t fit nor would fit comfortably anytime soon, I boxed up what could be donated & sent off what could be sold second-hand to ThredUp. I sent A LOT of designer/contemporary brand jeans size 27 & 28 to them, so be sure to check the site within a few weeks if you’re in the market for gently-worn denim. I intend to do the same re-purging of my wardrobe at the conclusion of summer, with the clothing I didn’t wear or had a change of heart with, and also again in the fall/winter. Until I’m at a more consistent size, I’ll be rewearing the things I already have that fit & renting new pieces off of Nuuly for non-workout attire, events/special occasions, etc. BTW – I had no idea Nuuly was owned by Anthropologie & one of my best friends, another postpartum mama, recommended I sign up for a rental membership during this era of in-between sizes. I’m so happy I did & can’t wait for my next box arrival!

Started posting more Reels & finally committed to TikTok

As a Grandmillennial, adapting to new methods of social sharing has felt like an ever-changing race against the algorithm & relevancy. SO often I feel like I can’t keep up and even when I try, my efforts are rarely seen (literally..lol) People give Influencers a lot of sh*t for being shameless, but you have to be in order to profit in this industry. I’ve found in my recent return within the last two months (I took time off for about a year while pregnant due to perinatal depression & burnout) that it feels like I’m starting over, brand new in a way. Because the way to get your content seen has changed dramatically – i.e. video is preferred over static photos, and the algorithm rewards efforts of Reels over anything else. Unless I get with the times and begin to push out tons of organic content, essentially rebuild/revamp my portfolio, I won’t be landing any brand deals the way I used to get in my inbox anytime soon..

In-feed photos and blog posts will always remain constant for me, but having to adapt to video as a more frequent medium is a learning process. I’m definitely behind with the times but creating content for IG Reels & TikTok is my primary focus for Q3 + 4. I’ve spent several personal hours with myself reflecting, trying to determine what I can provide to my audience and what value I can offer to someone, in my position as an influencer in 2023.  Not going to lie, these reflections have made me feel very low at times; because I feel as if there’s not much I can give or do that makes me “interesting” or “different” in today’s expectation of what it means to be an Influencer. But I love what I do and I’m determined to figure it out, because I don’t want to give up on what I’ve worked so hard for these last 10 amazing years.

I posted two recent outfits to Reels with some fun music that I’ve found myself rewatching to listen back. And if you want to follow me on my TikTok journey, I’d be so appreciative for any engagement on my few, but growing vids! I’m very proud of this particular one I put together last week :]

Updated my Amazon Storefront with my latest purchases

Considering how frequently I’m restocking on baby essentials like wipes & diapers, it’s safe to say Amazon is my primary retailer for just about everything these days. Whether it’s for the girls or myself, it’s nice to know something you’re in need of can readily arrive at your doorstep within a matter of 2-3 days. While I’m navigating this postpartum era of not knowing what size I am or will be next week, and as the girls continue to grow out of their clothing, shopping via Amazon has been somewhat of a security blanket these days. I know it’s not the most sustainable method, but it’s only temporary until we plateau on our drastic sizing changes.

That being said, I’ve been more proactive about updating my Amazon Storefront and organizing my fave finds & purchases into shoppable lists/categories for easy reference. So if there’s ever something you saw me post on Stories with a link, guaranteed it’s probably from Amazon & can be found on my Storefront.

Really happy with my current skincare/beauty routine

Lastly, I’ve received more compliments regarding my skin from strangers in the last two months than ever in my lifetime. And I think a lot of it has to do with the new products I’ve been religiously using day & night this summer season. I normally don’t wear much makeup throughout the months of June-August in general, and clearly my skin shows it’s support in that decision haha. But when I do put some coverage on, it’s very minimal and always has SPF involved.

Here’s what I’ve been using in rotation lately:

DAYTIME SKINCARE — Elemis Peptide4 Adaptive Day Cream mixed with 2 small drops of Drunk Elephant Marula Oil

NIGHTTIME SKINCARE — Tula Cleanser + Muslin Cloth to remove dirt/debris/makeup + CeraVe Plant-Based Makeup Remover Wipes; sometimes I’ll put on these under-eye cooling gel pads for 10-15 min; then Drunk Elephant Night Serum + Vitamin C Eye Cream; followed by Elemis Peptide4 Plumping Pillow Facial Cream mixed with Tan-Luxe Face Tanning Drops (2 drop max) if I’m looking for a little help in the bronzing department

MAKEUP — Rare Beauty Illuminating Primer, Saie Slip Tint Moisturizer, Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation (for under the eye concealer), BareMinerals Loose Powder Foundation, Brow Pencil, Milk Makeup Hydrating Setting Spray; and if I’m doing my eyes – Tarte Eyelash Primer & Tubing Mascara + Liquid Liner

I also posted a TikTok of this makeup routine if you want to check it out too!