One Dress Three Ways

I don't know about you, but the coronavirus has put a pretty big damper on my Spring shopping. I picked up a few pieces before everything shut down, including this pretty navy printed dress, but for the most part I'm trying to only spend money on necessities. One of the biggest rules I follow when buying something new is that I have to be able to wear it more than one way. This ensures my closet stays versatile, so even if I do go through a period of time where I'm not adding new items I can still put together fresh outfits. So today I decided to style this dress three different ways to show you how easy it is to remix your closet.

Dress / Shirt / Shoes

Dress + Chambray Shirt + Bold Flats

This is a combination that works with literally any dress. The chambray shirt is kind of like a denim jacket but obviously not as warm, so it works better in warmer temperatures. The rolled sleeves and tied waist adds interest and some definition. I love the contrast the red flats provide, but you could achieve the same thing with another bold color.

Dress / Shoes

Dress + Long Necklace + Wedges

Sometimes simple is the way to go, especially when temperatures start hovering at or above the 90-degree mark. Throw on a long necklace and a pair of bright wedges, and boom! One effortless, put-together outfit perfect for a hot day.

Dress / Sweater / Booties

Dress + Light Colored Sweater + Booties

This outfit is perfect for those early Spring days when there's still some crispness in the air. A light-colored cardigan and taupe booties help keep things feeling seasonally appropriate while adding just enough layers to keep you from shivering.

What I Read March 2020

Reading has always been what keeps me sane, so it should come as no surprise that I read a lot during the month of March. Most of it was junk so I'm only sharing the books I would actually recommend. I just started Matchmaking for Beginners and am making steady progress with A Discovery of Witches. The latter has really good reviews and has been turned into a television series by Showtime, but the print is really small and there's a lot of scientific jargon that makes it a little slower going than usual for me. So without further ado, here are the best things I read in March.

The Immortalists
Author: Chloe Benjamin

Four siblings visit a fortune teller who tells each of them the date of their deaths. The story is told chronologically through the points of view of each sibling in the order of their deaths. It took me awhile to get through this one because it was so, so sad. The prevailing theme throughout was love, but more so in a familial sense than relationship.

The Kiss Thief
Author: L.J. Shein

Francesca Rossi is the daughter of a mob boss. When a senator seeking revenge against her father blackmails her father into marriage, Francesca is heartbroken she won't spend her life with her childhood sweetheart. As she and her new husband start to learn more about each other, they come to realize that each has saved the other in some way.

Relative Fortunes
Author: Marlowe Benn

When her half brother challenges their father's will, Julia Kydd agrees to prove her friend's sister's death was murder to keep her half of the inheritance. Set in the 1920s, this story has a Great Gatsby feel to it. Julia's investigation into the suffragette's death sends one family into a tailspin as secrets, each more scandalous than the last, start to unravel. I liked that I wasn't able to figure out 'who done it' before the author revealed it, as well as the fact that several of the characters were based on real-life people.

The True & The Crown (5 book series)
Author: May Dawson
One Kind of Wicked, Two Kinds of Damned, Three Kinds of Lost, Four Kinds of Cursed, Five Kinds of Love

After being exiled for her father's crimes to Earth, Tera has returned to her home of Avalon to attend a magic university. To stay, she must prove her usefulness for the crown and with the help of five men sets out to end what's left of her father's followers. To be honest, this entire series could have easily been just three books, but I do understand why the author chose to end the fourth book the way she did. The final book makes the entire thing worth it, but I can't tell you why without spoiling the plot twist for you.

Court of the Sea Fae Trilogy
Author: C.N. Crawford
Dark King, Fallen King, Rising Queen

Aenor is a disgraced Fae princess hiding amongst humans. When she's captured by King Lyr, she agrees to help him find a fabled blade in exchange for her freedom. Along the way she finds her mate and together they must save the world from a race of deadly, fiery Fae that are trapped beneath the sea. This series was recommended to me by a friend who shares my love of fantasy books.

8 Outfits with a Jean Jacket

If you don't have a denim jacket in your closet, you are truly missing out on a wardrobe staple. You can wear them year-round (at least in the South), they never go out of style, and they go with just about anything. I own two jean jackets - one is a thicker, dirtier wash Levi's jacket, and the other is a thinner, dark wash from Old Navy. They are my go-to completer pieces in the Spring and early Summer when I feel like I need something on my arms. Since we're social distancing and are sticking around the house, I went through my archives and found eight recent-ish outfits using a denim jacket to give you ideas.

For sizing reference, I'm usually a size 6 in pants, 6/8 in dresses, and Medium in shirts. I wear size 7 in shoes.

 Jacket / Shirt (similar) / Pants (similar) / Shoes (similar)

 Jacket / Shirt (similar) / Joggers / Sneakers (similar)

 Jacket / Dress / Booties

 Jacket / Dress / Shoes (similar)

 Jacket / Dress / Booties

 Jacket / Jumpsuit (similar) / Shoes (similar)

 Jacket / Shirt (similar) / Pants (similar) / Sneakers (similar)

Jacket / Shirt (similar) / Jeans (similar) / Sneakers

Welcome to my Home Office

Does it make me crazy to say that my home office is my favorite room in the house? Yes, it even wins out over my bedroom. It's the room that I spend the most time in, even when I'm not working. So what makes it so special? Let's dig in.

When I first started working from home, my office was in the room above the garage, which worked at the time. It was separate from the rest of the house, but because the space was so large, we had dedicated half of it as a playroom for Alexis. It ended up feeling like I only had one corner of the room for myself. Plus it got pretty warm up there in hot weather so I kept finding myself working downstairs.

Last summer, we decided to move my office into our spare bedroom, and move the spare bedroom, which is rarely used, into the bonus room. For the first few months, one corner of the office was set up for Alexis, so she could color, play with Play-Doh, etc., while I worked. Then we redid her room and moved all of her stuff out of the office and into her room.

The office is the one room in the house that's all mine. I can decorate it however I want, and it's the one room that I can actually keep clean and organized. I don't use my office just to work on the magazine. I use it to write, read, and blog.

When we repainted the house, I decided to paint the walls a nice, warm yellow. All my furniture is natural wood, white, and gray. With two windows, I rarely have need of the overhead light, and tend to bypass it for my desk lamp and floor lamp in most cases.

Instead of a typical office desk, I chose a writing desk. It doesn't have a ton of storage, but it also doesn't take up half the room. I also decided to forego a traditional desk chair and opted for this slipper chair instead. It's super comfortable and just the right width to fit underneath this desk. To make up for the lack of desk storage, I picked up this cube organizer that also serves as my printer space. It's surprisingly good quality for the price, and I was able to put it together on my own. Mine is the 'weathered gray' color to match the top of my desk.

Perhaps my most favorite part of the room is my reading corner. The rocker glider that used to be in the nursery was way too comfortable to just get rid of, so I stuck it in the corner. I recently ordered this 5-shelf bookcase so I could get most of my books out of storage. It also comes in 3-tier, 5-cube, and 7-cube in three other colors. As you can see in the picture, my books pretty much filled the shelves, but I still wanted to add some type of decorative touch, so when I came across these pretty colored glass mini-vases in the dollar spot at Target (pic below), I grabbed one of each. Unfortunately, they're not listed online.

As for the final decorative touch, I ordered a pretty round rug to pull everything together. I went with the 5' diameter so that it wasn't overwhelmingly large. It's not a thick rug but the carpet is soft, and I didn't need to buy any rubber backing to keep it from scratching the floor. As you can see, Cooper cat approves.

Disclaimer: This post was in the works well before the threat of COVID-19 and social distancing.

Social Distancing with Kids

You know that saying about March coming in like a lion? Boy was it true this year...except for maybe the part about it going out like a lamb. Although, with schools, daycares, and nearly everything else closed down to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and social distancing in full effect, things have been pretty calm.

So how has my family been spending our unexpected school break? I'd like to tell you we implemented a homeschool routine and have been filling the days with educational activities, but that would be a lie. In reality, we've spent a lot more time outside - riding bicycles, drawing with chalk, jumping on the trampoline, and playing on the swingset - and probably letting Alexis watch too much television. From a parenting perspective, I've spent more time picking up after everyone, attempting to keep Alexis from snacking all day long, and trying not to get annoyed when I'm interrupted working for the tenth time in two hours.

Despite surviving last summer working from home, I wasn't prepared to spend nearly a month at home with an almost-5-year-old. Without our usual break-the-monotony activities like a trip to the library, it felt like we ran out of things to keep her entertained and busy (so I can work) before the first week was over. So I decided to sit down this weekend and put together a list of things we can do to keep busy - and sane - over the next two weeks...or however long we're stuck here.

Visit a local park or playground.

Go for a walk or bike ride.

Have a bubble party.

Decorate your driveway, sidewalk, or even your backyard fence with sidewalk chalk. You can use painter's tape to create abstract "paintings."

Make an obstacle course using hula hoops, sidewalk chalk, jump ropes...whatever you've got!

Go on a picnic. It can be in your front yard or your favorite park.

Have a movie marathon.

Write letters or cards for nursing home residents.

Use Skype or Messenger Kids to keep in touch with school friends.

Our school is posting daily videos of the teachers reading, and Alexis loves it. There are many authors doing the same thing, and Janssen over at Everyday Reading has a running list. Also, check out this awesome Harry Potter Reading Club.

Speaking of reading, the Dothan-Houston County Library has tons of resources on their website. And if you want a safe, fun way to get outside that looks suspiciously like exercise, check out the Story Walk along the Kiwanis walking trail at Westgate Park.

Tumblebooks is giving free access to their online ebooks for a limited time: K-6 Children's Ebook Database, K-6 Math Ebook Database, 7-12 Ebook Database, All Ages Audiobook Database

Take Virtual Dance Lessons with Patti Rutland Jazz.

Cosmic Kids Yoga - 15-minute long videos featuring a cute theme and simple, beginning yoga moves great for toddlers and older kids alike.

Several local art studios are offering to-go art kits: All About Art, AR Workshop Dothan, Tipsy Easel, and Pinspiration Headland. Tipsy Easel is also doing virtual art classes on their Facebook page.

Wiregrass Museum of Art - The museum will post an art challenge on their Facebook and Instagram pages every day with a new theme each week. Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. CST, the museum will post a video on Facebook with guided instruction of an art project to go with the weekly theme. Also check out the Educator's Lair blog every Monday for projects that can be done from home.

Free coloring sheets from the Peanuts gang. Plus free educational activities approved by none other than Snoopy.

Michaels Kids - They have lots of projects posted on their website right now for kids of all ages. They're offering curbside pickup, and in some places, delivery. They're also posting videos from craft classes.

JoAnne's Fabric has posted lots of kids classes on their website. They range from $20 to $80 depending on the craft.

Hobby Lobby also has lots of DIY projects and videos posted on their website.

Cookie Monster is having virtual snack time on Sesame Street's Youtube channel (which is pretty awesome all on its own) to help kids during stay-at-home orders. It's called Share a Cookie with Cookie Monster and it is precious.

Merrick over at Merrick's Art put together a list of more than 50 screen-free activities for kids of all ages. Check it out! There's lots of good ideas on there.

Free Educational Resources
SciShow Kids - YouTube channel with science projects you can do at home.

Primary Playground - A Facebook page that shares lots of fun educational activities you can do at home, like these scavenger hunts.

PBS Kids Newsletter - A resource to keep your kids playing and learning at home while school is closed.

Khan Academy - Free educational resources for kids and parents, including detailed daily schedule for kids ages 4 to 18, interactive exercises, and videos and articles that cover a range of subjects. There's also a free companion app for kids ages 2 to 7.

Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems - Your kids will learn how to draw characters with illustrator Mo Willems. He posts a new episode every day so you'll never run out of content.

Home Safaris with the Cincinnati Zoo - Every day at 3:00 p.m. EST, the zoo highlights one of their resident animals on Facebook and includes an activity kids can do at home. If you miss the live stream, each episode is posted to their YouTube channel.

Mystery Science - Science lessons and experiments that can be done at home, including "who invented pizza" and "why do woodpeckers peck wood?"

Tiny Travelers - Kids can take a virtual geography lesson and learn about other cultures. Ideal for ages 6 and under.

Virtual Museum Tours - 12 famous museums are offering virtual tours.

ABC Mouse - If your school hasn't already, have them fill out this form. They'll receive a code that parents can then use to receive free access to the site.

How to be Productive Working from Home with Kids

Raise your hand if in the last week or so you've found yourself thrown into being a work-at-home parent. Extra points if you usually work in an office. Even though I've been working from home for going on two years now, I was not thrilled at the knowledge that I would be working around an almost 5 year old for three weeks in the middle of a pandemic. Not only am I trying to reassure my clients and readers (ahem, that is to say I'm trying not to lose too much money), but I also can't rely on many of the out-of-house activities I normally use to break up the monotony during school breaks. I figure many of you are in this same predicament, so I wanted to share some of the ways we're surviving while still being productive.

1. Set daily schedules. Our daily schedule changes from day to day because my daily tasks vary pretty drastically from one day to the next, but I've found it's important at the beginning of each day to have a clear picture of how the day should go. Some days I set things up to work in the mornings, but other days I don't sit down at my desk until early afternoon.

2. Daily To Do Lists. I do this whether Alexis is home or not. If I don't have a list of things to get accomplished every day, I often find myself flitting mindlessly between tasks without really getting anything accomplished. Having a to do list gives me daily goals, and it feels really good to check them off.

3. Keep Home & Work Separate. This one is tough. Maybe the toughest thing on this list in fact. Avoid the temptation to take a break to wash dishes or do a load of laundry. If you feel like you can't get away from it (hey, I get it!), schedule it into your day.

4. Set Timers or Alarms. If I didn't set alarms for myself, I would work through lunch (or be late picking Alexis up from school). I also set alarms for how long Alexis gets to do certain things. It helps keep us on track.

5. Ask for Help. This is another tough one, especially for us moms who so often feel like we have to do everything ourselves. But let's be honest. Working from home with kids, no matter their ages, constantly needing something can be overwhelming. So if you've got someone (who isn't sick) that you can ask for a little assistance, do it. There's no way I would have survived last summer without my parents and in-laws stepping in to keep Alexis on more than just weekends.

What other tips or advice do you work-at-home mamas have to make the most out of your work day?

4 Spring Dresses I'll Be Wearing on Repeat

Dresses are a huge part of my wardrobe. They're the easiest way to feel put together without making a huge effort, and for the most part are easily adaptable to different settings. Now that our weather is starting to be consistently warmer, I'm pulling out all my old favorites and adding in a few new gems, including the four dresses I'm sharing with you today.

Dress / Jacket / Shoes

Ok, so this maxi dress is technically not new, but it is still available and totally worth the buy. I'm 5'2" so it brushes the ground when I wear flat shoes/sandals, but it doesn't impede walking. It has an elastic waist so you can adjust the length that way. Mine is the teal green and isn't see-through. Oh, and it has pockets! It comes in seven other colors and goes up to size XXL.

Dress / Shoes

My favorite black floral maxi dress from the past couple of years has finally faded to an embarrassing point, so when I came across this Chaps dress for only $13 I clicked 'add to cart' immediately. It's 100% cotton, and because it's petite sizing I don't have to worry about it dragging the floor with flat shoes/sandals. It's got a lot of pastel colors in the pattern so I'm pretty confident I can style it with several different colored shoes to keep things fresh. Unfortunately, it's only available in sizes PL and PS right now and no longer on sale.

Dress / Sweater / Boots

If there's one thing Old Navy does well, it's these sleeveless waist-defined dresses. They really are flattering and comfortable. This one is pretty thin so it'll be good for summer, as well. This comes in a few different colors and prints. I'm wearing the navy blue floral in size M.

Dress / Jacket / Boots

I've been looking at this midi dress for awhile, but didn't want to spend full price on it. Thankfully I was able to combine some super cash with a site-wide sale and get it for about half off. It has adjustable straps and pockets and comes in three other patterns. I'm wearing size M.

10 Things I Loved in February

February was a pretty dreary month. From near-constant rain to up-and-down temperatures to the loss of my grandfather and surgery, the so-called month of love left much to be desired. But there were ten things I started using in February that have made my life just a little bit better, and today I'm sharing those things with you!

Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation - I've been using Neutrogena makeup for years. It's one of the few brands that doesn't irritate my sensitive skin. But lately liquid foundation, even theirs, has been too heavy for me. I've tried loose mineral powder foundation before and didn't like it, but this compressed mineral powder foundation gives me just the right amount of coverage.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Brightening Eye Perfector - No secret on why I bought this. My under-eye circles were getting out of hand. Not only does this cover the darkness, but it also makes my eyes look a tad bit bigger, so win-win.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream - I bought this for the sole purpose of being able to use it on my face. It's not greasy, doesn't clog my pores, and gives me about three days worth of moisture.

Aveno Skin Relief Body Wash - If you have dry, itchy skin, you will LOVE LOVE LOVE this body wash. It feels amazing. Seriously.

Aveno Clear Complexion Daily Cleansing Pads - These are great at removing makeup (re: do not use them on your eyes). They foam up nicely and one side of the pad can be used for exfoliating.

Silk Pillow Case - I've been putting off buying one of these, but finally gave in because my hair has been rebelling. So far, I can tell a difference in the amount of frizz I have. It's also supposed to be better for my skin, but it's too soon to tell.

Aussie Miracle Curls Curl-Defining Oil - I picked this up one day while I was out and needed to get my lioness hair under control (it had been raining). I've tried a lot of oils with varying degrees of success. So far, this may be my favorite. It has a nice consistency and doesn't make my hair feel greasy after the first day. Plus, it smells awesome.

Laptop Tote - I could sing the praises I have for this tote. It's great quality. It has a velcro strap to keep your laptop still, plus a zippered pocket, loops to hold pens/pencils, and pockets to hold your phone and sunglasses. On top of that, the entire thing can be zipped closed, and it's waterproof.

Round Rug - I've added some finishing touches to my downstairs office, including this beautiful rug. I love all the colors. It just adds a cheerful vibe to the room.

5-Shelf Bookcase - Ever since my last bookcase imploded on itself several years ago, my books have just been chilling in a moving box in my closet. Now, most of them have a new home on this surprisingly sturdy bookshelf.