Blog • Page 7 of 7 • Ashlee and Her Tribe

February 24, 2018 by Ashlee

My skincare routine

In April I am turning 33. I now need to take my skincare routine very seriously. I take a more natural approach to skincare because your skin is your largest organ and I want what I am putting on my skin to be as natural as can be. I do admit I am torn because in my teens and 20s I was a sun worshiper! I hardly ever put sunscreen on and always laid out. I mean who doesn’t want to look like a golden goddess? All that vitamin D I soaked up is totally showing on my face and neck. I have a lot of sun spots and my crows feet are getting bad. I want to eventually get Botox ( I know you must be thinking you just said you love using natural skin care products how could you think about Botox)? I call it BALANCE. Mama still wants to look good!! Do you watch the Real Housewives on Bravo? These women are in their 50’s and look like teens. Oh to have endless amounts of money to spend on yourself care!! Rant over now back to the products I swear by and use in my everyday life.

* Update July 2018* I have since started using this antimicrobial face brush from Michael Todd Beauty I use it a few times a week at night time with my face wash. I wet the brush put a little of my face wash in the center of the brush and move it around my face and neck for about 2 minutes. It is amazing! It helps deep clean my skin making my pores look smaller, it helps fight wrinkles by increasing circulation to my face, and it improves my skin elasticity.

I discovered a family owned company called OSEA about two years ago and I am Obsessed. Their products are natural, non-toxic, and vegan, free of parabens and synthetic chemicals.

I use this creamy Ocean Cleanser every night. It is an organic seaweed gel cleanser. It takes off all my makeup and my skin feel so soft after I rinse it off.

I use this Thayers Witch Hazel as my toner every night after I wash my face. I like this one because its cheap and after I use it my skin feels tingly and free of all excess dirt and grime. I buy mine from Target.

I put this serum on next. It is so lightweight and gives my skin a glow. I use this in the AM too. Its hyaluronic acid helps fight fine lines and wrinkles.

I use this cream around my eyes and lips to fight wrinkles. It has mineral peptides that help firm and gives me the extra moisture I need around my eyes.

This moisturizer is life!! I use it every AM and in the PM. It is so light and quickly absorbs in my skin. It has organic algae, shea butter, and avocado oil in it.

I use this mineral spray after I do my makeup every morning. It gives me a nice dewy glow and helps plumps my skin. I also use it every day in the winter time when my skin is looking dull and dry. It brings me back to life!!

I use this Dirt Joe coffee scrub once a week to exfoliate my skin. I use it all over my whole body and gently use it on my face. It has coconut oil and coffee grinds in it.

I swear by this algae oil. I used it all over my whole body when I was pregnant with Winter to avoid stretch marks. I also use it on dry patches on my face during the harsh dry winter months. It has an amazing citrus smell and gives your skin a healthy glow.

I get this clay mask off of amazon and I love it. My skin looks so healthy after I use this and my pores look smaller. I generally use this about 1x a week.

I use the cheapest eye makeup remover I can find. I either use Target up-up brand or neutrogena. I think eye makeup remover is something you can go really cheap on and it makes no difference.

*Update July 2018 I have been playing around with Young Living Essential oils. I have been slowly adding them to my skin care routine. I really like Frankincense. I add one drop to my nightly moisturizer or to some coconut oil. It helps to fight wrinkles and the smell is great for anti stress and anxiety. If Frankincense was good enough for baby Jesus it works for me!!!

*Update February 2019

Jade Roller: A jade roller is an ancient Chinese beauty tool that you use on your face and neck. You apply your favorite serum (In my case I either use Frankincense oil or the OSEA algae oil I shared above) and then roll the jade roller up your face in an upwards motion. You do each spot on your face and neck about 3 times. The jade roller helps penetrate the serum deeper into your skin, improve circulation, gives your skin a healthy glow because its increasing blood circulation, it reduces puffiness and helps with any head tension.

*Update April 2019

Tula Eye Balm- This product is the bomb!!!! It’s an instant pick me up for under eyes. I use it after I wash my face in the morning. It brightens and tightens my under eye.

If you have any recommendations for some good wrinkle creams please comment below! I am always open to trying new products. I strongly believe in using natural products but once in awhile I open to chemicals. Life is to short and you need a little balance! I hope you enjoyed reading all the skincare products I love and use in my every day life. I am not sponsored by any of these products.

xoxo

Ashlee

February 23, 2018 by Ashlee

A Magical 1st birthday party

I love planning a party I obsess over the little details and how everything needs to coordinate. I always want the budget for the party to be unlimited. Lets face reality, I need to stay on a BUDGET!!! The first thing I do when I plan a party is pick a THEME. Every good party needs a theme. Once I pick the theme I start thinking of the color palate I want this party to have. Then I decide on the food, drinks, decorations, and a space.

I have planned many boy birthday parties with Hudson and Everett. You want a boy theme I think we covered it (monsters, trains, sports, super hero, etc) Winter’s birthday was the first girly birthday party I got to plan. I wanted something soft and really feminine. I decided on unicorns!! I saw a dress over on Instagram by one of my favorite tutu dress companies Taylor Joelle and I had to have it for her. The colors were coral and mint. I immediately decided the color theme must me coral, mint, and gold.

I had her outfit planned for months. I worked with Winter’s godmother who owns her own event planning company called Carli Penelope Desserts. We talked about my color theme and how I wanted unicorns to be involved. For the food we decided on mini sandwiches cut in quarters for the kids. (ham & cheese, turkey & cheese, and sunflower butter & fluff). I also knew I wanted fruit cups, chips, veggies, and hummus. For the adults I wanted to do wraps with different meats & and cheeses, and then tuna wraps. For drinks we had a coffee bar, flavored mineral water, and juice boxes for the kids.

The day of the party everything went well until I realized the gold number one I special ordered from Amazon turned out to be a beer mug. #fail. I decided not to let it ruin the party and to just have fun with it.

The dessert table. I LOVE how the glitter table cloth adds some shimmer to such a beautiful display. We went with cakepops, chocolate covered oreos, mini vanilla cupcakes, and key lime pie shooters. We decorated the highchair with felt flowers.

Mini sandwiches turkey and cheese, chicken salad, tuna salad, and (sunflower seed butter and fluff were a huge hit), fruit cups, cheese & crackers, veggies, chips and hummus, and fresh flower as a center piece.

This is one

It such a magical fun day. I had so much fun planning my princess’s first birthday. Thank you to Carli for making my vision come true. She is so talented. If you are in the Jersey area check her out Carlipenelope.com

What a fun year loving on our girl Winter!

xoxo

Thank you for reading

Ashlee

February 20, 2018 by Ashlee

Meet my tribe

Easter 2018

I love this picture of the 5 of us in Ocean City Maryland

My husband Patrick is my high school sweetheart. He loves to cook and work out. He is a supportive instahusband (Instagram husband) he helps me take a lot of pictures and offers me input on content.

Hudson is 7.5 and a nature born leader, great in sports, math, and the best big brother.

Everett is 6. He is the sweetest, silliest soul. He is great in sports and he asks the best questions

Winter is 1.5 She runs the show and is our family’s happy place

PJ party never a dull moment with these 3 loves!

February 20, 2018 by Ashlee

Baby #3 Birth Story

Remembering Winter’s birth and those first few days after we brought her home from the hospital and became a family of 5!

I was lucky to have 3 easy pregnancies with all of my kids. I enjoyed being pregnant. It calmed me and made me feel like I had a purpose. I loved feeling my babies move inside of me. I know my husband would say I was miserable and uncomfortable at the end of all of them but, I think that is normal. I chose to be induced with Hudson and Everett. I had an epidural with both of them. When I was pregnant with Winter, I knew I didn’t want to be induced. I decided I would let her come when she was ready. Looking back I am so happy I decided to do that.

Winter was born March 7, 2017 at 3:59 PM she weighed 8 lbs 9 oz

One of the best moments of my life. Her first time nursing. Feeling all the emotions pure joy, relief, excitement, happiness, exhaustion. I did it!! I gave birth naturally to my 3rd perfect baby.

Birth Story

On my due date March 7, 2017 I dropped the boys off at school and I remember so many people at the school were asking me when’s the baby coming. I was uncomfortable and ready to have her. I remember saying “who knows when she will come.” After I left the school I went to my 40 week appointment. I was feeling down since it was my due date and I was not having any signs of the baby coming. The doctor checked me and said I was about 1.5 centimeters dilated, but I should make an appointment for next week in case she still doesn’t come. I was VERY irritated. I called Patrick on the way home saying how miserable I was. He was a little on edge because we are planners and the unknown of when the baby was coming was rough on him. I went home from my appointment and I remember feeling the need to CLEAN. I starting cleaning the kitchen and took a bathroom break. When I wiped I saw some blood. I was a little nervous but figured it was normal from my doctor checking me to see if I was dilated. I called the doctors office and they told me to head right to the hospital. I don’t know if it is because this was my 3 baby or if I was in major denial that I was about to give birth but I didn’t go right to the hospital! I continued to clean. I started washing all the bed sheets in everyone’s room and I finished packing my hospital bag. Patrick kept calling me asking if I was OK and if I was in labor. I told him I don’t know but I am going to lay down. I arranged for my mother in-law to pick the boys up at school so we could head to the hospital. I suddenly started getting contractions. They weren’t timeable, so I took my mind off of them by finishing up putting fresh sheets on everyone’s bed. My husband eventually came home and packed his bag for the hospital. I started to get stronger contractions. I was yelling at him “HURRY!” On the way to the hospital I told him we needed to stop for gum because for lunch I had garlic humus and my breathe stunk. I remember he went into Sheetz to pay for the gum and I was holding the door handle because a strong contraction was coming on.

We decided a few months prior to this day that we would not deliver at the local hospital that my doctor delivered at. He was not on call anyway and we wanted to go to a better hospital in our area. When we arrived we weren’t sure where to check in so, I just walked right into the emergency room and told them I was in labor. They asked if I needed a wheel chair and I said no. I have no idea why? I think I was still in denial. All the sudden a strong contraction came on walking to the labor and delivery section that I screamed yes get me a wheel chair!! We walked in and told them I was in labor and everyone seemed shocked that we decided to use their hospital and not the hospital where my doctor delivers. I quickly gave them my information and they handed me a hospital gown to put on. As I went into the bathroom in the delivery room to put the gown on I felt the sudden urge to push. I ran out of the room and said I need to push. All the nurses looked at my like I was nuts. A nurse quickly checked me and said oh yes this baby is coming. At that moment I freaked out!! I had a vision of the labor taking awhile and I would be able to get the epidural. When they said there was no time for the epidural and the baby was coming now I kept saying I can’t do it. My husband and the nurses in the room reassured me I could do it. They called for a midwife to come in. I started pushing and I remember that pain. It felt like my hips were cracking in half. I was screaming and growling at the top of my lungs…I cant do it!! My husband said women have done this from the beginning of time you can do it! After a few more pushes a midwife delivered Winter Bradley Stoodley. She was born within 30 minutes of entering the hospital. . She was perfect so strong and healthy. I nursed her seconds later. My heart was so full to have welcomed my 3rd baby so dramatically.

Natural Birth VS Induction + Epidural

Having had 2 babies that were induced and getting the epidural with them and then having Winter come naturally, it was 2 totally different experiences. I felt like she was more alert. I felt amazing after her birth. I could get up and move. I did not feel weak like I did after the boys births. Overall It was an amazing wild experience and I couldn’t have done it with out my husband.

The first two weeks as a family of 5

This was the day we brought Winter home from the hospital. I was so happy to bring her home and put her in her crib for the first time. The first few days home where blissful and hard at the same time. The boys did amazing with the baby they loved her! Nursing was going well. Winter was gaining weight and sleeping. I on the other hand wasn’t sleeping. I was exhausted. I didn’t sleep the last 2 nights at the hospital. I had anxiety and I couldn’t get it to go away. My mind was racing every time I tried to fall asleep. I remember I tried tea and a hot bath. It took me about 10 days to finally sleep. We think it was due to having such a fast birth my adrenaline shot up and it took me awhile to calm back down.

We had a blizzard come a few days after bringing Winter home and we joked that her name was perfect because she brought on more winter. We had about 24 inches of snow. School was cancelled for the week. I had to keep the boys busy while taking care of the baby. As I write all of this I am even more aware that time goes by so fast. Appreciate all the moments even the ones you do not enjoy because looking back I loved every minute of my pregnancy, birth, and those early days of us all bonding as a family of 5.

Winter brought more winter with a blizzard in mid march 2017

An exhausted mother of 3 trying to survive. This picture captures the early days perfectly nursing Winter while making silly faces with these goofs!

Thanks for stopping by

–

Ashlee

February 20, 2018 by Ashlee

Weekend Vibes

What we like to do on the weekends! Maybe we can give you some inspiration:

We live for the weekends. We love to nest up as we call it and cook. I’ll share some recipes we love making on a blog post later. We also love to be outside when the weather is nice. The kids love the local parks, going for scooter/bike rides, we love hiking at a local state park and a trail near our house. I love letting kids be little and let them explore in nature. I think sometimes parents schedule way to many activities for their kids. Kids need to have free unstructured play!

Weekend park life

Winter playing with a flower

Scooter rides.

Letting the boys explore and play in the creek.

Feeding the animals at Hillside Farms

Nothing is more fun for kids than playing in muddy puddles after the rain

or in the yard.

We love to cook on the weekend. We usually have a big breakfast on Sunday’s. Besides eggs and avocado toast we like to make chocolate pancakes with strawberry puree in them and top them with coconut flakes. We also like to get the kids involved in helping us make dinner. Build your own burgers, tacos, and pizza night is a favorite.