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Apply these easy tips on your next photo session and everyone is sure to look their finest while making the best memory together! Now I realize that my list here is a bit on the short side with only three easy tips, but that’s because—as a mommy of two, I know first-hand efficiency is vital. And I’m here to tell you, it’s all about capturing the essence of your people/your tribe/your family! Truly, this has easily become my most valuable piece of advice I could give any mom. Yes, of course, what to wear for family portrait day is important, but how to capture the beauty of each unique and special person your family takes the cake, in my humble opinion. Anyone can wear coordinating colors and match buttons with bows, but the key is to encapsulate the magic in the moment.

So, here they are! One solid tip on choosing color scheme, and a couple of reminders to breath deep, and shine. It really can be this easy to execute a fantastic photo session, but we have to keep in mind that we are not to try and control every detail that day. It’s best to harmonize, don’t monopolize. You’ll lose your mind (not to mention quite possibly eyelashes too if you applied falsies for the big day) and you don’t want to do that, so take it easy on yourself and of course your family as well. Trust me on this one, super mom.

Here They Are! Your 3 Easy Tips…

1. Pick a color scheme. Blend, don’t match.

Be adventurous in your color choice. While typically in the autumn months, families will opt for warm tones and rich hues, don’t be afraid to play up an accent color like teal or magenta. Not every single family member needs to be in the same exact color either. Generally, three colors are a sure bet, no matter what your family size is. But that’s not to say you can’t play up textures and patterns. Don’t be afraid to mix & match. Think stripes with polka dots, florals with plaids, matte and flat tones with sparkles and sequins. You get where I’m going here? It’s all good in the color scheme ‘hood. You’ve got room to stretch the colors a bit and harmonize. Trust me. It doesn’t have to feel so restricting, this whole color matching game. Remember, you want your family to look like your family, not a page from the retailer’s catalogue. Authenticity for the win—all the way!

2. Let the littles call the shots (in the beginning).

Remember, you want everyone in a good mood going into this thing so try to be playful and lighthearted with your children… and hey, why not serve up that same kindness and patience to yourself. You did it after all! You made it to the photo shoot, dressed the whole family to the nines, and was on time for the photographer. Score! Now just enjoy the moment with the little squirrelly rascals and your beloved spouse. The photos will turn out gorgeous, I promise you.

3. Relax and have fun with the real-life moments.

Be natural. Relax. Be YOU! Seriously. There is nothing more beautiful than the original, once in a lifetime, you. So make that smile count, make it shine, own the moment.

Why is it mission impossible to find plain clothes for your children? Sure, there are times when I want them dressed up in their most obnoxious frills, mainly for the sole purpose of embarrassing them 20 years from now, but certainly not for every day. I have always been choosy with items I would ultimately end up purchasing for my little ones. I have a girl and a boy, and have found it equally challenging to find them clothing both in-stores and online that wasn’t covered in logos, screen prints, characters, and did I mention logos? The #momlife struggles are real when all you want is a soft, well-constructed, simple solid-colored anything to put on your child, and without a hefty price tag, please. 

Thankfully, I discovered Primary! I was searching high and low for a plain hoodie, and it was a nightmare, when I finally stumbled upon Primary.com while shopping online. The days I had spent searching for the hoodie felt like an eternity. But, lo and behold, Primary.com appeared like angels parting the online clouds. I was floored by their motto: no logos, no slogans, no sequins. Say what?! Where have I been? Am I dreaming? My mama heart burst with joy and gratefulness. My next plight, would they actually have my son’s size in stock? Moms, is that not always the next dilemma? You finally find what you’re looking for and then boom! Sorry, currently out of stock. Such a bummer. But, not the case with Primary! Yep and yep. They had my gem of a plain hoodie and they had it in his size. Only cost around $10, and came with a free shipping promo. Score!

I received the shipment just days later and was blown away by the quality! Soft, almost stretchy, and oh so durable. No tags, no hangers, no blinding brands, and logos. Every bit about packaging and product, of course, was delightful to receive. If you are looking for sweet and simple clothing that can go with anything, then Primary is it. They offer free shipping over $50 and offer over 15 vibrant colors to choose from. They offer sizes ranging from baby (0-24 months) and kids (2-12 years) and I love how their website actually shows how they fit on each of the different sizes of children. So, when you click on size 2, you will see a 2-year-old in the dress, and so on for each age. Genius! I can totally get a visual of how the sizes run and if it looks as though it is true to size or whether I need to size up. I love that feature!

Needless to say, I will absolutely be purchasing more from Primary.com in the future. Believe this picky mama when I say, Primary is my new go-to! And should be yours, too.

This article is not sponsored; I simply adore Primary.

Spring is in full swing. But don’t run for your maxi just yet! 2019 is unapologetically giving us all the powerful feels and with absolutely zero frocks given—that is to say, swap your spring dress this season for a playful change-up with pants, capris, shorts, skorts, and jumpsuits! The swearing in of a more diverse and female House of Representatives and Senate, along with changes in the fashion-scape (Hello! Anthropologie’s industry waves with their APlus drop earlier this week!) have boss babes everywhere hunting for patterns, shapes, graphics, themes, and color. We want to make a statement and it’s not going to be frilly. So, why are we seeing so much staying power from 80’s glam and 90’s grunge in 2019? It’s the edgy platform on which feminism was built. From the shattering of glass ceilings to more personal and spirited design, there is a strong emergence on visual story-telling, something of a dance between being heard and being seen. Unfolding is an undeniable emphasis on social media in how we consume. These changes, as they pertain mostly and specifically to women and societal factors impacting women, also relate to how fashion trends begin and the route which brands emerge to constantly develop and deliver the trends. That said, there are always new trends to play with, embrace, despise, or keep a close eye on until you’re ready for them. You don’t have to try it all at once. Ease into it; try one new thing. As for me, I’m going for the biker shorts this season. See the other trends sparking my interest now, and the affordable style replicas for those who dare to go for it…

1. BLAZERS + BIKE SHORTS + CHUNKY SNEAKERS

VERO MODA Belted Blazer, $89

HUE High Waisted Biker Short, $21

PUMA Thunder Electiric Sneaker, $120

2. MONOCHROMATIC SUITS

3. 80’s/90’s GRAPHIC TEES

Photographer, Carla Guler | HARPERS BAZAAR US

Photographer, Carla Guler | HARPERS BAZAAR US

TOPSHOP Smart Suit, $153

TOPSHOP Belted Suit, $170

Urban Outfitters, $39

Urban Outfitters, $39

A.L.C. Lennox Suit, shopbop.com

RE/DONE Wild Child, shopbop.com

MADEWORN ROCK, shopbop.com

Closed Cockerel Suit, shopbop.com

Instead of a new year’s resolution in 2019, I decided that I am making a new year’s declaration. I said, a new year’s DECLARATION! (**does the happy dance) This means shifting my perspective from merely promising myself to stop bad habits or pledging new ones, but rather taking the position of speaking powerful truth over my life and declaring all good things I want to see come to fruition in my life. And I want to share how you, too, can get your mind out of the heavy and hindering clutter, and moving towards the light—pun intended!

So, if you’re anything like me and are slightly overwhelmed by the notion of changing perspective but you really want to see consistent and effective change in your life, then you might be reading this and asking yourself, how do I even begin to shift my perspective? How is changing perspective really that different from what I have done in the past? Is is going to work? How do I make this kind of change last because my resolutions never seem to? Well, what if I told you this? That the heart of the matter lies within your own power, your own control, to make the decision to feed your soul the good stuff, often and regularly.

Think about it in this way… ask yourself this, what is influencing your life right now? In other words, what is feeding your soul at the core? Is it social media? Sports? The gym? A substance addiction? A television show? A job? An unhealthy relationship? It’s important we dive deep and be truthful with our selves, not only to better understand this topic but to have effective and lasting results, because what you’re putting IN is a reflection of what you’re putting OUT. Plain and simple. I think we can all agree that we can be influenced in both right ways and wrong ways, but how to differentiate the good from the distraction is significant and essential for creating new ways and thriving as were designed to do.

My hope is that this article would begin to inspire within you the power of influence in your life. So many of us at the start of each year have big dreams of purging closets, our homes, maybe your garage, etc. But what about the thing that matters most? What about taking a different approach when casting your new year vision of battling the clutter? What if we shifted our focus to finally, once and for all, conquering the clutter withing our spirit. our mind, and our body? I have experienced the life-altering, majestic effects of changing perspective and am so empowered to continuing learning and  understanding that all parts of me—spirit, mind, body—are connected and are made to flourish, but we have to know how to nourish.

That said, clutter (also known as excessive amounts of anything) is not good for you! And, I’ve got three useful tips to help you when you start getting lost in that deep, dark tunnel of clutter, comparison, and that dirty little troll of negative self-talk.

3 things you can do to Get your mind out of the CLUTTER:

1. Channel Your attitude into gratitude. Immediately remind yourself of 3 things you’re thankful for in your life. If you can’t think of anything, here’s one I can share right now:

There’s only ONE You.

2. Write the opposite of what your biggest insecurity is on sticky notes and put them in places you spend the most time in throughout your day. (For me, that’s my kids’ room, living room, bathroom and my car.)

3. Stop & Turn Around. (No matter if the distraction is TV, social media, or a person in your life.) Turn it OFF. Tune them OUT. And immediately walk away.