Perfectly Pink Denim Jacket Worn 3 Ways

I was doing my usual LIKEtoKNOW.it scrolling when I saw it... a PINK denim jacket. I feel like I've never seen such a thing in my entire life but I NEEDED IT. Best part? It was less than $20! So, when running errands with the fam, we swung by Walmart so I could try it on. I'm very particular about denim jackets. They need to be soft, with long enough arms and I want the hem to hit a little below my true waist. Not too short or it reminds me of the early 2000s (when we wore shrugs and goucho pants. *shudder*). Not too long or it makes me look like a kid wearing a hand-me-down, too big jacket. Anyway... I'm picky. What can I say? 

This jacket is SO soft, it's got some nice stretch to it and the pink is so sweet and versatile. If you feel like your heart wants you to get it but you feel like it's too bold, or you wouldn't get enough wear out of it, here are 3 ways to style it, just to give you some inspiration.

Athleisure, baby! Toss it on over whatever you're wearing to the gym (or to Target, let's be real.)

With white, chambray and a little bling. You really could wear this outfit anywhere. I think it's perfect for brunch with friends or a baby shower.

Today I wore it over a graphic tee, with my fave stretchy skinnies and rain boots. These hunter boots are like 30% off right now, btw! 

Listen. Just do it. Get you the jacket. It's super affordable! Click to shop any of these outfits.

Oh yeah, and here's a pic of how cute Olivia is in case you needed a reminder. 😊

xoxo- Rachel

Motherhood: The Hardest Job on Planet Earth

Oh, hey! Remember me? It's been a minute. This motherhood thing, y'all. I tell ya. I've wanted to be a mom my entire life but being a stay at home mom is the hardest job I've ever had. Nothing could have prepared me for this. 

Olivia has been cutting a top tooth for weeks now and she has been SO irritable and reverted to nursing 6 or 7 times a day instead of just nursing before naps and bed time. She has been wanting me to entertain her all day long, crying if I get up to try and go to the bathroom, let alone attempt to clean house or do the dishes. One minute she's content and playing and the next minute she's crying and wanting to be held and freaking out if I try and put her down. I love this feisty, opinionated little person SO MUCH she has no idea. It's hard to see her so emotional and not really know what she needs or how to help. At this age, they can't control their emotions and often those emotions come out as slapping and throwing things and screaming. It's emotionally taxing and personally, I find it difficult to keep my cool a lot of the time. I huff and puff and sometimes raise my voice in frustration, but I'm reminding myself that she needs me to be the calm in her storm. I have to keep it together when she can't, even when I don't feel like I have it in me. It's. A. Lot. 

Sorry for all that. Sometimes moms just need to vent. 

Even though there are rough parts of motherhood, I wouldn't change it for the world. For every tough day there are twice as many extremely happy days. There are hard moments and rewarding ones. Like when she sees Gil walk through the door and says "daddy!", or when we are out and about and she points to every fluffy thing and says "puppy!". I love watching her figure out how to work her favorite toys and learn new skills like putting a ball in a cup and playing peek-a-boo. And now, she's WALKING! I'm so insanely proud of her and I can't believe how time is flying. So I will hold on to every difficult moment as if it were my last because every night when I kiss her little head and I nurse her to sleep, I remember that she will never be this little again. 

xoxo- Rachel 

Are you an "angry mom"?

Full disclosure, I've been really super irritable lately. I've been impatient with Olivia and my husband, Gil. But I haven't been able to put my finger on what's causing it! It feels kind of like I felt before I was diagnosed with postpartum depression and got on Zoloft. Do I need to up my dose? I'm not opposed to that, but I'd love to try some other things first.

Something got me thinking, though. I was scrolling Instagram (surprise, surprise) and I saw this little graphic from @mombrain.therapist.

WOW, right?? I don't know about you, mama, but I could probably circle 5 or 6 things on this list of unmet needs. I realized that I'm really not taking care of myself very well. I'm a huge proponent of self-care but I've been slacking on that lately. I need to prioritize it. For example, I have been reading the same book since November! It's not even a long book!! I couldn't tell you the last time I worked out. I haven't been out alone with friends since Olivia was born (almost 11 months ago!) and Gil and I have only been on 3 dates since I gave birth. I never drink enough water and I'm always scrambling around to clean and tidy while Olivia is napping instead of doing something for myself. I told myself it wouldn't get to this point and that I wouldn't lose sight of how important it is to take care of myself and relax, but I'm in dire need of some TLC now.

I'm making the commitment to sit down and plan strategic "me time" every week. We are the MAMAS. We take care of people all day and if you're a nursing, co-sleeping mama like I am, all night, as well. :P So, will you make that commitment with me? To take care of yourself, whatever that looks like for you? It's really important, because I think as moms, we frequently convince ourselves that anything we do for ourselves is less important. But we have to fill ourselves up to pour out into others.

I'm going to make sure I take at least 6 hours a week for myself. I'm going to go blog at Starbucks with a tasty frappuccino or roam Home Goods aimlessly and see what kind of trouble I can get into. I'm going to drink a lot of water and eat nutritious snacks. I'm going to snuggle my sweet daughter and not feel guilty about needing time alone. I'm going to thank my hubby for keeping the baby occupied while I take a nice hot shower and it's all going to make me a better mama. How are you going to commit to taking care of yourself? Let me know in the comments below.

xoxo- Rachel