Redefining You Last month, I took a quick weekend trip to visit with one of my oldest and bestest girlfriends who recently had her first baby. After my initial obsessing over her DELICIOUS little boy, we began chatting about the post baby challenges Moms face while we temporarily lose ourselves to the insanity of the crazy sleepless little cherubs we love. Our struggle to re-find and re-define that lady who thinks COMPLETE thoughts and rocks more than coffee stained yoga pants is real, because we know WE’RE STILL HER, dammit! Evolving into different phases of life is always a mixed bag of crazy scary, edge of your seat exciting and an incredible necessity... that can make us think for a minute “Am I going cray-cray?
Pillow available here
It’s not about balance. It’s give and take. It’s up and down. It’s Complicated. Together with baby Grey by our sides, my girlfriend and I spent that weekend editing her closet and shopping for some new post-baby transition clothes. We pieced together outfits that made her feel beautiful and more importantly, gave her a glimpse of “herself” again. Because sometimes taking a moment to do little things for ourself in the thick of the “busy go-go-go” can breathe new life into the the perfectly evolved person we know ourselves to be.
The evolution always continues... With the new year ahead and the relaunch of Complicated Mama, I hope to be able to virtually inspire you to “think different”, live without apology, indulge in those guilty pleasures (like that hot new pair of ankle boots you’ve been eyeing up, or reruns of Sex In The City you know word for word) and unearth all of the fun that makes you the saucy, passionate and fabulous mama you are inside.
Happy Holidays! xo ,
Cori ....................................Ad
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P4
DIY Photography Cheat Sheet
P5
Photoshoot outfit inspiration
P6
Beauty CheatSheet
P7
Cozy Winter Inspiration
P9-11 Wear It 3 Ways P12 Style Cheat Sheet P13 Healthy Holiday Eating Cheat Sheet P15 Saving For Holiday P16-17 Gifts For Her P18 Gifts For Him P19 Best Shops On Instagram P20 Gifts For The Hostess
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P21 Hostess Cheat Sheet P24-23 Gifts For The Kids/Tweens P24 Gifts For The Traveler P25 Giving The Gift Of Experiences
DIY Photography Un-complicated
ISO = Is The Sun On?
Shooting Manual Mode 101 If the sun is “on” low iso. If there is low lighting, raise
the ISO. ISO over 800 can make photos a little fuzzy.
Aper ture=Focus “F-stop”
The “f stop” (ie f5) tells you how much of the
picture is in focus. Low F-stop = small focus more blur to background. High Fstop= larger area of focus.
Shutter Speed
-High shutter speed for moving subjects. Low shutter speed
allows more light + brighten photos but also blurs with motion.
Lighting Tip:
Always shoot with your main light source behind the camera.
DIY Backdrop Inspiration See More at Rooney Photography
See More at Young House Love
See More at Mom To G
FAMILY PHOTOSHOOT Sibling Outfits Un-Complicated
Tips:• Coordinate Outfits– But NO Matchy-Match
• Limit patterns. Rule of thumb = 1 pattern per 3 people.
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Sequin sweater dress/ Boys maroon sweater/Polka dot dress/ 2pc suit/ Boys houndstooth suit/ Gray ruffle dress/ Blue romper dress/ Grey blazer/ Maroon dress
Boys blue sweater/ boys tan pants + tie/floral dress/faux fur vest/ striped dress/striped sweater/ blue ruffle dress/ boys teal sweater/plaid shirt
Holiday Beauty Un-complicated
DIY Indoor Backdrop Ideas DIY Indoor Backdrop Ideas
Lips Fuller Lips
Widen Eyes Hide Tired Eyes
Hide Thin Hair Hide Grays
Line a little above lips with white or light liner. Also fill in the center of top and bottom lips
Eyes
White or nude eyeliner inside water line. Lightly line outside of bottom eye lashes with a taupe eye shadow.
Hair
Apply eyeshadow to part. 2 Words... Hair. Powder. Worth every penny!
make-up s i h t s i e t u How c way? case by the Victoria’s Secret
click here
Baby It’s Cold Outside Yum!
Hat
Hat
Peanut Butter Hotties Are The New Hot Cocoas Scarf coat
This yummy goodness was sent to us while we were playing with sequins for this gift guide (see page 10) OMG. My whole family is OBSESSED.
Scarf coat
If you love peanut butter goodness and the coziness of hot cocoa on a cold winter day, you want to check this out.
gloves
coat
....And they’re only 83 calories. You heard it here first, you guys.
Scarf
white jacket
blue jacket
When mixed as directed on the back with water, the drink is just 83 calories. Of course, there is limitless recipe potential though. Below is how we made ours.
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Lea rn this is my more abou t why g Wea pon”, “Secre t Shoppin on pa ge 15.
• 3 heaping teaspoons of PB Hottie • 1 cup of almond milk • Topped with mini marshmallows * For an adult beverage twist, add a shot of toasted caramel whiskey!
OU
I F T
D I T
S A E
Wear it 3 ways
Click Here
Wear it 3 Ways
Sequin Pants
Outfit 1
Mama Style
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I shared the look on Instagram and the consensus was it’s a keeper.
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Here are some similar styles and inspiration on how to wear your gold sequin pants 3 ways.
pants / top / shoes
Outfit 2
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pants / cardigan / shoes
Outfit 3
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pants / tee/ jacket / bag
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Stay tuned to the blog to see these and other wear it 3 ways options.
Girls
Wear it 3 Ways
Plaid Dress
Outfit 1
Littles Style
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dress / tights / headband / shoes
Outfit 2
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dress / sweater / leg warmers / boots
Outfit 3
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dress / sweater / socks / glitter band / shoes
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Boys
Wear it 3 Ways
Zip front Jacket
Outfit 1
Littles Style
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sweater / shirt / jeans
Outfit 2
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sweater / shirt / scarf / pants
Outfit 3
+ sweater / shirt / pants
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Holiday Fashion
Un-complicated
Choosing A Necklace
Got Sta tic?
Put a pin in it. Literally.
Putting a pin in static-y clothing will remove that annoying static electricity.
Stain SOS
• Red wine Immediately add club soad... or white wine. Yes. I’m serious.
• Deodorant Baby wipes. The end. • Oil Apply powder to soak
Smoothing Layered Shir ts When layering a dress shirt with a sweater, add a tank on top of the dress shirt before putting on your sweater. Viola! No more bunching up! or you can get this one piece layered look here credit: Stella & Dot
Holiday Healthy Eating Un-complicated
3 Simple Tips from • Down Size Your Dishes: At holiday parties and buffets, opt for
smaller plates. Doing this will help to keep portion sizes in check and will reduce the chances of you over-stuffing yourself.
• Don't Skip Meals: Resist the urge to skip meals as a way of
"saving up" your calories to use at parties. Doing this leads to over-eating and poor food choices. Instead, follow your clean eating throughout the day and continue having your smaller, frequent meals. This will keep your energy high and your blood sugar stable.
• Cocktail Party Tip: Alcohol calories add up fast! To stretch them, "spritz" your wine with mineral water or seltzer.
For more of Nikki’s healthy holiday eating tips click here.
Join in F-r-e-e Health + Fitness Challenges Every month, Nicole hosts FREE challenge groups that provide accountabilty and practical tips for healthy living. Oh, did I mention some of these challenges also provide her seriously DROOL-WORTHY recipes and God-sent grocery lists? You can check out her latest health and fitness challenges on her Facebook page.
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Savvy Holiday Hauling
Before you check out any of another shopping cart, I want be be sure you are all using Ebates.! It is my secret online-shopping weapons for the past 3-4 years. Many of you may already be using this Ah-MAZING money saver, but in the event that someone is not, I HAD to get the word out before you possibly missed out on any additional savings. Sign up and shop through their site and at the end of the month the LITERALLY send you a check for money back. Over the past few years, I have gotten back (in a real live paper check), $75 on average. This weekend (and Cyber Monday)they will be having some AMAZING "double cash back" opportunities that you WANT to cash in– trust me! For EXAMPLE: On Black Friday, The GAP had 50% off everything.... PLUS 12% cash back when you shop through Ebates. That's 62% off at the end of the day! And who could say no to this adorable less than $8 Reindeer hat or cute boyfriend jeans? I started a post on the blog to track some amazing deals like these throughout the holiday season. Happy Shopping, Friends!!
glitter studs
make up bag scarf
curlers
initial necklace “Wish� ring
wrap watch
sweater
bracelets
eye pallet
ballet flats top
perfume
Booties Aviators Necklace
Earrings
“Screw You” bracelet
Best Jeans EVER!!
Coat
umbrella
Fringe bag
Necklace
MK Wrap Watch Wallet
Drone cologne
Jack Black Gift Set
The Ultimate Gift, For Sure! scarf Sunglasses
Driftwood Dock
beer carrier and opener Cardigan Sweater
wallet
Shopping Instagram HelloApparel
For more shop s we became obsessed with on Instagram click here.
Holiday Faves Feather Feet--
Tribe Is Alive
Loved By Hannah + Eli
Misfit Menagerie
Flint + Fire
Sugar Plum Lane Boutique
plate set
napkin rings
bowl cake server
dish towel
cake dome
salt + pepper shaker wine glasses
drinking glasses
wine bag hostess spoon
cutting board
cookie jar
Hosting The Holidays Un-complicated Hostess Math 101
Drinks Napkins Appetizers Holiday cookies Sliced dessert Time between courses
1 per hr/ per guest 4-5 per guest 6 per guest 3 per guest 1.5 per guest 20 min (from clean up)
Reduce kitchen “traffic jams�
Cut Down On Dishes
Think of the flow of your home. Consider having food outside of your dining area.
Use chalk-pens to have guest decorate their glass, so they never lose their drink!
Simple DIY Centerpieces Magnet Street
Remodelaholic
The V Spot Blog
Need A Lil’ Elf-spiration?
Monster puppets
Check out our Uncomplicated ” Elf On The Shelf Calendar”
teepee
Hungry Caterpillar lacing activity
shopkins
Frozen styling head lemonade/grocery stand
Elsa party doll
Smart watch
NBA 2K15
Pick punch
Dunk Mug
TGIF Socks iTunes giftcard Lip gloss Xbox giftcard Wooden ear buds
weekender bag
power charger
Grid It
NBA 2K15 headphones
small travel pouch
Pick punch
Dunk Mug
TGIF Socks iTunes giftcard Lip gloss
personalized zip pouches old fashion carry on cocktail
Go Pro Hero 4
Wooden ear buds
Gifting Experiences Sometimes the best gifts are not material. Giving the gift of an experience can be incredibly memorable, thoughtful... and lets be honest? Can truly make you a rockstar gift-giver. Click the images below to get info on some of our favorite gift-able experiences
For the Cook
For The Athlete
For The Girls
Citi Private Pass offers Citicard holders exclusive pre-sales, prefered tix and some seriously Ah-mazing once-in-a-lifetime experiences that tend to sell out quick but are totally wor th stalking your inbox for. We attended the Carmelo Anthony + Ray Allen lunches over the summer and my son is still bragging about it. Click here for a list of upcoming events.