Because I only turn 31 once...

I've made it to chapter 31 guys!!! Woohoo! 1 husband 2 degrees, 2 babies, multiple music projects, and a job as a professor in 31 years. Last year, It was hard for me to accept that I was 30 because I felt like I hadn't accomplished all I had set out to do. As I wrote in that post, I literally had to sit down and list ALL of the things I had accomplished. As I created my list, I realized that I've been blessed with so much and was doing really well, all things considered. 

This year I feel content. Am I where I desire to be in all areas of my life? No. But instead of letting that keep me from celebrating another year of life I've decided to embrace this season that I am in. I hope you'll join me in embracing your current season. No matter how hard or painful that season may be, know that it is building you up for a season where you will smile everyday; multiple times a day, if you want. I shared this scripture recently on my IG page (Kerleen):

You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isaiah 26:3)

I have been meditating on this scripture because I realize that the more I think about God and His goodness, the more I am aware of the good in my life. So, share a (figurative) toast with me to the NOW and new horizons. Birthday photoshoot coming in 3...2...1!!

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So, I never miss an opportunity to photograph my beautiful tribe, because one day we are going to treasure these photos. 💙💙💙💙💙 (Whenever I use this emoji, there are always 5 hearts-on for our first born son, Korbyn).

Oh yeah, here are some outfit deets! 

Top: Forever21/ Shorts: Thrifted/ Sandals: Old Purchase/ Choker: Rosegal

xx,

Ker-Leen™

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Hi everyone,

Lately, I've been hearing lots of great things about the clothing site, Zaful. I've also noticed an emphasis to dress retro on social media lately. I'm all about the latest trends on a budget. Everyone from fellow Youtube content creators to my fellow fashion bloggers have found and purchased on trend clothing and accessories from this affordable site. So, I decided I would browse the site and see what they have to offer. I created a small wish list that I wanted to share with you all. :) 

 

Wrap it Up

This gorgeous, red wrap dress takes me back to a simpler time. The print and style is 40-50's inspired, yet the high slit gives it a modern touch. I love what the wrap dress does for a woman's figure. It really doesn't matter what your body type is with a wrap dress. It accentuates curves already present and gives the illusion of a voluptuous figure for women whose curves aren't as pronounced. 

Vintage Twist

I just  love how this dress is a cross between the 50's and 70's. The cut puts me in the mind of a dress from the 50's with a modern length. Then you have the 70s' inspired sleeves, texture and color. How cool is this combination? You get the best of both decades.

That 70's vibe

This lovely dress gives off the 70's vibe with a modern twist. I love how versatile this dress is. It can be worn day or night. I can picture wearing it to a museum, or on a date. 

90's Baby

Nothing says 90's more than a tube dress. This floral sheath dress can be worn on its own with a choker and some canvas sneakers during a hot summer day. It is also versatile enough to put a blazer over the top and wear it to the office. You really get your money's worth with this on trend retro dress.

Back to School, Back to Savings!

Click the link  below to find out how to score some savings!!! 

Thanks for stopping by again! Let me know what dress was your favorite and don't forget to visit Zaful for awesome savings on retro dresses! 

xx,

Ker-Leen™

Hubby and I celebrated 9 years of marriage this year. It was no easy task, and we wanted to do something to commemorate reaching 9 years. This trip almost didn't happen, but somehow God made it all come together. I put together this picture diary to highlight our special time away as a family. It would have been nice if it could have been just hubby and I, but I am just grateful to get away at all these days. :) 

This gorgeous romper was purchased on Amazon and was super affordable! 

So, Amazon has been a life saver these days. We have Prime shipping which makes online shopping a pleasure. I purchased this one piece on Amazon as well. My top was purchased from Zara during my pregnancy and the high-waisted shorts are  from Forever21 and are at least 3 years old. 

Pieces of my heart...Elle is so fascinated with her brother lol.

My little Fleur...

This bamboo wall was too pretty to pass up. 

We shared a most delicious Acai bowl in the morning. I've got to start making these at home. 

Boiled egg whites, veggies and mozzarella on Ezekiel bread! Yummy!!

The view was my favorite part of this trip. I loved stepping out onto the balcony in the morning and just gazing at the sparkling bay. 

I scored this romper on sale at Target and the sandals are a recent purchase from Marshall's.

I paired the romper with a black choker. I love how the choker made this look more playful and youthful. I also had some pretty good makeup days while away. ;) 

My favorite little guy! 

The boys. How adorable are their looks. They both have palm trees on their shirts. :) 

Hubby 

"Oh, hey lovely view". 

The lighting from our balcony was amazing! 

Us. 

Artwork at the hotel. :)

Hubby taking creative pics of me again. Love him. 

We ended the trip at the pool. We had so much fun on that last day. It definitely made the trip all the more memorable. 

Thanks for stopping by today! 

xx,

Ker-Leen™

Hey everyone! I wanted to stop by today to share a 3-part series on how I'm getting back in shape, post pregnancy. It's been about a month since I've been trying out a particular corset/girdle to help with my postpartum body goals. To give you a bit of a back story, I've never been into girdles or corsets because they always made me super uncomfortable. I decided to give the Bellefit Maternity corsets a try about a month ago and it has definitely changed my previous thoughts...and my body! I'll be reviewing the corset on 3 categories: fit, comfort, and effectiveness.

Fit:

The fit on my corset was perfect. The company has you fill out a questionnaire that is aimed to help you determine your true corset size post pregnancy. Not only does the website help you determine your size, but the corset itself comes with adjustable features in the front, side and the crotch area, so I can always adjust the corset as my body changes. I have been wearing the Dual Closure Girdle and this is what it looks like.  

The front of the corset/girdle has a hook and eye closure.

This is the zipper on the side of the girdle.

When you unzip the girdle it reveals an additional hook for a more customizable fit. The boning is encased really well so it doesn't stick me when I am sitting down. 

As you can tell by this picture, the material over the abdomen area is thick and when I have it on it really pulls up all of my excess skin and fat and makes me feel more secure. The groin area has a hook  and eye closure, which you comes in handy when I need to use the restroom. I love that I don't have to take the whole girdle off, just to use the restroom. This small detail helps me keep it on that much longer.

The company even gives an extender for those gals with longer torsos! How awesome is that?!

You can get your hands on one of these corsets HERE, for 20% off, using my code: Kerleen20!!! 

COMFORT: 

As I mentioned earlier, comfort is a bit deal for me. The corset has to be comfortable for me to keep it on. Bellefit Maternity delivered in that respect. The corset is designed to give the maximum support without a hint of discomfort. I was amazed at how well the boning was encased and the extra foam on the side of the corset. The front of the corset has two notches of hook and eye closure so that you can hook yourself looser or tighter as needed. The fabric is breathable and lightweight. 

EFFECTIVENESS: 

I've only been wearing the corset for a little over a month and I typically wear it for about 8-12 hours a day. It is recommended that you wear it all day long for maximum results. After my first wear, I immediately noticed that my waist area appeared to be more cinched. This happens every time. In addition, my waist is more trim as I have lost a few inches within just a few short weeks. I am confident that the corset has helped me achieve these results. I feel supported when I wear this under clothes. I'm not self conscious about my flab any more! It's great to be able to feel more confident while I work on my postpartum body goals. I also love to wear it when I workout. I feel like it is training my waist area back into shape as I sweat! This corset has become my "secret weapon".  In addition to these things the corset is especially helpful right after delivery. It helps with getting your uterus to shrink back down.

Stay tuned for more updates on my progress! 

You can get your hands on one of these corsets HERE, for 20% off, using my code: Kerleen20!!! 

xx,

Ker-Leen™

Hey everyone,

In this post I want to share the 411 on where you can get some cheap sundresses! I just love summer because it's an excuse for me to don colorful, soft, and flow sundresses every single day! I recently visited an online shop, Rosegal, that's home to some pretty adorable summer dresses. I created a wish list to inspire myself, and hopefully you! 

 Fun in the Sun:

This is the kind of dress that inspires you to be outside soaking up the rays. I love the cold shoulder detailing, along with the slit in the front. 

The Day Date: 

You could wear this to brunch with your significant other with light makeup and your hair pulled back and then rock it with a smokey eye and tousled hair for a night time look! I love the combination of form-fitting plus off the shoulder details.

 Curvy's Best Friend:

This vibrant number will look good on almost all curvy body types because of the cinched waist detailing. Whether you are a pear shape, or naturally born with the hourglass physique, this dress accentuates the waist. The bold print takes the attention away from things you might be self-conscious about and, instead, draws the eyes to the trail of color you leave behind! 

 The Almost Dress a.k.a Romper:

I love that rompers feel like dresses and wear like shorts. They provide a one-stop shop for getting ready, much like dresses, but give you a little more coverage in the event that a gust of wind catches you off-guard. This romper is white and boho chic. How could you ask for more?

Wrap it Up!: 

You've got to love a good wrap dress. In this multicolor print you can literally do anything with this dress. You can wear it to a summer wedding, a baby shower, a date night, to church...you get the picture, right?

You want some new clothes, why not taking a look over here?

Summer sales ongoing, all from 33% off. Use code RGEN for another 10% off!

Time for a new outfit!

Surprise code: RGEN

Thanks for stopping by! 

xx,

Ker-Leen™

I was reminded recently that true happiness and contentment cannot be acquired by hoping and wishing for things that you do not have; it is obtained by an appreciation for the now. Happiness is being content with where you are and looking for the very small things in your every day, that make you smile. True success is an appreciation of the present moment. As the proverbial saying goes, "there is no time like the present".

God had to allow me to learn that lesson a few years ago, when I suffered my second miscarriage. I had gone through a season where I was coveting the ability to have children. I wanted to say that I was a mother. I wanted to be able to hold a baby in my arms. I believe that God wanted to give me children, but He wanted to make sure that I learned to be content. After suffering a late miscarriage, I was broken. I had two choices: fall into depression, or pick up the pieces that had shattered through my ordeal and learn to accept what was. I chose to do the latter and during my time of healing I decided to be content.

I sought God by reading my Word, and spending intimate time with Him. I busied myself with His work. I got to know my husband more, and I truly began to let go of my covetousness. Today, I look at my little family in these pictures, and I am moved to tears. I chose to be happy before these beautiful babies came into our lives, so now I can appreciate them even more. My happiness is more about their very essences, than being able to say I am a mom. I look at the both of them and I am filled with gratitude over and over again, each day. I have become well acquainted with true happiness.

My little man, styling & profiling. :) 

I am so in love with his curls! 

Just us, in our element. Out and about, enjoying the sunshine.

I am so excited about getting back to myself again. I've been eating right, and working out. I can start to see the results. :) 

This cotton candy colored top was on clearance for less than $15 dollars at H&M a couple months ago. I paired it with my boyfriend jeans and some blue sandals I purchased from Charlotte Russe, before my baby shower, back in March. 

See my previous post for more details on hubby's outfit, and a special contest with JORD Watches. 

It's so much fun styling the family. I used to style the hubby all the time . Now I have three people to style regularly. :) 

I've had this floral crown for about two years now. It still looks amazing.

Some pics of my boys...

Thanks for stopping by again. See you in the next post,

Ker-Leen™

Hi Everyone,

This month hubby and I will celebrate our 9-year wedding anniversary. I decided to surprise a him a little early, with something I knew he would love! 

This beautifully crafted timepiece is a one of a kind design from JORD watches. JORD watches and I are partnering to host a contest!! Keep reading to find out more! 

We were out and about for a little staycation before our anniversary, so the whole family got dressed up! Here's run down on how we styled this watch:

The striped navy and white shirt and the dusty pink shorts were from an Old Navy purchase. The boots were purchased from H&M some time ago.

The black face against the shade of the wood blends perfectly together. I love the transparency of this style watch, too. You can see every detail in the expert craftsmanship.

I love that this watch comes with a microfiber towel and an extra link for good measure. When you receive the package it feels like a custom, one of a kind present. I would highly recommend this for the men in your life when you want them to feel extra special.

This style, the Dover Koa & Black, is the perfect mix of stylish, trendy, and sophisticated. It fits the aesthetic of dress that is on trend for men right now; casual dressy. 

The hubster thoroughly enjoyed his gift. What he loves about the watch is that it's a highly detailed piece. The craftsmanship is one of a kind, making the watch a unique piece in his collection. This timepiece can be styled casually or for a more dressy, or serious occasion. We will definitely be purchasing more watches from JORD in the near future. 

As I mentioned earlier, JORD and I are partnering to host an amazing contest!  Click HERE to enter the contest. Every person who enters will be entered to win a $100 gift code to use on the JORD site!! Click HERE to enter the contest.

xx,

Ker-Leen™

For Father's Day 2017 we visited what has quickly become one of our favorite places to go as a family: the Zoo! :) Eilan enjoyed it and I think that's why hubby and I enjoy it so much now. It is such an amazing feeling to watch his face as he sees all his favorite cartoon animals in real life! Here are a few photos from our day. 

My boys had on tailored shorts and shirts with athletic sneakers. I am loving this casual preppy trend right now. 

I wore this Ikat print romper and it was perfect. It was loose, light, bold, and feminine. That's the look I'm going for these days as I heal and et back into shape post pregnancy: Easy, Feminine, Fabulous! I paired it with some fringe strap-ups I purchased from Marshall's. The romper is from target. For an interesting mix, I threw on some leopard print hoop earrings. I'm all about minimal jewelry these days, with just a pop of interest. 

Later that night, we all went out to dinner at an amazing restaurant called Elevage. Per usual, we took some family photos. :) 

We visited the zoo for Eilan's 2nd birthday, too! Here are some pics from his bday festivities. ;) 

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! I'll be back real soon with more content! 

xx,

Ker-Leen™

Well, our baby girl is here!! I do not have the words to express how grateful I am to have given birth to another beautiful and healthy baby. She is already almost two months old! The Lord has been so gracious to me and my family. 

I posted the following on my Facebook page to explain the names of our children: 

Some people asked us about our babies' names recently. God gave us Eilan one night on the way to a movie. Eilan means oak. I didn't understand why God gave us that one and later I read Isaiah 61:3 and it became clear. God had replaced our mourning with the oil of gladness. Our family being an oak of righteousness to bring glory to God. Gisele means an offering and Fleur is flower in French. She is our flower offering back to God. So now we have our oak and flower; our very own Eilan and Elle. 💙💙💙

My c-section experience was a good one yet again. I was graced with the opportunity to have the same surgeon conduct my c-section this time around. She ended up switching hospitals. Although I wasn't very fond of the hospital, I was grateful to the have the same surgeon a second time around. For the most part, the staff at the new hospital did a great job. I stayed for the entire 3 days and then we took our baby girl home. Recovery was not bad; I started to feel better the following week and I was able to get off of my pain meds all together. I will be doing a video introducing baby girl and talking more about my recovery experience on my mommy channel on YouTube (LeMomLife). 

The birth of our baby girl was peaceful and beautiful! I wanted to share some photos with you all from that amazing day! If you haven't watched my birth vlog you can view it here.

Here's another gallery of pics from my pregnancy...enjoy the carousel. :) 

Thanks for stopping by today. :) 

See you in the next post,

Ker-Leen™

Hey Everyone,

As you all know I am currently expecting. I am due sometime in May, so baby girl will be a Spring baby. I can't wait to take her for trolls in the park and outdoor excursions. Hubby and I love to go for jogs together, so finding a dependable jogging stroller has been a priority for us. 

I was ecstatic to try out this new Evenflo stroller because of our need. However, when we received it and tried it out I was blown away by the quality. 

The Evenflo  Jogging stroller is a high quality jogger/runner's stroller that helps make exercising with a baby easy. Here are a few things I love about the stroller: 

• It has an awesome reflective canopy that keeps baby and me safe exercising after dark
• The seat is spacious and comfortable for a toddler up to 70lbs
• The storage basket is huge! 
• It has real tires...by real I mean they are inflatable so that you can control the pressure. They are also more shock absorbent, which makes for a smoother ride and better handling while running. The tires also have treads, which give more traction on any surface.
• It has a safety latch that goes on your wrist to prevent the stroller from getting away
• It also has  a cupholder and a pouch on the inside of the stroller where a sippy cup or snack can be stored
• I also enjoyed the pouch on the back of the stroller which allowed me to store my keys and cell phone securely
• The handle height is also adjustable which is great because I'm a shortie, but hubby is tall. We can adjust it to our liking.

Once baby gets here I will be going on lots of jogs as I strive to get back in shape. This stroller is the perfect fit for our family because of all these options. It's also very stylish and you all know how important that is to me. You can check out this stroller here. 

See you in the next post,

Ker-Leen™

Thank you to Evenflo for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% honest & completely my own.