The Cake by Hannah

A small town girl spreading kindness like buttercream frosting

Mommy Monday: Your Q’s Answered!

Happy Mommy Monday, y’all! Today I wanted to answer YOUR most asked questions that came through a couple weeks ago for Mommy Monday topics. These are the quick and easy ones I can knock out in a blog post together. Others will be topics for post to come. These are random, all over the board kinds of questions. But, that makes it fun. 😉

  1. When will there be a baby #2? Yes, but no clue when. If I didn’t have to actually be pregnant again or could afford surrogacy… I would tomorrow. I am only semi-kidding about the surrogacy thing… 😉 This past week I was sick with a stomach bug and altitude sickness, though, (separate things, lasted a week between the two O_o) and I remembered what morning sickness was like… I wouldn’t mind waiting a little longer after that… ha.
  2. Did we register for a lot of baby clothes? YES. I registered for equal amounts in every size through 12 months. Then, regardless of how fast or slow my baby grew, I would know I have plenty of things waiting for K. I never was caught off guard that nothing fit him anymore. It was just one less thing to think about.
  3. Did we do baby led weaning? YES. Read all about it here!
  4. How did you transition from the swaddle? We sleep trained with the Dock a Tot from day 1! So initially, we slept Knox in a swaddle in the Dock a Tot in his bassinet. Then, when we moved him to his room a few weeks later, he slept exactly the same way in his room. Then we transitioned the Dock a Tot (swaddled still) to the crib! Once he could start to roll, we removed the Dock a Tot, and it was like we never changed a thing. We used the Love to Dream Swaddles and I swear by them. He slept swaddled until about 6 months. Because of the transitions we did, Knox really never struggled with changes. You can read more here.
  5. Teething Tips? Knox has had SUCH a slow roll with teeth. We only have 4 right now, so I don’t feel like we’ve had the treacherous teething experience others have… yet. It’s coming, I know it is because we have a whole bunch of teeth to come. But, thus far it’s not been too terrible. However, we use Copaiba Young Living directly on his gums and it seems to help a lot.
  6. What’s Knox’s current nap schedule? He always takes a nap almost exactly 2 hours after he wakes up every morning. It’s usually 2 hours. But, it can vary for sure. His afternoon naps are usually 1-3, but he is also fully capable of staying awake and being his happy self if we miss an afternoon nap.
  7. Favorite bottle? MAM and Doctor Brown’s!

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! I hope this is helpful for you, but remember at the end of the day you’re a rockstar. Keep doing what your gut tells you is best for your kid!

xoxo,

Han

Mommy Monday: Playroom

Happy Monday, y’all! AND welcome to Mommy Mondays.

Here’s what I have discovered over the last year of blogging and being a new mommy… A whole lot of you are moms or mommies-to-be… and a whole lot of you aren’t. As you can imagine, trying to create content that is relevant  to everybody while also remaining an open book about my day in and day out (that is often obviously going to be centered around motherhood) has presented a weird combination of emotions trying to create content and write posts that make all of you happy.

So, here’s my solution: Mommy Mondays. This is where you will find all my mommy hacks, Knox updates, and -in short- all things baby. Of course, you’ll see Knox in my regular posts on Thursdays, too, from time to time, but Mondays are when mommy-focused posts will go up (if I have one that week!)

I hope this helps you guys! I know it will help me categorize my posts for you and make sure I am hitting all bases of my life on here. I like the “lifestyle” blog title and not “fashion blogger” or “mommy blogger,” per se. I don’t like being put into a category, so I hope this will help me remain an overall balanced blog for all things and all people in every stage of life.

Anyways, today’s post is all things PLAYROOM! We bought our first home two summers ago, and it’s been a slow crawl making things happen around here that I want done because a. time b. budget liiiife. Also we’ve discovered we both loathe entirely (use your best Jim Carrey Grinch voice) painting. So I have a list of about 20 things I want done in the house, from painting to new furniture to restoring old pieces, that I just cross off little by little. One of those things is turning the guest room into a more functional playroom/guest room for us. The guest room is necessary, because my parents come about once a month to spend time with Knoxy. But, other than that, the room is literally not even looked at right now other than when they’re in town. It feels like unused space that we could really use.

Currently we have my office functioning as a playroom/office/Presley’s room when we are out. So… a PlOfficeRoom? It’s working for now, but is definitely not long term. Believe it or not… I have big plans for my office space that don’t include a teepee. 😉  The reason I want a playroom, separate from his nursery, is to have a well-organized space for his toys and imagination to run wild. His nursery is a sweet space perfect for simple play, reading, and sleep. We have a rocker in there, and the room really is so small that there just isn’t much space more for anything else. I want the playroom to be a space he can throw things around and have his teepee out at all times (he freaking loves that thing… and so does Presley), and eventually a play house, etc. His bedroom just doesn’t have that space. I have began purchasing some items for our guest room to functional playroom makeover, and I wanted to share the entire end goal for any of you who may find yourself in a similar situation!

My goal with this room is colorful and fun, but also keeping in mind that if we grow our family while in this home this room will become Knoxy’s and the nursery will stay the nursery. I have picked out a CHEAP daybed that we can buy a trundle attachment for. This would be like having two twin beds in our guest room, but it shows as a sofa basically. It’s far more functional for us than a room which is 90% filled with a queen size iron bed.

The walls are currently a greigey-tan like the rest of the house (bleh, barf- I can’t wait until we paint the whole house, fingers crossed.) But, they will be painted Alabaster by Sherwin Williams with an accent wall of wallpaper.

Wallpaper Options from Shop B Darling:

Amos | Shepherd | Porter

Fun Rug Options:

Here | Here | Here | Here |

Cool Indoor Playset: Here

 

Finding “Me Time”

Alright, so a couple weeks ago I decided it was TIME. Time to make every appointment I have said I would make for the last two months and actually go to them. DUN-DUN-DUN (insert dramatic music here.) I called it “Self-Care Week,” and it. was. so. good. I cannot tell y’all enough, just like it’s so important to find time with your spouse (sans kids!!!!), how vital it is to find some “you time.”

I don’t care if you’re a mom, a wife, single, no kids, a roommate, living at home… whatever! You need YOU TIME. This is a daily need and then also, on a bigger scale, at least a monthly thing. Have a large chunk of time set aside to be alone, y’all.

I keep referencing this in things I write lately, because it’s just such an important realization: Jesus got away from crowds to be alone. And, I guarantee you it was to re-coop and become a better-equipped self for all the CRAZIES out there. 😉 Okay, Jesus definitely wouldn’t say it that way… But, human Hannah definitely does. I need to get away and re-coop, without Knox or Paul, to be a better mom and wife. Then, of course, as a couple we have to get away without Knox on a regular basis.

When I don’t, I lose it. I am short-tempered, angry, feisty, and don’t want to be touched. That’s not fun for anybody to be around, and I hate when I get to that point.

Most weeks, “me time” looks like a stroll at the grocery store with a coffee in hand alone. Or, it can look like getting my hair or nails done. Or, it could simply be getting to go back to my room with a glass of wine to read while Paul plays with Knox.

Alright, so I say all that to set up my extravagant “self-care” week. My “me time” doesn’t look this fantastic, but I wish it did. 😉

  • I got my eyebrows shaped and tinted with my girl Carrie after MONTHS of saying, “I gotta make an appointment.” No joke, I think I went from May to January without seeing her. Big news: Carrie is branching off from Southern Chic Wax to start her own company and I am so excited for her!! Start following her new journey, here. You can start booking appointments TOMORROW, Feb. 1st!
  • I scheduled my next hair appointment and dentist appointment (praises!). Sounds silly, but it’s really important to me haha. As far as hair goes, my bestie Bethany is the most incredible colorist, and if you’re local she is coming back from maternity leave in the early spring!
  • I went to TruDerm, which I documented on my Instagram, for my first experience with microdermabrasion. I loved it! It was painless, like a deep cleaning for my pores basically. The spa itself was gorgeous, everybody was so nice, and -honestly- here’s what I was most impressed with. Having never been to a clinical spa before, I was expecting a bunch of women with noticeable fillers. Just being really honest. But much to my surprise, from the person behind the desk who greeted me to the woman who did my facial (and everybody in between that I passed)… nobody had “too much” botox. I know that could sound a little judge-y… and I don’t mean it to. But as somebody who values natural beauty but also believes botox is a-okay and you should do whatever floats your boat… I just was really pleased to see an entire clinical spa with beautiful women everywhere with amazing skin and, for those who had it, well-done botox! It was the first thing I told Paul when I came home. I would 3000000% trust TruDerm with fillers on myself or people I know after having seen every single person in their spa and not thinking once “Aw man, they did too much.” I know that seriously could be taken wrong, so please don’t turn it into something. But, TruDerm has my absolute, hands down utmost respect for their work!
  • After 3 years of saying I want to… I finally went to see my first counselor. I KNOW! When I told some people this they asked, “Oh no! Why?” Which it totally understandable! A lot of people go to a counselor in crisis, and I am team ‘See A Counselor’ ALL THE WAY. For me, though, I just know there’s things I need to work through emotionally and spiritually from experiences in my life that I haven’t really dealt with before, and I am excited to finally do so. Some of the best, most admirable leaders I know see a counselor once a month just for the heck of it, and I honor that. I figure if they do, I should too. Already, I feel freedom from getting to talk about things with all walls down and no fear of saying something “I shouldn’t.” Anyways, go see a counselor! I dare you- it just might be the best thing you’ve ever done!
  • I spent a ton of time cleaning out my closet- tossing things I love but didn’t wear this past year in its rightful season (that’s my rule for purging!). I sold a bunch over on @shopthecakescloset, and donated the rest. It felt good to make some money on the side to put into my business and to buy some new jeans I desperately needed.
  • I did no alcohol for 3 weeks and no cake or ice cream. SAY WHAT? It’s true. My church does a fast twice a year, and our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting is always how we begin the year. I decided no glass of red wine like I so love at the end of every day, and no cake or ice cream. I don’t know how we made it with no cake or ice cream… but we made it y’all! Paul and I chose to fill our evenings with intentional reading instead of TV most nights during this time as well, which was so refreshing. I am currently reading It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lysa Terk’s new book… and well, let’s just say I was weeping 10 pages in. Every evening felt like space set aside for “me time” when I got in bed to read.
  • I painted my nails- yeah. I painted them. I have had paint-less nails for at least 9+ months…
  • Another huge deal for me is our gym! We chose our gym because with our membership comes up to 3 hours of childcare a day when we come to workout. So our gym membership is a little pricey… but I also credit it to half of my sanity, haha. Working out makes me a better self, and getting alone time does. And, my kid is getting to play with other boys and girls his age we wouldn’t otherwise know. It’s just all such a win! Worth every extra penny. For the new year, I decided to commit to myself going to at least three CLASSES a week in order to challenge myself physically and to meet people. It’s been so. much. better. for. me. I am just not the type of person who can push themselves in a solo workout. I will just scroll my phone while I lackadaisically use the elliptical for 45 minutes. But now, I feel sweaty and accomplished after a workout again, and I love it!

So, what do you do for “you time?” I am telling you, it’s a vital part of your schedule. And if you don’t set aside time for you… do it and you’ll see why it is. Love you guys!

xoxo,

Han

“Me Investments”

Our Merry Knoxmas Celebration!

This last weekend we had our now 1 year old’s birthday party! It wasn’t because our kid was going to remember this party or because I wanted to put together a “Pinterest-Worthy” occasion -although, it was a little selfishly because I really do love any reason I can get to put together a good party. But, rather, it’s because I wanted to gather together our closest community who have helped us survive this first year of parenting and celebrate the fact we’ve all three made it out alive.

There was a reindeer cake, there were hot cocoa mug cupcakes, there was a hot cocoa bar, there were streamers and balloons. But, most importantly, my home was packed full of people I love and am so thankful for. People who I have texted to ask if I am feeding my baby enough. People I have asked the most detailed questions about breast feeding and postpartum recovery. People who have watched Knox for us so that we can have a day together. People who have watched Knox in the nursery at church every single Sunday, and people who pray for all of us often.

No, I didn’t throw a party for Knox. I mean, I did… But, not really. It was a party to celebrate a joyous year as a mom and dad to the sweetest little boy with the best friends and community around us that a family could ever ask for. That’s what I was celebrating. And, our community’s love and overflow of generosity was on full display when very much to our surprise Knox had dozens of sweet gifts to open. Like, I am not kidding, we legit thought we would be opening family gifts afterwards and maybe a few others. But, wow. Just… WOW. I was so overwhelmed by the outpouring of love on our sweet bubba.

For our Merry Knoxmas theme, it honestly was really easy considering I deck my home out for Christmas as is. I kept things really simple. I am not a great baker, so I bought a plain round chocolate cake at Market Street, and I purchased this antler cake topper. I put a Cherry Sour for the Rudolph nose and done! I then used this idea from Pinterest for the hot cocoa cupcake. We are talking boxed cupcakes people and they were a hit! 😉

We set up a cocoa bar with cute little odds and ends from the dollar section at Target, and I used my cake stands I already own.

For the streamer back drop, I intended on doing a supposedly “cheap DIY” project I had found on Pinterest. I am serious, it was to purchase big crepe paper and cut hundreds upon hundreds of little slits into the sides… for an “impressive” $30…. Well, I got to Party City and found these white ones ALREADY with the slits and the perfect width… for $3.99 a piece. I bought two and it was the perfect amount. I am not kidding y’all. I saved about $20 and at least 3 hours of my life by getting these pre-made crepe paper streamers.

I cut them in roughly 4.5 foot long pieces. I then taped the top, twisted down- all done in the same direction for each piece- and then taped the bottom. That’s it y’all… SO. FREAKING. EASY.

For entertainment, I set up a table with blank pages to write letters to Santa with crayons. And then, I had a cupcake decorating station where I had frosting, sprinkles, candy bars, and marshmallows. The biggest hit of the party was a $3 inflatable penguin bowling set from the dollar section at Target that the kids legit played with almost the entire time. Best $3 I have ever spent haha.

Our cute wooden truck out front to greet people was made by our sweet friends, Kristen and Brian, and it was seriously too perfect! Such a fun photo backdrop for people.

Frankly, the most money I spent to go a little “extra” on this party was on the balloons. But, I think every party needs balloons and it was $40. I didn’t break the bank, but it transformed the whole room! These letters were only $2.99 a piece and are self-inflate. It was way easier than I expected and went fairly quickly.

All in all, Merry Knoxmas was simple and so fun with people we love! I had such a blast putting together this party for our sweet miracle!

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!

|| Get in Touch ||

thecakebyhannah@gmail.com

LET’S GET SOCIAL

|| Don’t Forget ||

Eat cake, be merry & kind
your info