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Shop Memorial Day Weekend Sales

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, Friends!
I hope you are enjoying some sunshine with your friends and family! I’ve rounded up a few sales from some of our favorite retailers that are happening this weekend only! There are tons of big sales happening, so don’t miss out. 
You can click any image to shop!

Shop Buddy Love Sale
Shop Colleen Rothschild Sale
Shop Hanna Andersson Dresses
Shop Hanna Andersson Swim
Shop The Oaks Apparel Sale
Shop Oventure Sale
Shop Pink Blush Sale
Shop Siloe Boutique Sale
Shop Smocked Auctions Girl
Shop Smocked Auctions Boy
Shop Stella & Dot Sale
Shop Tubby Todd May Sale

I hope this has been helpful for you if you’re shopping this weekend!
Check back in the next day or two for more updates!

xoxo, Watson

Blog Post

A Day in the Life: Running my Business at Home with a Toddler

How It All Started

When I found out I was pregnant, I really hoped and prayed that I would be able to stay home with my baby, which has always been a dream for me. I know, it’s not for everyone, but I really just wanted to be a full time mama!

However, this meant quitting my full time job in order to pursue my new dream. I actually studied Health Promotion, and my full time job was working in Corporate Wellness and even coaching Crossfit over the years. Since fitness pretty much consumed my life, I decided a few years into my job, that I wanted to take on a little side gig in a totally different “field”. My sister had started as a Stella & Dot Stylist a few years before, and I was always buying the products from her. She finally convinced me to sign up to be a stylist for myself (back in August of 2016 right after Austin and I got married). I loved it and still love it! I had truly no idea how many doors this little venture would open up for me in the years to come.

July 2017 at my first Stella & Dot conference with my sister

The Next Few Years

For a few years, I ran this side gig on the weekends and in any free time I could find. I threw parties, had friends host parties and shared my love for Stella & Dot through word of mouth and wearing and sharing. 

Social media was starting to get more popular, so I took a plunge and switched over my personal Instagram account to primarily a style account. I created Instagram stories to share Stella & Dot products and would share my link through my bio or through direct messages. 

After doing this awhile, I started getting questions on other details of my wardrobe. I thought, if there was a way I could not only share S&D but also my wardrobe and other items I wore and loved, this would be even more ideal. Shortly after, I applied and was accepted to LTK (liketoknow.it) where I was able to link multiple different brands and share links for my followers. 

Throwback to some fun little outfit shoots back in the day.

Fast Forward

Starting a blog was always on my radar, but if I’m being honest, it wasn’t one of those things I thought I would ever do. First, I didn’t have ANY clue how to start that, I didn’t know what I would share, didn’t even think I had anything anyone would care about reading, and every other thought or excuse under the sun.

Well, I got pregnant with Ansley and decided, heck, if I want to do this, now is the time!

I knew I would have a little bit of time before she was born (sorta lol) and if nothing else, I would use the blog to journal about my own experiences like what to pack in my hospital bag, share maternity fashion, my birth experience, mom life and more.

So end of 2018, I started this blog, WatsonAnsley.
(Sidenote: WatsonAnsley was my originaly IG name, and I never changed it. Ansley was my middle name that I dropped when I got married and wanted to keep it in someway. Didn’t know at the time that it would also be my daughter’s name)

When It All Really Began

Our sweet little Ansley Mae was born at towards the end of 2019, and everything changed for the better! I ended up having a bit more free time than I had before after leaving my job. Who knew..newborns sleep a lot in the beginning, lol. Don’t get me wrong newborn life was tough and emotional and just all so new. But, any time Ansley was sleeping, I was working (whenever I wasn’t also sleeping, ha!). I became so determined to learn new things on my terms. For the first time, I felt like I could learn and work for what I wanted instead of doing something someone else told me to do for them. What a freeing experience!

This is when even more of a shift happened. I was still sharing fashion and accessories, but I wanted to authentically share my new life with anyone who was following. I wanted to share mom world, my breastfeeding journey, our favorite mom hacks, baby products, and more! I truly felt like I had a purpose now. I felt like I was really helping other moms feel less alone. Sharing my experiences as a new mom, brought in so many new friends and new conversations. I didn’t know it all, of course not, I just became a mom. But I figured, why not share my journey along the way. I can do my best to help others and others can also help me as I learn!

Not All Rainbows & Butterflies

I felt like I was getting into more of a groove with my work and also being a mom. But as most moms know, the second you feel like you get one thing down with your children, they like to change things up on you.

If I’m being honest, balancing it all took a big toll on me. I had started taking on more collaborations, aka more work, which I LOVE (and still love). However, Ansley was changing and growing too, which meant more of my time needed to be spent focusing on her. 

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get frustrated. I was finally feeling like I could have the best of both worlds, working for myself on my own terms and also being a full time stay at home mom. But that was just it, both were becoming full time, and there was only one of me.

Ansley turned 15 months, and I decided to start her in a Mom’s Day Out program just a couple hours a week *cue major mom guilt*. I had quit my job to stay home with her and now I was sending her off, so I could work and have a minute to myself. By the way, it’s been the best thing for us. I quickly learned that not only did she love being around other kids and it was great for her development, but it was also super important for my sanity and mental health as well. Everyone needs breaks and being a full time mom can drain you at times.

Making a Shift

For a while, I was still trying to balance working on the days and hours she was home too, since Mom’s Day Out was not long at all. It worked for a little while, but I found myself getting so frustrated when I was getting interrupted or not able to finish something I started. I quickly realized this wasn’t fair to her at all. I didn’t want my child to think I was never paying attention to her or that I was on my phone every time I was with her.

Well, two months after we started Ansley in Mom’s Day Out, we actually moved to a completely new town, a really small town compared to where we were before. They didn’t have Mom’s Day Out here, at least not one like we were going to previously. It was the end of March, and every school or day care I called was on a school year calendar (even for 1 year olds), so I waited for 2 weeks and kept calling places. By the grace of God, my top choice school had one child drop out right when we needed to get in, and she was able to start shortly after with just 5 weeks left in the school year.

I decided shortly after that in order to be the best mom I could be and also get my work done that I was going to work only during school time or nap time as much as possible. Don’t get me wrong, at times this just isn’t possible with deadlines and partnerships, especially ones that I involve Ansley in, but I noticed a huge shift in both of our happiness levels when I made this change. I could now focus solely on Ansley when I was/am with her and work when she isn’t with me, as much as humanly possible.

Since she was out of school in the Summer, I lined up babysitters to help a few days a week at the house and I would go in another room to work. This was also great for her because she was able to learn to have me in the house or same room and not be a total clinger like she had been her entire life, LOL!

Having a Plan

Whether it be during the school year or Summer time, it has required me to have a plan ahead of time. If I want to be as productive as possible while I have help with Ansley, I need to have a plan of what I am going to get done BEFORE I send her to school or the babysitter arrives. Otherwise, I find myself wasting time and becoming more frustrated.

Sundays are a great day to plan for the week, since Hubby is also home. It’s not always possible for me to plan out every single day with the work that I do, but I at least try to draft an idea of what needs to be done before the end of the week or on certain days of the week. Having a planner is KEY for me! It always has been and makes such a difference in my productivity level.

As you know, if you’re a mom, nap times can be unpredictable too, so I’ve had to learn to prioritize what is most important that needs to get done first and what can wait. I can’t tell you how many times Ansley will wake up, and I won’t be finished with what I am right in the middle of doing. Like, just about every day. But, that is life. If need be, I move that task to the next day or plan to pick up where I left off at another time.

You Get to Decide

Becoming a mom is life changing. No one can really prepare you for what you’re going to experience, because everyone’s experiences look different. But I can tell you, you can do it all, just not all at the same time. You can be a stay at home mom and work for yourself. You can create dreams and goals for yourself and accomplish them with a determined mindset and attitude, even when it feels like no one is cheering you on. Just be sure to give yourself grace, because you’re not meant to carry it all alone at one time. Life is filled with seasons. You get to choose what is most important to you in that moment. You get to choose your attitude and how you will respond to not only the good & celebratory seasons, but also how you will respond when things get really hard and everything feels impossible.

This “new life” we’ve created is beautiful, also hard, challenging, frustrating, you name it..But every day I have to remind myself that my baby is only a baby for a short amount of time. I’ve chosen to cherish each moment to the best of my ability. I’ve also chosen to keep working, because it brings me great joy to help and connect with others and also have an outlet for myself outside momming 24/7. I’ve chosen to make this season meaningful and impactful on both my baby (soon babies) and this amazing community.

If you’re in a season of feeling drained, or pulled in too many directions, I hope this brings you some encouragement. Take some time for yourself to reevaluate your priorities and what is most important in this season on your life. It’s never too late to make a shift. 

We’re in this together!

xoxo, Watson

Baby

Beach Gender Reveal for Baby Harris #2

Baby #2 is on the way!
After 2 early losses prior to getting pregnant with sweet baby, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a nervous wreck in the beginning of this pregnancy. We chose to do genetic testing at 10 weeks with this pregnancy which also allowed us to find out the gender at that early point too, if we wanted. 

Well, we got to that point, and I decided I still wasn’t ready to know the gender quite yet. To be honest, I had a hard time even accepting that I was pregnant in the first trimester and even after, so I wanted to have more time to process the pregnancy itself before processing a gender as well.

When we were pregnant with Ansley, we had a full on gender reveal party around 20 weeks (we didn’t do genetic testing with her, so we waited til 20 weeks to find out). It was THE BEST thing! We had so much fun, and the whole day was filled with so much excitement!

So, this time around, I knew I wanted to do at least something, some sort of reveal, to celebrate this new baby! We looked at the calendar and realized I would be 19 going on 20 weeks during our family trip to St. Thomas in February. I told my sisters, if we can pull this off, I think this would be the best time for a reveal. I wanted to have a small intimate family celebration, and the timing was just too perfect.

Well, if you followed along on my instagram stories, you already know the craziness that went into prepping this reveal from so far away, LOL!

Since we were staying at a Private Resort, we figured we needed to get permission to do something like this on property. I knew I wanted it to be on the beach, but after confirming with the concierge and just using our own knowledge, we knew that any sort of confetti poppers were not going to work. Who wants to pick up hundreds of confetti pieces in the sand? They did, however, say any powder canons would be totally fine, since it disappears into the air.

So, my sister ordered powder canons on Amazon over a month before the reveal, and they came right away! I immediately wrapped them back up, went to the post office and mailed them. They gave me a 3 day or 12 day option for shipping to St. Thomas. The 12 day would have still put the package there a full week before we arrived, so I figured that would be totally fine. Well about a week and a half before we were set to leave, the package said it was going to arrive the next day. A few days later, it said it was delayed. It came time to pack and leave for our trip and still, we had no updates after calling USPS many times. Needless to say, I was slightly on edge, feeling super disappointed, and starting to think we needed a back up plan.

We originally had planned on doing the reveal early on in the trip to have the whole trip to enjoy and celebrate, but the packages still weren’t there. I wanted to wait until the last day to see if they would show up, but in the meantime, we had been working with the concierge team to have a back up plan. Although things weren’t going the way I had hoped, I was reminded in that moment what this was really about and that we can still make this super special. Going with the flow is not my strong suit, but I knew this was out of my control and we could still make the best of the situation.

We were set to leave Friday, so we decided that Thursday night would be the reveal. We finally handed over the results envelop to the staff (no one had opened them yet, so my family would all be surprised with us).  The whole staff was INCREDIBLE and decorated a beautiful gender reveal box for us with the correct color balloons inside, so we could open the box on the beach to find out! They also were able to order a balloon filled with the correct color powder, so we could also pop that on the beach.

We all dressed in our pink and blue before dinner and headed down to the beach to get ready for the surprise! Austin and Ansley were set to open the box, and I decided I would pop the balloon (in the intense wind, HA!). The whole family counted down…3, 2, 1…

IT'S A BOY!!

I actually waited a split second to make sure Austin and Ansley could get the box open, and I saw the balloons before I could even see the powder in the air. As you can see, the wind blew the powder so fast! Haha! The only powder I saw was on my hand afterwards! Thank goodness for family taking lots of photos and videos!

I screamed, of course, and then cried, lol. Ansley wasn’t too thrilled at first either, Haha! But she came around!

The whole time leading up to this reveal, even with our 2 losses before this pregnancy, I just had a feeling, I was having a boy next. Ya know, that mama gut feeling? So, I wasn’t totally surprised, but I will say I was in a bit of a shock for a while after. All I know is girl world, so this will be a whole new world for Austin and me! Send all the boy tips! LOL

tap to shop below

Pink Dress | Pink Tassel Earrings | Powder Canons| Baby Boy Balloons

We are so excited and thrilled to bring this precious baby boy and gift from God into the world in a few short months. Our biggest prayer is that he will know Jesus, and that he will be healthy!

After experiencing loss, I have a whole new perspective on this whole journey. If you are also in the midst of experiencing loss, longing for a baby, or in a tough season of parenting, I see you and am praying for you! You are not alone, my friend! God is for you and has a great plan for your life!

Thank you for walking through this journey with us! It means more than you know.

xoxo, Watson

Travel

Traveling with a Toddler – St. Thomas 2022

Traveling in 2022 is not what it used to be a few years ago. Things have gotten a little wild and crazy in this world, right? Then, add traveling with little ones on top of the world’s craziness, things can be a little hectic.

We’ve always loved traveling. I traveled all growing up with my family, and Austin and I have continued to travel before and after kids. I don’t want to look back and say, “why didn’t we travel for 3 years during Covid?” Live your life, as best as you can in the moment, because there’s so much to see in the world and tomorrow’s not promised.

Anyways, since Spring Break is coming up and so many people are picking up their travels, I thought I would share our traveling experiences from our most recent trip to St. Thomas (with an almost 2.5 year old).

Packing with a Toddler

First thing’s first, packing. When it comes to packing for this trip, I don’t treat it much differently than any beach trip. For the most part, we spend the day in swim suits, pack a few extra day clothes for any other outings and workouts, nap clothes for Ansley, dinner clothes, and pajamas! I did get a few new swim suits, a cute coverup, and hat that I’ll link below! We loved having the hats, coverup, and a few long sleeve swim suits for Ansley for those really sunny days!

I love to use packing cubes, especially for Ansley’s stuff. They help keep everything organized and categorized making everything easy to pack and easy to grab on your trip.

We did make sure to throw in a puddle jumper for the pool and beach, native shoes and some of her favorite sandals. Plus, blankets for sleeping, her babies and animals, hatch sound machine, and monitor. (There’s always a crib provided in the condo where we stay and most hotels or airbnb’s can arrange to get you one as well). We always travel with her Tubby Todd products too! They’re super easy to bring on trips and allow you to get the same at home bath experience while you’re away. Speaking of Tubby Todd, we also brought their sunscreen stick and lotion for the first time and loved it! She didn’t get burnt once! (Ps: you can get 10% off any Tubby Todd products through my link here).

We tried these sunscreen products for the first time on this trip and loved them. All clean ingredients and Ansley didn’t get burnt once. Get 10% off through my link.

Click below to shop

We also chose to bring our umbrella travel stroller and our normal toddler carseat. This is a total personal preference depending on your child and your car situation, once you arrive. We knew we would have to get her from the airport 45 minutes to our resort, plus we knew we would have a few dinners off-property. We chose to check the carseat with the rest of our luggage and check the stroller at the gate, so we could use that to push her through the airport (or to hold some of our bags for us). I’ll note that we also have brought a carseat on the plane in the past, when she was a little bit younger. You would need to make sure your child has their own seat for this (2 and up are required to buy a plane seat, as far as I know. We typically fly Delta). That allows your child to stay in their seat and even nap longer. (I’ll chat more about the plane in the next section).

This year we did bring 3 full sized check bags (I love my Delsey luggage), because yes, I tend to over pack, hehe! We each got our own suitcase, and I also always make sure to bring a carry on bag that can serve as a beach bag (typically my Stella & Dot Getaway Bags), and of course we always have her diaper bag as well. Needless to say, we needed to get a cart when we arrived at the airport to help us with all of our bags! 😉

Click below to shop

Getting There

This was our third year traveling to St. Thomas with my whole family. Since we first came, things have changed a bit with COVID, of course. We have had to do a little extra research and plan ahead a little more to be prepared. The process of getting there actually wasn’t too bad. (Each destination has it’s own protocols with COVID now so just make sure to do your research for that specific location beforehand). We were required to have a negative COVID test to go and had to upload it to the St. Thomas travel portal site at least 24hours before traveling. (Ansley was not required to test). Once you arrive in St. Thomas, you were required to show your approval forms and that was it! They do not currently require you to test to come back home. 

As far as getting there on the plane, with Ansley being 2, she had her own seat. We went without the carseat on the plane this time. On the way there, she surprisingly passed out within the first 20 minutes on my lap, which was glorious, LOL! That is rare for us. During her wake times though, we made sure to have a few books, her tablet, headphones that also plug into the airplane TV, flash cards, snacks, water, and milk to keep her occupied! I tend to bring the smaller books and toys that can fit in her diaper bag. I also always have a ziplock bag with an extra outfit, plenty of diapers and wipes (we haven’t started potty training quite yet), and we even stuck one of her smaller blankets and coat in her bag, since the weather was different in both locations. That way she was able to use those to nap with on the plane. (She chose not to nap at all on the plane ride home, so we had to put our patience pants on and get creative). I suggest slowly pulling out one toy or snack at a time, so everything in your bag will last longer and create more excitement for your child. Don’t stress too much if your child is being wild or making a lot of noise on the plane. It happens. Get up and walk around when you can, but take a deep breathe and do the best you can while you’re confined. 

Click below to shop

Arriving to our Destination

We were so thrilled to make it after a long day of traveling. It’s a lot on parents and kids, but it’s all worth it once you’re at your destination. 

If you’re flying to your destination, it’s super helpful to arrange a car service to take you to your location, which is what we did. We were thankful we had the carseat for this! I believe you can also arrange to rent one, but it was easier for us to have our own. 

This trip typically looks a little different than most of our trips. We stay in the same place each year, the Ritz Carlton Condos, which allows us to have a better idea of what to expect. Thankfully, our condos have a full kitchen, laundry, bathrooms, cribs provided, and more. For any trip that we haven’t been able to get a crib, we always bring our Pack n Play, which has been great for us. Figuring out sleeping situation for babies and toddlers on vacation can definitely be tricky. We typically put Ansley in the darkest space, where she can’t see us, with access to a plug for her sound machine and monitor. This trip, she was in our closet, other times it’s the bathroom, and if we’re lucky, occasionally, she will have her own room. You gotta do what you gotta do to make it work. She was slightly confused at first, but ended up sleeping great at night and took 3 hour naps almost everyday! My biggest suggestion for baby/toddler sleep on vacation is to mimic your home routine as much as possible and don’t break your habits just because you’re on vacation. We have learned this the hard way and had to retrain Ansley to sleep after one of our Summer vacations due to poor sleep situations and us getting sloppy with her typical habits and routine. I get it, some things are totally out of your control, and won’t be anything like your home situation. Luckily, kids are adaptable and resilient, and you should be totally fine after a week or two back in your own home. Just make do while on vacation, so everyone gets rest and has an enjoyable trip!

Click below to shop

VACAY time! (and the schedule)

The resort we stay has pools and beaches, both on the condo side where we stay and also the hotel side, which is about 0.5 mile walk. We chose to bring our smaller travel umbrella stroller, which really came in handy for walking to the other pool and beach daily. (By the way, Ansley is not a big stroller fan, but she did enjoy having it on this trip! Little legs get tired and so do pregnant mamas carrying their toddlers! lol).

Each day, Austin and I would typically take turns going to the gym in the morning, and once we were done, we would either meet up for breakfast on the resort with Ansley or cook in the condo with my sis and her fam that were staying with us. Then it was sun time!

I like to get outside as much as possible and soak up that sun during the day, so we try to get out as soon as we can after working out and breakfast. Typically, we would grab chairs as our home base, but we would end up at the beach, then the pool, then the yard games, etc, as you know, toddlers don’t love to stay in one place for long. We did decide to bring a puddle jumper, which I was very glad to have being so close to so much water. We didn’t need to bring any beach toys, since they had some there. But if you’re going somewhere that might not have any, it may be fun to bring some. Also, bringing a blow up pool for babies and toddlers works well for keeping in the sand while also keeping your little one cool in water. I also made sure Ansley wasn’t in the sun too much, but it was super helpful to bring a few long sleeve swim shirts, and a hat to keep her covered when it was super hot. When she was a baby on this trip, we also brought a stroller fan to keep her cool. 

About mid day we would order lunch by the pool, but we also had the option to go back to the room to make lunch or even bring a lunch down. (I also make sure to stick a few snacks in my beach bag for her before or after lunch). This is what we have done on other trips to save money when we have had access to a refrigerator in our rooms. We also do the same with drinks. I like to bring my own tumblers on trips, whether you’re making your own drinks in the room or ordering one, it’s nice to pour it in your personal tumbler to keep it cold. (I’ll link a few below). 

Each day, we made sure to put Ansley down for a nap with plenty of time before dinner reservations. At home, she goes down around 1:30-2ish. We were an hour later in St. Thomas, so we typically put her down around 2:30-3ish to keep her on her same schedule, but also that allowed us to have plenty of sun time and also time to get ready for dinner. One of us, or both, would go back, give her a quick bath, and get her down for nap time. Again, we keep the same routine, as best as we can, for nap time that we do at home.

After nap, it was time for dinner reservations. Here are a few of the restaurants that we love to visit in St. Thomas: Caribbean Fish Market, Pesce Italian, Sunset Grill, Agave Mexican, and Alloro (on Ritz property). We did cook in one night with the whole family, but most nights we went out. We had 8 adults and 3 kids, so we tried to go on the earlier side. We always make sure to fill Ansley’s diaper bag with her normal essentials, plus throw in a few easy entertainment pieces, like books or toys, in case she gets wild at dinner. We also have recently cut out screen time, since Christmas, but on this trip, we did give Ansley some time to use our favorite Homer app (click to try it for FREE for 30 days) or watch videos to keep her from going crazy in a restaurant.

The Final Night

The last night of the trip, we finally had our gender reveal! If you followed along on Instagram, you probably already know the whole story. If not, I’ll save that for another blog post. Even though things didn’t go as we had originally planned, it ended up turning out perfectly and in the most beautiful location! Shout out to the Ritz concierge, who went above and beyond to make this moment as special as possible! I loved this pink maxi dress for the reveal (comes in 4 colors) and vacation in general. It would also be a great baby shower dress. My sister got the bright pink.
(Click the image above to shop) 

Trip Outfit Details

My sister and I are both pregnant again at the same time, and it’s so fun to be able to share dresses when on vacay! Both of these are from Pink Blush. The floral one she’s wearing is mine from a few years ago, so I’m linking a similar option. Mine is brand new and comes in a handful of colors. I love the fit, and I’m wearing my true size medium (20 weeks here).
(Click image to shop)

First time trying a swimsuit from Pink Blush, and I was super happy with this one! Comes in 8 colors and fit really well. Wearing my true size medium. 
(Click image to shop)

This pink ruffle dress was so sweet for Valentine’s Day but also great for any vacation or Spring and Summer in general! Wearing my true size.
(Click image to shop).

This Oventure combo was perfect and so convenient for our trip. It held my cards, room key, sunnies, a diaper, headphones, and more. The ring allowed me to be handsfree and easily slid onto the stroller handle too! You can get 15% off through my link here.

Click below to shop

Overall, it was a great trip. We love the St. Thomas Ritz and highly recommend staying, if you get the chance to visit! I know it can be slightly stressful at times to travel with kids, but the memories you make are 100% worth it! I hope this is helpful for you if you’re planning to travel with your little ones soon!

xoxo, Watson

Shop

MVMT Watches and Accessories for Every Occasion

My moto for the last few years has been to look cute and comfy at the same time. I love to be able to feel and look my best, even though I’m usually just at home with my toddler. Getting ready and throwing on some cute accessories truly makes me feel put together and gets me motivated to tackle the day ahead! 

MVMT has allowed me to do that! It has easily become a favorite in the Harris household! Whether it’s a special occasion or another day at the house, as a stay at home mom, you can bet I have a MVMT watch on my wrist!

Not only has MVMT come out with the most stylish, sleek, and classic styles, but they also don’t break the bank! You can look and feel your best for a really great price.

The soft bands are my go to watches for everyday. In my opinion, they are the most comfortable to keep on without sliding around your wrist all day. They are soft, light weight, help you feel and look put together all while being comfortable!

Black Soft Band Watch | Gold Bangle
Gold Twist Cuff Bracelet | Gray Soft Band Watch | Sunnies

MVMT also offers a variety of men’s watches as well as women’s. Austin and I have gotten these watches as gifts for each other over the years for various holidays, like Christmas, birthdays, Valentine’s day and more! We love that they are trendy and stylish but also classic at the same time! The best part is they are affordable!

Brown Soft Band Watch

Austin loves being able to pair the different style watches with his suits for work and also for more casual days, like church, date night, or everyday wear. He also has a mix of soft bands and dressier bands depending on the occasion. 

Bronze Soft Band Watch

For Valentine’s Day, Austin picked out this new gold link band (shown below), and it is the perfect watch for those dressier outfits and nicer occasions. He has already worn it to work, and it goes so well with a suit and tie. This style would dress up a polo and jeans look as well!

Gold Link Watch

Did I mention, MVMT also has a gorgeous line of jewelry and accessories, as well as sunglasses and blue light glasses? I have loved my bracelets and sunnies! They truly pair perfectly with any watch or any outfit and have held up so well for years! The quality does not disappoint

Bronze Moonliner Link Watch

This white ceramic watch is my recent favorite! I love that it won’t get dirty because of the finish, it looks fancy but can also be worn everyday and the shiny white color totally pops! It works as a winter white but also a stunning Spring and Summer watch!

White Ceramic Watch | Gold Stone Bangle  | Knot Cuff
Rose Gold Sunset Watch

No matter the occasion or season, we can always count on MVMT to spruce up our outfits. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, these make the perfect gifts for your special loved one or to treat yourself! Trust us, we have gifted MVMT watches to each other countless times!

You can get 20% off right now with my code “WATSONANSLEY15” through my link here.

Happy Shopping!

xoxo, Watson

Holiday Gifts

Black Friday and Cyber Sales 2021

Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are here! I’ve gathered up some great sales from beauty, fashion, baby items, and more! If you’re shopping today, I hope you find these collages helpful.

Just click any image to start shopping and apply the discount codes at checkout.

I’ve updated some of these sales throughout the weekend and Cyber Monday!

Hope you enjoy shopping these sales to treat yourself and to find some fun gifts for friends and family!

Wishing you a happy & healthy holiday season! Thank you for being here!

xoxo, Watson

Holiday Gifts

Holiday Gift Guides for everyone in your life in 2021

2021 gifting season is upon us! I’ve rounded up a handful of gift ideas for everyone in your life, including those that are hard to shop for and buy everything they want for themselves type of people;). I will be updating it as we go too!
Just click any image to start shopping. 
(This page will also be located on it’s own tab on the blog as well!)

Hope this makes your holiday shopping a bit easier this year!

I hope this has been helpful for you as you’re shopping this holiday season! Drop a comment below if you still need ideas for anyone in your life that I missed!

xoxo,
Watson

Baby

Toddler Gift Ideas

With Ansley just turning two and the holidays being just around the corner, I wanted to share some of our favorite toddler items. If you’re looking for a birthday or a holiday gift, here are a few ideas with descriptions at all different price points for any little one in your life!

Click any image or link below to shop.

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why we love each item

Table: This was a gift for Ansley’s 2nd birthday, and it has been well worth it! She loves sitting here to color or play with her puzzles. We also got the acrylic topper for the top of the table, which is a game changer. That way if she accidentally draws or spills on the table, it is easily wipeable and doesn’t ruin the white wood! We love this table and chairs so much, and it would be a great birthday or Christmas gift idea!

Unicorn Rocker: This was a Christmas gift for Ansley right after she turned one, and it’s been even more fun as she’s become a toddler! She loves riding on it. You can choose from a handful of different animals and even get it monogrammed. It is a bit of a splurge, but it’s such a fun gift and precious addition to her playroom!

Tee Pee: How cute is this? I can see her playing with this for years to come. Ansley just got this tee pee for her 2nd birthday, and it’s such a fun addition to her playroom. She already has all her stuffed animals and dolls in there too! It’s a good medium price point and would be a great neutral gift for either gender and in any space in your home!

My First Anywhere Chair: This was a Christmas gift after she turned one, and it’s been a favorite over the last year! She loves sitting in this to watch tv, eat a snack, or just play with her toys! These chairs are so popular and come in 3 sizes and a handful of different color/pattern options. You can also get it monogrammed. I love that it’s washable, and you can even buy a new slip cover for the next child with a new monogram!

Jeep: Doesn’t every little toddler need one of these? How fun is this? We got this for Ansley’s 2nd birthday, and she has loved it. We chose this particular jeep because it has parental control features while she’s young and also child features for her to drive on her own as she gets even bigger. It has an AUX cord and radio to play music, a front hood for storage, a horn, and more! Plus the battery life is phenomenal! Highly recommend this one for your little one.

Scooter: This is a great affordable option for a toddler as well! Ansley has really enjoyed learning to ride this on her own. It’s definitely teaching her coordination and balance too. My aunt got her this precious helmet too, which was great for us to introduce these at the same time, so she associates the helmet with riding the scooter!

Melissa and Doug Sticker Placemat: Stickers anyone? Who knew they could be so entertaining? This sticker book is super fun and unique, because it has placemats in the front and tons of food stickers in the back, so you can make your own plate! She LOVES this, and it’s super affordable too! We will definitely be ordering more of these!

Magnet Name Train: My sis got this precious monogram magnetic train for her 1st birthday. It’s another one she’s really enjoyed over the last year even more as she has learned to attach the magnetics together. It also helps with spelling her name. You can get this for super long names or short names, and it makes for such a cute affordable gift idea!

Melissa and Doug Big Shape Puzzle: As Ansley started to learn more hand and eye coordination, this was so helpful! As one of her first puzzles, I know these bigger pieces with the knobs helped her learn to grab and place each piece in the correct slot. She has used this from such a young age and is now mastering this puzzle. It’s also helped her with her shapes and colors too! This one is definitely a great starter puzzle.

Magnet Tiles: If you’ve never played with these magnet tiles, they are super entertaining, even for adults! LOL! Ansley is so entertained by these. You can make tons of different shapes and towers. Highly recommend these for a gift idea too!

Melissa and Doug Small Shape Puzzle: As Ansley has gotten even better with her hand & eye coordination, she’s able to use smaller puzzles like this Melissa and Doug one. This one is unique because it also says the color and shape under the puzzle piece to teach your little ones as they play! If you’re looking for a smaller, more affordable gift, this is a great option!

I hope you have found this helpful if you’re searching for the perfect gift idea for a little toddler in your life! Feel free to reference back to this post at any time or send to a friend who also may be in this phase of life!

As always, thank you for being here and checking out this post.

Chat soon!

xoxo, Watson

Baby

Ansley’s Two Wild Birthday Celebration

To be honest, I didn’t have super high expectations this year for Ansley’s birthday party. Mostly because we just moved to a brand new town just 6 months before. I didn’t know if we would have our house ready or much less, if we would have even made enough friends to throw a party. So I said, let’s just do something small with a few friends and family.

I even had people ask if we were “going to go all out” for this birthday like last year’s party? Yes, I know FIRST birthdays are kind of a big deal, but shouldn’t every birthday be celebrated? Whether big or small, I wanted to celebrate my girl! It has been such a whirlwind of a year, but more than that, it’s been so fun to watch Ansley grow and change into the wild, energetic, inquisitive, loving child that she has become. Plus, at two, she has a bit more sense of what’s going on and could enjoy it even more than she probably did at her first birthday. LOL!

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Typically, I wouldn’t say I’m a procrastinator, but I did not start planning this party far in advance this year, that’s for sure! For her first birthday, I probably had the theme in my head for months before planning, but this year, I just had no idea. Literally up until the day I ordered the invitations, I was still between two different themes, “Two Wild” and “Moo, I’m Two”. I asked my family which one they thought, and they all said “Two Wild!” I mean, it’s just TWO fitting for this wild child, plus who doesn’t love leopard? haha!

Part of the reason, I loved the
“Moo, I’m Two” theme was because everything I saw on Pinterest was pink and so precious. I thought, maybe I could combine the two themes. That ended up not happening, but when it came to looking for invitations, I found some cute options that allowed me to tie in some of that pink and leopard together and a little less green and jungly (just because that is more my style and personality).

So, from there I started ordering all the things, starting with invitations! The invitations are always a good starting point for planning a party, since it can help set the theme and tone for the rest of the party decor.

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I thought these were perfect to go with the ideas I had in my head. This specific one was an editable download, so you can edit it yourself and then send it to print. I printed mine at a place called, Postnet, and it was super easy, plus they provided envelopes! You can also print at any local stores like Office Max, Staples, or a FedEx store.

After we got the invitations printed and mailed, I immediately started browsing on Etsy and Amazon for all the “Two Wild” decor. I had a pretty good idea of what I thought I might need based on what we got last year. (It helps me to make a list in my notes app of what I would like and then check everything off as I order, so I know what else is left to buy).

I started with the basics, like balloons, a balloon arch, table cloths, and even a banner. I originally ordered the brown tone table cloth (in the back), but then I decided I liked the lighter leopard, so I ordered those which I got in a 3 pack. I ended up keeping all of them, luckily, because we had 4 or 5 tables that needed to be covered! Since I ordered the lighter table cloths at the last minute, I decided to also order matching plates and napkins. Well, those unfortunately didn’t get here until right after the party ended! LOL! (Don’t wait til the last minute to order, even on Amazon). My mom saved the day and found some super cute alternatives for us. The matching leopard cups did arrive though! We also got these super cute leopard TWO letters for table decor that went so well with our theme!

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Since we wanted to make the party fairly simple, we decided to just grill a bunch of burgers and hot dogs right before the party started. Let’s be real, people usually expect food at parties, plus it was from 12-2pm, prime eating time! We got easy sides like chips, fruit, and potato salad and everything was a hit! We also added easy drinks like water bottles, iced tea, lemonade, and of course some adult beverages like Truly’s and beers!

Of course, we had to have a cake (which was from a local bakery), so I went ahead and ordered a fun gold, sparkly cake topper. Plus, we ordered cookies from Etsy, which is what we did last year too. They turned out AMAZING! Not only did they look amazing and go so well with our theme, but they tasted amazing too! Double Win!

peep the subtle leopard print on the pink “Ansley” cookies!

I also appreciated that the cookies were individually wrapped in cellophane for easy party favors, which was also great for sanitary purposes. Plus, on top of the cellophane wrap, they were also individually wrapped in bubble wrap to avoid any damage during the shipping process!
(Pictures & lighting don’t even do justice! She added the cutest subtle leopard print with some glitter too!)

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Our Ansley girl had the best day! Her family and friends spoiled her with so many gifts, and she had a blast opening them all. 

(This sweet photo was taken early in the morning before the party started, but we couldn’t start her birthday without some precious birthday PJs! How cute are these? We get almost all of our jammies from Little Sleepies, so when they came out with these birthday pjs, I had to snag them! All of their pjs are super light weight and so soft. I’ve linked some of our favorites in the post below if you want to try them out. The zippies run big, but the two piece sets run true to size).

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All in all, we all had the most perfect day! I have to say, her first birthday was obviously so exciting just being the very first one, BUT this party made my mama heart SO happy! Two is such a fun age so far, and it was a joy to watch Ansley run and play and explore during her party!
Plus, taking some pressure off of myself to have a “perfect party” and having lowered my expectations made things even more enjoyable and less stressful!

(Shout out to this good looking, hard working dad, right here! He and his family helped so much, and we couldn’t have pulled it off without their help!)

If you are in this same phase or planning a party, I hope you find this helpful! Birthdays and party planning do not have to be stressful or dreadful (especially if you’re not the party planning type). It can be as easy as ordering a couple things and having some friends and family over to celebrate what matters most, and that’s another year of life!

xoxo, Watson

For the Home

Powder Bathroom Renovation

When we moved into our new home, it was new construction, but we weren’t able to pick out anything. So, we decided we would make some changes, some small, some bigger, when we moved in. 

The powder/guest bathroom was one of the first things we decided to update. It was dark and kind of boring and just not our style. We wanted light, bright, and a little modern glam in this space.

Before

We were also planning to change out the countertops in each bathroom and in the kitchen, so we knew that alone would make a big difference in how this space looked. That was the first thing we did, oh, other than Austin ripping this mirror off the wall right after we moved in. LOL!

After

Countertops were successfully installed and that alone made this space a totally different look! We also went ahead and changed out all the hardware too. We did the same gold cabinet pulls in the kitchen, so I made it easy on myself and just ordered a couple more for the bathroom.
*Tip: if you decide to change out your hardware, make sure to measure the existing hardware and just order the same size, so you can easily unscrew the old ones and screw in the new ones in the same holes with no more damage!
The vertical pulls were a little more difficult than that, since they were actually previously just knobs, we did have to do a little more drilling. It wasn’t anything Austin couldn’t quickly figure out though;).

We also added a new faucet, hand towel holder, and toilet paper holder so that everything would match. *PS: this toilet paper holder is the bomb! It’s so easy to lift up, slide the new roll on and set back down without having to remove the whole center like most toilet paper holders!

We had a hard time deciding on a mirror at first (testing out different ones above), but finally came across this beautiful gold mirror (see below), and I love how it turned out!

As far as the lights, I knew I wanted to use this super unique, bold light somewhere in the house and this was the perfect place for it! I unfortunately can’t link this, but it’s from Shades of Light. They have tons of awesome light fixtures, and we even got the same ones in nickel with the 3 lights for our master bathroom.

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Yes, all of that made such a difference in the space, but the BIGGEST change we made was adding this detailed gold metallic wallpaper!

I originally saw another blogger share her powder bath with this same wallpaper, and I immediately knew, this was it! Love that it makes a statement, but it is also subtle and ties everything else together perfectly!

Austin decided we was going to try and tackle this project by himself, and I think he would agree that he would probably hire it out next time, haha! He did a fantastic job, but the first time was a bit of a learning curve. (Totally doable for you handy, crafty people out there!)

*First tip: make sure to measure your square footage correctly when ordering wallpaper;). We ended up having to keep ordering more and more rolls, because we didn’t measure correctly, and didn’t take into account all the scraps we would have to toss out. This took our weekend project into about a month, while we waited on more rolls to arrive.

Austin googled and you tubed his way through figuring out all the supplies he needed (I’ve linked them below) and started one piece at a time. Lining up the patterns was also a tad bit challenging, since it almost gives a splatter paint look, however, there are distinct lines in the wallpaper that helped know where to line up each piece.

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We finally made it around the whole room and loved how it turned out! We decided to add a little bit more matte black with this shower rod to match the matte black in the light fixture. I love how it all ties together perfectly. This is also our guest bathroom, so we wanted it to not only be a gorgeous space but also super functional. Topped it off with adding some fresh new guest towels too:). 

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(Shower rod below is a similar option. Exact one is link in the paragraph above)

All in all, we are SO happy with how this space turned out. It is truly one of my favorite spaces in the house now because of the boldness and uniqueness. 

If you have been wanting to spice up a space in your house, go for it! It helps to start with a small space. (We had some urgency with this room, since it’s the main powder/guest bath that gets seen and used the most). Using wallpaper or wall decals can make a big difference, as well as simply just changing our your hardware!

I hope this gives you a little inspiration if you’re hoping to make some home changes soon. Just create a vision and go for it! It’s totally worth it!

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments below!

xoxo, Watson

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