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Hello! Back with another What's in My....Make-Up Bag. I know you're all dying to know what Andrea, Christy, Shaunacey and Sarah have in their make-up bags. What's their favorite products and go to make-up supplies. To start off the party go hop on over to Sarah's blog to see what's in her make up bag.


Want to join us next month? We have one more in this series and we're taking a look inside your Kitchen! So start taking pictures so we can all be nosey, mark September 6th, we'll see you then!

We are only one week away from the end of our Create28 series and we've been having so much fun!  We hope that you have been playing along and enjoying yourself as well!

If you are new to this style challenge, we have brainstormed daily prompts for you to use to create 28 new-to-you outfits this month!  Think of the prompts as little bursts of inspiration to look at your closet in a different way!

Each day of the month, one Blended Blog contributor will showcase her interpretation of the daily prompt.  We are hoping that you will visit each blogger and that you will play along, too!  You can use our hashtag (#theblendedblogstyle) all week on Instagram and then you can come link-up here on Wednesdays!

Here are this week's awesome looks!

Hi friends, Shaunacey here (I know, long-time see - don't worry, you'll be sick of me in a few weeks) I'm so excited to share this blogger with you because she has quickly become one of my favs. Aimee of MamaCentric is a beautiful lady inside and out and she speaks to my soul through her writing. I think I have cried (good tears) reading more of her posts than I do watching PS I Love You (if you've seen the movie, you know A LOT of tears are involved). I have also been fortunate enough to create a friendship with Aimee and she is every bit as sweet and thoughtful as her writing suggests. So, meet Aimee, I trust you'll love her as much as I do!!

Don't forget to visit her on Facebook and show her some love :)






Shaunacey is a regular contributor to The Blended Blog. Quasi-stylish mom, wife and writer. She can be found at her blog Simply Shaunacey, on Instagram or on her back patio clutching for dear life to her coffee (or wine).   

"they" (whoever 'they' are) say that the hardest time in a relationship is the first few years after your children are born. Since we're in the thick of it right now, I'd tend to agree (although, who knows what the future holds).

Our first is turning 3 in April and our second is almost 7 months old. Life has changed so much since they were born, It's beautiful and crazy and busy and tiring and awesome. Those two sweet littles take up the VAST majority of our time and energy. BUT we're still married. We're still two people who met, fell in love and share this crazy life together.

We're just in the midst of trying to figure out hot to negotiate our relationship now that it's not just us and there's so much other 'stuff' to focus on.

The advice I'm about to give is not from an expert who's on the other side, but from someone who's right there in the midst of it all. My "tips" are things that we've found helpful and/or are striving for.



Schedule time - like anything, if you don't schedule it, it's easy to forget about and push down the list of priorities. Schedule together time - write it in your planner (yes, I still use a planner), put an alarm in your phone, put a sticky on the fridge or a circle on the wall calendar. Wherever you keep track of life's upcoming events, make sure 'couple time' is scheduled on there.
What we do: we've decided that we're going to spend one evening a week, after the kids are in bed, doing something that doesn't involve technology. Cooking/baking, doing a crossword puzzle, playing cards etc.

Do little things - it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of taking care of children, putting their needs first, cleaning, making food blah blah blah. When you're in the middle of a sleep regression or a brutal bout of teething, there literally might not be time together without a child. This is the time where little things are so important (though, I'd argue, their important all of the time). Has your partner been up all night with the baby? Have a cup of coffee ready and waiting.
What we do: I always pick up 'treats' for Brent when I grocery shop. It's small and simple but it shows him I was thinking about him when I was out. I love when Brent texts me from work asking how my day is going. Regardless of my answer, I know he was at work and took a moment to think about me and check-in.

Have time by yourself - this sounds counter-intuitive but remember the old saying 'you can't take care of anyone else unless you take care of yourself'. This is true of your relationship as well. It's easy to give yourself when you're feeling somewhat rested/less stressed. Bonus points for encouraging each other's self-care time.
What we do: we both try and support each other in taking the time we need to 'refresh'. This sometimes just means saying "go take a shower by yourself" or agreeing to parent so the other person can go hangout with a friend OR, if your my husband, agreeing to let your wife go to Vegas with her blogging friends (yes, he's getting big points for that one!).

Go on dates - get out of the house WITHOUT children!!! It doesn't need to be fancy or costly, but it needs to be a change of scenery. This can be tricky with really young children and for people who don't have a lot of support, but if you can swing it, DO IT! It's like a reset button gets pressed when you get away together for a little bit.
What we do: truthfully, we JUST went on our first date in 7 months. We got the kids to bed, had nana come over, got dressed up and went out to a nice dinner. I can't even tell you how amazing it was. Warning: once you go once, you're going to want to go regularly!

Touch each other regularly - with energy levels often at an all time low, the last thing on your mind a lot of the time is intimacy. I'm not telling you that you need to be having s-e-x on the daily but that doesn't mean you should stick to a hands-off policy. Quite the opposite, when you're exhausted and sex is the last thing on your mind, it's even more important to maintain some kind of physical intimacy. Hold hands, kiss, hug, put a hand on your partners knee while you watch tv. It's easy and helps maintain a connection.
What we do: Brent always kisses me before he leaves in the morning. The few times he forgot as he rushed out the door, I received a call a few minutes later saying "I forgot to kiss you goodbye" (or I called him saying 'you forget something?').


There you have it... now, off to schedule some time with my man :)