AUBREY KINCH

I knew coming into my marriage and accepting a son, I'd have to take on the "stepmom" role and we've had a pretty seamless bond growing. He's trusted and respected me and shown me love beyond words. My heart has grown 100 times learning to love this child. It's been a learning process having Drake for 7 days at a time now every other week. It's been such a blessing to Andrew and myself and for our little family unit and it's something we've been dying for. It's also something that brings trials and bad days because guess what.... he's 7 and testing boundaries at our home and trying to get away with things we know aren't acceptable with his mama.

My first moment of truly punishing him set in this past week. I was in tears after giving him his consequence and it hurt my heart so.freaking.much watching him bawl begging for forgiveness. He looked me in the face, lied and thought I wouldn't catch it and when I did, my heart dropped knowing I'd have to punish him. 

In theory, it's easy to tell yourself you'll be strong and stand your grand when discipling. In my mind I thought it would just be as simple as saying no to TV or denying some time on the iPad but lawwwwd, it was brutal. Never did I think I'd be so emotional and feel so bad for having to give a severe consequence so he could learn his lesson. I've prayed and prayed for wisdom and comfort for finding my voice with him. How I can be a great stepmom and role model while also connecting and becoming close to him. Along with all those duties I realize I have to put on the ugly hat sometimes to show some tough love but I wasn't prepared for how trying it would be on my heart.

jeans | Old Navy
top (option) | Forever 21
sandals (option) | Target
purse (option) | TJ Maxx // Steve Madden
watch | Fossil
sunnies (option) | Old Navy
necklace (option) | Forever 21

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This playlist is loooong overdue and I send my apologies for keeping it away for this long. Truthfully, I haven't made it to the gym too often lately and it's a little embarrassing how quickly I've gained weight again so I was at the gym last night scrolling through my playlists thinking it's about time I shared some of my favorites with you for getting me motivated or in this case.... feeling diva-esque! These are all songs that scream girl power and I just can't seem to smile....and run when I hear them. So enjoy!

you can view other playlists, here.

click here to download.

Maybe solved might not be the best way to describe this because it may not work for you but hey, it works for me and that makes me happy! I used to sleep soundly when I was growing up I think due to dancing all the time and school being completely exhausting. Now that I've "grown up" (stupid adulthood!) I seem to have trouble a) winding down for the night and b) actually sleeping.

I'm envious of my husband cause once he's on the couch in front of the TV for an hour before bed, his mind has turned work off and he's already getting into his "down time" needed before hitting the sheets. I, however, sit on the couch, still going through emails, planning my next day, thinking about what I should wear, considering how I should promote my next post, going through social media feeds, catching up on the house "to-do" list....blah blah blah. I think you get the point. It was months of sleepless nights with the days following with migraines due to lack of sleep so I finally broke down and purchased sleepy tea. Literally, it's called sleepy tea and I buy it at Sprouts. This stuff changed my life. From there I threw in a couple other elements and since I've been sleeping much more soundly. Let's review, shall we?

one // Soft Hair Ties: Since my hair has been starting to grow a bit, it's now a nuisance when I toss and turn at night. I've purchased some of the infamous Anthro hair ties to pull it back, which one, gives me a better night's sleep and two, doesn't pull as tight as the standard high tie leaving my hair without a crease! Perfect for styling the next day.

two // Lavender Lotion: It's really true, lavender does help soothe and calm bringing a sense of tiredness over your body so I've pulled in some lotion to my nightly routine and sometimes I even use Johnson & Johnson's Night Time Baby Lotion. Trust me, it works!

three // Pillowcase: Invest in a soft pillowcase. When we first got married we purchased 2 sets of sheets from IKEA because they were $30 and the perfect gray but they are terrible when it comes to comfort. I since then I have bought a few sets from Target and only buy 500 or more thread count or organic cotton and it's made the world of difference with comfort. On the same note, get a pillow that you love lounging with. Hubs likes his big and fluffy, I like mine thin and hard. Find what speaks to you and get it!

four // Face Regimen: Each night, I like to take 15-20 minutes pampering myself. I get my jammies on, snag the lavender lotion and dive into a small window of time washing my face, doing a light microderm a few times a week, adding eye cream and night time moisturizer. I used to skip and sleep with make up on a lot because I was so.over.the.day. but learned taking the time is not only better for my skin but better for my sleep because I've washed away the day's work, built a fresh canvas and prepped it for some z's.

five // Sleepy Tea: I said it above but I'll say it again, get some. I like vanilla and I add a touch of organic raw honey. It's bliss.

six // Jammies: Am I the only one who used to just grab whatever was comfortable when you're home not caring if they match or not and throw them on? Well I shopped around a little and bought a few lingerie type numbers from Forever 21 and H&M and started changing into those beauties as soon as I'm home. It's like you're getting ready for a party.... but a sleep party and you feel darling while doing so.

Out of everything mentioned above it's really not about drugging yourself or finding the only position you can fall asleep in. I see it more as taking the time to care for yourself and to pamper so you can feel better and stay vibrant during your days! 

Does anyone else have tips they've learned to a better night of sleep?

We've talked a few times about having my lifestyle change on the blog dealing with my migraines and finding meals for me that are all organic and all clean eating so I've finally learned my perfect mixture of ingredients for a delectable green smoothie. It took me a few tries and if it were really up to me, I'd alternate the fruits from a strawberry, banana to pineapple, blueberries and pear. I've shown the first option here excluding the almond milk I use. I buy all my items from Sprout's or Trader Joe's and stock up for the week on Saturdays.

Basically, it's the most simple of meals to make and it's something that makes you feel like a rock star. Kick it up with some extra spinach or sweeten it a bit with a touch of Stevia.

Enjoy, friends!