Hannah Morrison

My Skincare Routine

Can you believe I am about to celebrate a ONE YEAR OLD’S BIRTHDAY? I just cannot believe Knox is about to turn 1. This time last year, I had a massive pregnancy tumor on my finger (It’s a thing!!!) I was convinced was just a blood blister… and was SO OVER BEING PREGNANT that I would cry on the floor of the shower every night. In case you didn’t hear about my Pyogenic Granuloma… AKA Pregnancy Tumor… I had it removed surgically 3 days before my due date and was waddled to the plastic surgeon across the street because my meant-to-be 30 minute procedure was almost two hours in and they couldn’t get my finger sewn back together… You just can’t make this crap up y’all.

Anyways… This year has been full of laughs, joy, a whole lot of sleepiness, and tackling new unknowns by the day. One of the unknowns I wasn’t expecting, and frankly just didn’t have on my radar, was how on-going my postpartum recovery would be and what that could entail. You guys… the first lady cycles after so long of being without… WHY DOESN’T ANYBODY TALK ABOUT THIS STUFF?

Listen, I ain’t gonna sugar coat. It sucks. The most pain I have been in in my life was labor. Second most painful experience… first few periods postpartum.

I stopped breastfeeding at 6.5 months, and then started my period just a week later. (TMI… sorry, y’all. I don’t know how to share about this without just saying it like it is haha.) With this came even more crazy hormone changes and, alas, insane breakouts. I have had worse skin the last three months than I did when I hit puberty, y’all. It’s been so frustrating, and I have felt my confidence plummet. Let’s just be real- when our skin is dry as the Sahara and full of blemishes… it’s hard to feel confident. I finally invested, after months of attempting to doctor it with my usual extra basic skin routine, in a true skin regimen. And you guys… my skin cleared up in a matter of days.

I want to share what I have used to hopefully help you and so you get to skip the hours of research I found myself stuck in. You’re welcome… ha. 

Before heading to Sephora, I read lots of reviews online about what to get. Every big name brand… I have read about them now. To be honest, until my skin freaked out, skincare has been the least of my worries and I haven’t invested in healthy skin. So researching felt a lot like reading a foreign language, and before doing so I couldn’t even name off 5 good skincare brands. But, I am turning 27 this year and I need to seriously start taking care of my skin and being proactive. I wanted to go into Sephora with a plan, because I felt so overwhelmed by all the options. And I knew if I didn’t go in with a plan… I would either leave frustrated with nothing or I would leave with $500 worth of stuff and I would be murdered by my husband. 😉 (This is very much my personality… anybody else with me?)

So all that to say, here’s what I discovered:

The Clinique 3-step acne routine was consistently a top rated (and, thankfully, affordable!) one that multiple sites had as their best-seller. The one month’s trial kit was only $28, so I decided that I would give it a shot. The other options I was looking at were about 3x’s this price… so I thought if this one worked then it’s a win-win situation.

Then, because my skin was so horribly dry from OTC spot treatments and lotions that seriously messed me up, I desperately needed to add a serum and hydrator.

I got the Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly. I am OBSESSED. It was a game changer.

Then, I got the Sunday Riley LUNA Night Serum. (I bought the smaller one!) This was my  biggest investment, but it’s a game changer and the reviews for it were too good to not trust.

Lastly, I also use what I call the Unicorn Mask (The Kefir Probiotic Mask) from Tula once or twice a week. I have had this a few months, so it wasn’t new but it’s definitely worth noting! It has been so helpful.

All in all, I left Sephora for $110 and in three days my skin was TOTALLY CHANGED. Compared to the $300+ regimens we were preparing to spend a pretty penny on… $110 for proper skincare was honestly not only good… but it was a RELIEF. I wanted to cry day 2 when I woke up and could see a drastic change in the feel of my skin.

Current Routine:

  1. Wash with Clinique’s Step 1 Foaming cleanser (morning and night)
  2. Tone with Clinique’s Step 2 (morning and night)
  3. Apply LUNA Night Serum (At night only)
  4. Apply Clinique’s Step 3 of All-Over Treatment moisturizer (Morning only)
  5. Apply Clinique’s Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly
  6. Tula’s Kefir Probiotic Mask (Twice a week!)

I did just buy Drunk Elephant’s Rise and Glow Duo regimen to mix up my morning routine (particularly once I really feel my breakouts are under control). I have yet to use it, but I am pumped to test it out. I will update how I feel about it.

I also purchased the Protini Polypeptide Cream from Drunk Elephant, because my girl Lauren Sims said it’s the best! I will likely rotate this one with my Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly.

So these were my first investment in proper skincare, however I have the following products on my must-buy/Christmas lists to mix up my routine and test out. All the bloggers I read from to learn about what they use said they switch between different regimens daily for best results, which actually shocked me. I figured you should stick to one thing but most really don’t.

To-Buy List:

Sunday Riley’s UFO Face Oil- I almost purchased this instead of the LUNA night serum. But, I had to make a decision and decided to go with a night oil first. This evidently helps a lot with breakouts and dark marks for an over all even tone. I said “no” to this item in my first trip to Sephora since I chose to try the 3-step acne treatment from Clinique. However,  I am excited to test this one out after I finish that regimen.

Sunday Riley’s Good Genes-  This one evidently is fantastic post-breakout. It helps with dark marks, and I plan to purchase this soon.

Drunk Elephant’s T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial– This is a mask that I would switch back and forth between with my Tula Kefir Mask. I have read great reviews, and it’s at the top of my Christmas list!

Simplifying This Holiday Season with The Best Gift Ever

Is anybody else just totally freaking out that next week is Thanksgiving? I put things on the calendar that I will have to reschedule, because I didn’t even realize it’s already that time. I will be out of town, and literally haven’t even put two and two together that Monday, yes THIS MONDAY, is when I leave to be with my family! WHAT? Where did November go?/my brain…?

Somebody, please tell me that you also have been a semi-hot mess lately. And even if you haven’t been… just lie to me and say you have been. 😉 For a glimpse at the crazy: Yesterday, in a matter of one hour, I managed to turn the corner and run into my superhuman baby who crawls faster than, I swear, any other baby on the planet. Shin to face. And, alas, we have a black eye. Then, I proceeded to accidentally knock him on his face as I was guiding him toward his dad.  And then, to top it all off, I turned for 20 seconds while I started dinner to find him in our pantry playing with the plastic knives.

Can I get an “Alleluia!!” that Fridays are Daddy day?

Gosh, this year has flown by. Between the obvious of having my first baby and work, and then the other intricacies of life and relationships that can ebb and flow with a dash of crazy, I just really cannot believe Thanksgiving is here and the holiday season is already back. Would you agree it’s pretty valid to say that this time of year most of us are battling the lie and tendencies of “more, more, more?” Do more, see more, have more. The “crazy notch” goes up a few for the next two months. More than any other time of the year, we find ourselves just trying to keep up with our overcommitments and -worse- desire to spend more, have more, and *as if money could bring this* be more. If we aren’t careful, the holidays can quickly be marked by a time of proving ourselves. But isn’t it meant to be, the heart of the holidays, the complete opposite?

For a long time, the word “simple” felt like a cuss word… Simple? Nobody gets what they want by being SIMPLE. But, friend, can I encourage you? Can I challenge you? What if this year was different? What if rather than falling into the same routine of keeping up, feeling always a few steps behind, you took it slow? What if you recognized with gratitude all the blessings surrounding you at a pace in which you can truly soak it in? What if you chose to keep things simple this year?

Perhaps you have heard- I am releasing my first real, downloadable, printable devotional next week. It will be available on November 23rd, the day after Thanksgiving. It’s a two week study, diving into scripture about the greatest gifts God gave us through Jesus. The gift of hope, fearlessness, love, prayer… just to name a few. I wrote this devotional in a way that every member of the family can grasp. I wrote it simply, fun, and clear so that the both the 4 year old and the 64 year old can benefit from the simplest truths of the Gospel. See, if you ask me, we have done a really good job complicating everything in life, but especially who God is. People are so divided. We can’t even agree within the Church (the captial “C”, everybody who believes Church) about hardly anything, let alone outside the body of believers. *I just made myself delete a long rant about the division in the church to help stay a little more focused in this post that is meant to be about simplicity and living a focused life… baby steps.*

Though this devotional is labeled a “Family Devotional,” because of its ability to speak to the youngest member of your family, I really do feel confident in saying that this is for you, too. Sometimes, the greatest gift we can give ourselves is simplicity. What if all of us reminded ourselves of the simplest truth of who Jesus is, and chunked everything else that doesn’t matter out the window? OH HAPPY DAY! The most pivotal, life-changing moments in my own walk with God, and in Paul’s, have been when we simplified our faith. When we stopped complicating things. Quite literally for Paul, it was when he read the Jesus Storybook Bible to kids as a counselor at camp and remembered the simplest truths about Jesus. Following Jesus is honestly simple. Easy? No. But simple, yes. Why is it simple? Because he’s done the paving of the road for you. We are called to run on it. He’s gone before you. You need only be faithful.

I cannot wait to share this labor of love with you. I cannot wait to see parents feel confident and empowered opening scripture up in their homes with their kids. I cannot wait to hear of college roommates sitting down and doing this together in the midst of finals to remember that, though school and life is crazy right now, the truth of Jesus’ love is simple and unchanging.

Thank you in advance for inviting my family into your home this holiday season. I hope it feels like we are sitting together in your living room, pajamas on and cocoa in hand, learning about Jesus together. My burden and vision for this devotional is that you would feel equipped to spiritually lead in your home- whatever that home and living situation might look like.

So much love for you,

Han

Burgundy Pinafore Dress: @shoplandrykate

Glasses: Here | Similar Shoe: Here | Bow: Here

All photos by Cottonwood Road Photography for The Cake by Hannah

How To Make the BEST Family Christmas Photos

Today I have a VERY special guest on The Cake by Hannah, and I am so excited about it! Meet Hannah Hagaman, the talent behind basically everything you SEE on this blog. Hannah has been my photographer for over 3 years, and I am so thankful to work with someone who is both a dear friend and is seriously so talented. We were sorority sisters at DBU back in the day if you can believe it (8 years ago!!!), and we reconnected after college when we were first diving into our own businesses and pursuing entrepreneurship. Hannah has taken our last 4 family Christmas card photos, starting in 2015, and every year she knocks it out of the park. Our little family has morphed and grown since our first session with Hannah, but what doesn’t change is that her photos always capture us in the season we are in so perfectly. From a wildlife ranch to a beautiful white barn, a goldendoodle and a baby bump… We have had some fun shoots!

Follow Hannah at Cottonwood Road Photography, here. AND, at her personal account, here.

I asked Hannah to share with you all of her best tips and tricks to capturing your family behind the lens.

Hey everybody! I’m so honored to be writing to you guys today! I’m the other Hannah- the Hannah behind the images here on The Cake! I wanted to bring you guys a handful of tips today to help you have AMAZING family photos that you will love forever.

  1. Keep it short. No baby, kids, dogs, etc will last longer than 20-30 min for photos. Half an hour is the perfect amount of time to capture those smiles & laughs before anyone gets distracted or fussy.
  1. What to wear? Skip the bright colors. Go for more neutrals or softer colors because these will photograph so well every time. You can absolutely still wear color just tone them down a bit. Coordinate, don’t match. As much as we love the 90s do not show up with everyone in white button downs and jeans. Pinterest is an amazing resource for photo attire. Feel free to follow my Pinterest board if you need inspiration! This is YOUR shoot, so whether or not you want to dress it up and wear special occasion outfits or if you want to keep it simple in sweaters and booties, remember to make it your own because this is your family. If you’ve never had your colors done (where you find out your color palette of what colors look great on you and what not to wear), this might be a good chance to do that, that way you know exactly what colors will look the very best on you!
  1. Bring snacks & water! It may not be hot outside but water is still important and snacks can be used as a distraction!
  1. Give them a break! If the kids aren’t feeling the photos, take advantage of the time and get some couple photos (when was the last time you had photos of JUST you two?)
  1. Trust your photographer. If they put you in a funny pose or you start to feel awkward, that’s totally normal but know that the end result will be amazing. Your photographer is a pro at this and they can see how awesome the photo will turn out even if you feel like everything is out of control. Sometimes the best photos come out of the most chaotic or awkward moments. Laughing at yourselves in the process also makes for great photos!
  1. Lastly I just want to say, prepare your heart and mind for these to not be “perfect” photos. The photos you see on Pinterest are curated and only the best of the best but this is YOUR family. Your kiddos may be crazy and that’s okay. Let your photographer capture the season you are in today!-Hannah of Cottonwood Road Photography
So without further ado…

Here are our family photos for Christmas 2018! We went casual this year, because it just seemed fitting for the season of life we are in. Ain’t nobody got time for gowns and tuxedos with a 10 month old. 😉

Shop our outfits:

Hannah’s Top | Jeans| Shoes | Lip Color

Paul’s Jacket (Hubba hubba- I am so obsessed!!) | Jeans | Shoes

Knox’s Jacket | Jeans | Shoes

Baked French Toast Recipe

I am a sucker for traditions, and sometimes to a fault. I stick to what I have done exactly the way I have always done it for the sake of keeping tradition arguably more than anybody I know. This time of year, as the holidays approach, I am reminded of just how many colder weather traditions I actually have. Food is important to me. I live for making good food for people I love, and eating certain types of foods at certain times of the year to commemorate certain things.

For me, lasagna is for Christmas Eve, corn casserole is for special holiday parties and meals, mulled wine is for brisk evenings, chili cannot be eaten until the first official cold front of the year, and baked french toast is made for special fall and winter breakfasts but PARTICULARLY for Christmas morning.

I love this baked french toast recipe, and the best part (aside from how tasty it is) is that it’s so easy to make! I hope you implement this recipe into your own traditions and love it as much as I do.

Baked French Toast 

You will need a 9 x 13 pan. (You can get mine shown above, here.) Set the oven for 350 degrees.

  • 12 slices of bread (we use GF Udi’s!)
  • 2 cups milk (or 1 cups milk and 1 cup half and half)
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter (softened)
  • 1/2 cup pecans (chopped)

Spray or butter the bottom of your pan. Lay first layer of sliced bread (6 slices). Mix together milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Pour half the mixture over the top of first layer. Repeat with second layer of bread. Place dollops of butter on top of each slice if you’d like, and cover. Put in the fridge and let sit for 8-10 hours. (Not necessary, you can bake it right away, but it makes it fluffier!) Add the topping before sticking in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (give or take- watch for it to brown on top and all egg mixture is no longer liquid).

Take out and let cool off, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with fresh fruit, pecans, syrup, and whipped cream!

All our outfits are available in The Cake Shop!

Photos by Cottonwood Road Photography for The Cake by Hannah

Baby’s Ten Month Schedule and Foods

I can’t believe I have a ten month old! I typed this up for my mom when she watched Knox for us while we were in Cancun, and I thought it’d be helpful for those of you following along with our schedule for your own babes!

You can get a whole rundown on more foods and our Baby Led Weaning process here. 

Meal Options for Knox

**Mix and match 2 of any items for every meal

Slice everything VERY TINY, never anything crispy or browned

Breakfast (7 AM)

1 egg scrambled

1 waffle with butter (put in oven at 425 and leave until just no longer cold- not crispy)

Cinnamon toast (butter, brown sugar, cinnamon- again, not crispy!)

1 cup Cheerios

  • 4 oz. formula bottle

Mid-Morning (10:30 AM … or after waking up from nap)

Teething wafers

Cheese slice + turkey

Toast

Peanut Butter Puffs

1/2 Avocado

1/2 Banana

  • 4 oz. water

Mid-Afternoon (2 ish)

Teething wafers

Cheese slice + turkey

Toast

Peanut Butter Puffs

1/2 Avocado

1/2 Banana

  • 4 oz. water + also 6 oz. formula bottle

Lunch/Dinner (1 PM ish & 5:30ish)

Pasta with butter and almond milk

Quesadilla

Peas

Macaroni and Cheese

Black beans

Rice

Shredded Chicken (Canned)

Frozen Veggies (sliced very tiny)

  • 4 oz. formula bottle + also 4 oz. water


Knox’s Typical Schedule

6:30 AM Wake Up

EAT, PLAY HARD, READ, ETC.

8:30 AM Nap time (It will be two hours on the DOT to whatever time he woke up)

10:30 Wake up, Mid-Morning Meal

1 PM Lunch

1:30/2ish PM Nap time

3:30 PM Snack Time

5:30 PM Dinner

6:30 PM Bedtime

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