To keep this from taking me hours, I just copied and pasted ALL the questions right here and answered in italics. I hope everyone got their questions answered! I answered a lot of these with one hand on my phone during feedings, so sorry if there's a lot of errors. ;)
- AnonymousMarch 14, 2013 at 12:41 PMi nearly jumped for joy when i saw that ur doing a ask me anything post lol! could you PLEASE tell me what makeup u use, u always look soo pretty and perfect. whats your makeup routine?? thank u lisa!!!!!ReplyDeleteThanks anonymous.. but do know that I have lots of zombie days, I just don't post those pics on the blog, ha! Stay tuned for a makeup routine post with the products I use, SOON! :)
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I know I could just ask you at church but I always forget, how do you do your hair with the loose curls like you usually wear? What curling iron do you use? Your hair always looks like a disney princess! ashleyReplyDeleteHey Ashley! Disney princess?! Now that's a compliment, lol! Thanks :) I use the Hot Tools 1 inch curling iron. What I do is really simple, I just split my hair up in 4 different sections (I have A TON of hair, it's a blessing and a curse), & curl 1 inch sections starting at the middle of the hair shaft. I usually leave the last inch or inch and a half straight. I don't really use any products except SOMETIMES Moroccan oil hairspray in medium. Then I run my fingers through all the curls to loosen them up. It usually lasts for days. (I only wash 2x a week, yay for dry shampoo!)
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AnonymousMarch 14, 2013 at 3:10 PMI second the question about how you do your hair :) also, I've always been curious as to what your husband does for a living? I noticed he is in school and was wondering how you guys make it work with you staying home, owning a house, etcReplyDeleteSteve works full time as the general manager of a basketball sports facility. He also runs a basketball youth league part time. He has one semester left of school, hooray! So what he is doing now is basically his career - he plans on doing it even after he graduates school. It is his passion & he is very good at it. He will have his English degree sort of as a "back up" just in case people decide they don't want their kids to play basketball anymore ;) I'm very blessed he supports my decision and desire to stay at home & that he is able to provide the income to make it happen.
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YES I second the hair question! I actually like to do my hair in a similar style & in just a couple hours time the curls fall :/ Super frustrating! What products do you use etc.???ReplyDelete
2nd question, and I hope this isn't too personal, when do you think you'll being trying for baby #3 (if at all)?
3rd question, (I know I'm really juicin' it lol) How long does it take you to get ready? Like hair, makeup & such. Takes me FOREVER!Andria! Moroccan oil's hairspray is pretty amazing. And smells so amazing, you'll want to eat your hair. But don't. ;)Good question about baby #3 :) Before I had Kate, I was POSITIVE that I would want a 2.5-3 year break in between her & the next baby, but now that I see how much I love Aubrey & Kate's gap and how perfect it has worked for our family, sometimes I think I would like to do the same gap for the next. We will see though. Time (and lots of prayer) will tell!If I have to shower, blow dry, style hair, AND do makeup, I'd say about an hour and a half. My hair takes forever to blow dry because there's a ton of it so I rarely (if ever) get ready start to finish. I usually let my hair air dry one day and then style it the next. But if I'm just showering (with a shower cap), and doing makeup I'd say 30 minutes. A lot of times because of the girls I have to shower in the morning, but then won't do my makeup until nap time. Sometimes it just never gets done! Lol. -
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I have some religion questions, if that's okay. I was checking out the LDS site you link to in your What We Believe section and whilst I'm definitely not Mormon, the faith interests me greatly for some reason. I live in the UK and it's practically unheard of here;
How do you think being Mormon has shaped you? Who do you imagine you'd be if you were not deeply faithful?
Would you and your husband accept if either of your children decided that they did not believe in Mormonism and chose a different faith? How do you imagine that would affect your relationship with them?
And then I have a non-faith related question;
You married and settled down very young. Would you be happy for your daughters to go down the same path or would you prefer for them to wait a little longer?
=]Hey Chloe, glad you checked out the link! Can I just say I read your questions in my head with a british accent when I saw you live in the UK? Lol!I think my being Mormon has shaped me into the woman I am today, mainly my striving to live a righteous life so I can live with my Heavenly Father again & be with my family forever. I honestly can't picture what my life would look like if I wasn't deeply faithful, but I imagine I wouldn't be nearly as happy as I am today.We would still support and love our children no matter what religious decision they choose. I won't lie and say it wouldn't make us sad, (because we feel so strongly about our faith and believe it is true), but the answer is yes, we would accept it.
If my daughters wanted to settle down young I would have no problem with it, if that is what would make them happy. I've never had a single ounce of regret for doing it myself. I realize the world feels like you should go to college, get a career, THEN get married and have children, but it has really worked out great for us and is what makes us happy. -
Fun! I second (or third) the makeup routine! I'm also curious how often/your favorite stores to shop for your clothes... You always have cute new clothes in your pics!Thanks Kiri :) My favorite stores to shop at for clothes are the Nordstrom Juniors dept (for basics), H&M, Forever 21, & Downeast Basics. I definitely don't get to shop as much as I used to, but I do online shop every now and then for new stuff :) I'm also a clothes hoarder and still wear stuff from high school! People always think some things I wear are new and sometimes it's really years old, haha!ReplyDelete
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AnonymousMarch 14, 2013 at 6:02 PMI have some questions about breastfeeding. I just had my first baby, a boy, 3 weeks ago and 1 week ago I stopped bfing. The pain was too much to bear and it wasn't getting any better. I was losing my mind and my mental state was not very healthy lol! My sisters both successfully breastfed their kids and they are being very critical about my decision. They make me feel awful and I was wondering if you had this sort of judment when you stopped with Aubrey (I remember reading you switched to pumping after a couple weeks because of issues) and how you dealt with it?ReplyDelete
And also, for next time, do you have any tips on how to succeed with the next baby? Any creams that worked well for you, just anything? I'm really determined to have it work out.
And one more question that is sort of random but I've been wondering: how did you lose the baby weight so fast with Aubrey and Kate? Your tummy is completely flat! I'm fairly thin but still have quite a pooch and anxious to get rid of it. Any tips would be great!
Thanks LisaFirst off, I am sorry you are going through this. It feels like yesterday I was going through the same exact thing with Aubrey, and it really takes a toll on you - physically AND emotionally. As far as people being critical, my friends & family were really supportive of whatever decision I made so I didn't have too many issues with that. Every now and then I'd get a snide comment from a breastfeeding mom that would hurt my feelings, & then of course there's the many judgmental articles that are posted, etc. I just learned to ignore them all & be confident in my decision.All I have to say is don't listen to your sisters saying those things. Shame on them for putting you down for this! Now having done both bottle feeding, and now breastfeeding - I don't regret formula feeding Aubrey ... at all. She is extremely smart and healthy, (and freakin' adorable to boot). You tried mama - that's all you can do and you are doing an amazing job. I bet you are all a bit happier, well rested, and your sweet baby boy has you to thank for that. Also - a lot of people talk about how it's hard to bond with your baby without breastfeeding... wrong! I feel in no way more bonded with Kate than I was with Aubrey. How sad that some people think the only way to bond with your baby is by breastfeeding.As far as tips, I was just very aware from the beginning with Kate if the latch was bad and I would correct it over and over even if it took 12 times! I used lanolin in between EVERY feeding, & honestly, was just more relaxed this time since it was my second baby. With Aubrey I kept getting mastitis and luckily with Kate I did not - so that played a huge part in succeeding this time around. I think EVERYTHING is a bit easier the second time around.. becoming a mom for the first time is hard!About baby weight - I haven't done much exercising yet this go around but with Aubrey I did right at 6 weeks. I had a pooch for a while after both babies but with time it went away. I'd still definitely like to tone up because my tummy is still soft, but I'm really in no rush, I kind of hate exercising :) Haha! Sorry those were not really tips. I know there's lots of good exercise tips on Pinterest for losing baby bulge, I'd say look there!
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You are the cutest seriously! My favorite blog!ReplyDelete
I'm Pregnant with my second and I'm really nervous about transitioning with a 2 1/2 year old and newborn! Any tips or things you wish you knew before little Kate came? My husband is working full time and in school. I am lucky enough to stay home but It's still going to be hard because I'm not going to have a lot of help.
:) You are a great mother and your girls are adorable! Thank you!!
hdunc2010@gmail.com
http://usduncans.blogspot.com/Aw thanks Hailey! I know what it's like having a husband being so busy - but that's so exciting you can stay home! The best tip I can give you is to just push through the first 6 weeks, they are HARD but I swear after that a routine starts to set in & gets so much easier. Also, since you feed a newborn so so often, have lots of activities set aside for your toddler to do around the house while you feed the new baby. Nowadays Aubrey KNOWS I can't help her or get her something when I'm feeding the baby, it's so nice that she understands that now. Lots of stickers & play dough keep Aubrey entertained during the feedings :) Besides that, try to feed the baby right before your toddler's nap time and put them down so you can sleep/do what you need to do! My girls sleep at the same time each day pretty much and I tell you it is VITAL to my mental health, lol! Good luck, you will do great! -
Thank you! Taking pics of the girls (if you haven't noticed) is my favorite thing to do. I truly feel like you can never have enough, and I sure have never heard anyone say, "Man, I wish I didn't take as many pictures!" Lol! ;) I own a lower-end SLR, but I use a 50 mm lens that can take really great quality photos. Besides that, I make sure there's lots of light in the room, (our shutters and curtains are always kept open throughout the day). Also, make sure that behind your subject is very uncluttered - it just distracts from the main focus! I don't have too many other tips, I'm certainly NO professional and would love to take a photography class.
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I remember reading that you had trouble concieving Aubrey and Kate and had to use Clomid. Can you go into more details about your infertility troubles? We've been trying for our third for a year now and no luck.ReplyDeleteSure Ellen! It took us 9.5 months to get pregnant the first time, which ended up in a miscarriage. The next month I got pregnant with Aubrey. It turns out my body makes such a low, pathetic amount of progesterone that I can't ovulate on my own and if I do, I can't carry a pregnancy for very long due to the low progesterone. The only reason Aubrey was conceived so quickly was because it was right after a miscarriage so my body had higher levels of progesterone. She was kind of a miracle :) With Kate I had to take Clomid because I still wasn't ovulating at all. I got pregnant the first month on it! Most likely I will have to take it with all my babies. Whatever it takes to bring those precious souls into the world, I'm all about it! Good luck with your TTC, I hope that you are able to get pregnant fast!
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Well, I'm a total crier. I cry all the time - 90% of the time for sentimental reasons. I cried last night while I was nursing Kate to sleep, I was just feeling all sobby because she's growing up so dang fast. I'm a total baby. Chances are if you've known me for a while, you've seen me cry more than once!
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Clomid journey- my son was conceived thanks to 50mg of clomid and I love to hear how it worked for others.ReplyDeleteYay for Clomid babies! Look up two questions :)
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hair and make up routine for sureReplyDelete
Also a fahion post, like what you look for while picking up new clothes.
third - how did u spend time when you and your husband were apart (when he was serving the mmission)Look out for a makeup post soon! :) - About what I look for when picking clothes - Hmm, I love simple, but really feminine pieces that make me feel pretty. I'm very girly and love pink, ruffles, and polka dots :) I usually like more fitted clothing since I lack curves and when I wear loose things I feel like a boy, haha! Also, I'm not very trendy - you'll never see me pattern mixing or wearing hipster glasses!
- When Steve was on his mission I was finishing high school, working, and also finishing up dental assisting school. I tried my best to stay busy because I was VERY lonely. They were the hardest years of my life so far but ended up being completely worth the wait!
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AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 1:36 AMThat’s so generous from you, I’ll try not to be very gossip!ReplyDelete
I would like to know your love story more in depth: how you met, your first dates, the proposal… and any suggestions to have such a happy marriage as you both seem to have.I'll give you the reader's digest version since it's a long story: We met through AOL instant messenger by accident, (we had mutual friends from church/school) met in person in high school (I was a freshman and he was a junior and that was kind of a big deal to everyone and their mom and their mom's best friend's mailman), we fell hard and fast - total typical high school sweethearts spending every second we possibly could together. We spent our first outings going to football games together, and shared our first kiss at Fall Homecoming. I still get butterflies thinking about those times, I was SO YOUNG and SO in love it was just crazy. When I was almost 17, Steve left on a 2 year mission to Detroit, Michigan for our church and I finished school and worked while he was gone. We wrote letters and sent tapes to each other. I still have all our letters saved in a big binder. I cherish them so much! 2 months after he came home from his mission, he asked me to marry him at Dillon's Beach on a huge rock overlooking the ocean. I was the happiest girl in the world!As far as suggestions go, I'd say don't ever go to bed mad, always show affection, & do little special things for your husband/wife all the time! Flirt with each other, too. :) -
I'd like to hear about your breastfeeding success with your second child and what advice you can give since you've been on the formula side and breastfeeding side of things. :)ReplyDeleteI talked a bit about this a few questions up, but to go on a little more I can say I truly do love nursing! It's a sweet time, very convenient, and it's just another great excuse to snuggle with baby. (Not to mention the great nutritional benefits, but I think every mom in the world has heard those a bazillion times.) I think it's a great thing to at least try and if it works out, then amazing! If not, you're still just as great of a mama and there's no need to feed guilty. Formula is awesome, too.As far as advice goes, besides making sure the latch is good EVERY time, and using creams in between feedings, I'd say buy the gel soothies and "breast shells" to help ease the pain in between nursing sessions. Those were lifesavers! I won't lie - I had a natural birth with Kate, and some of those latch-ons were more painful than those transitional labor contractions! Getting through the pain was the hardest part for me - after that it was smooth sailing.
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AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 7:45 AMWhen was the last time you had a fight with your husband and what was it about? (Sorry if that's too personal!)You know, I've been trying to figure out what to type in response to this for a couple of minutes. The truth is, we don't really fight. Every now and then we have disagreements, but nothing that lasts for more than a few minutes. I'm NOT a confrontational person whatsoever. If I get in any kind of argument or I even think someone is mad at me, it eats at me and it's all I think about until I make sure it's resolved. We don't have a perfect marriage, but as far as fighting and arguing we just don't do it.
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I was just wondering if you can do a post with stories and lots of pictures of highschool, and the relationship with your husband while in highschool. Just a highschool post! That's what i've been really wanting to know!ReplyDeleteThat would be a fun post, I will try to do one soon!
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Hi Lanie! I don't think I'll ever do fashion posts. I would feel totally silly, mainly because I don't keep up with fashion. I read some fashion blogs and I never understand the trends they model: polka dot pants with a leopard tee, topped off with neon heels? Apparently I'm not up to do date with today's trends! Haha! Thank you though - if you ever want to know where I get something, feel free to ask!
I had another question! Have you ever thought about doing YouTube vlogs? You're really funny in your writing and it would be awesome to actually get to see you and the family progressing! It can also earn you a little extra money if you partner with them! =]I'd be the most awkward girl ever in a youtube video! I definitely express myself better with writing (err..typing) than I ever could talking in front of a camera. I promise you I'd bore you to death, lol!-
YES PLEASE on the youtube vlogs!! I know I said it before and you said you'd be too shy but that would be SO cool! You could do the most awesome day in the life vlogs! Think about it!ReplyDeleteI just really don't think I could ever do it! I'm the girl who's face turns bright red introducing themselves in front of a class - not a youtube vlogger! Lol.
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AnonymousMarch 16, 2013 at 12:20 PMhow did you afford the house? what price range was it in? how much deposit did you need? - sorry if its too personal :PReplyDelete
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I'd be interested in tips for living on one income. (I think) I remember reading you didn't decide to stay at home until after Aubrey came. Was that an easy decision? My husband and I are expecting our first, and to keep my current job and afford day care we'd be losing money so I will be a stay at home wife/mom soon. I'm excited and it feels really right, but we'll definitely be tightening our belts. :)I love your name :) I had planned on going back to work part time because of my job's benefits (I didn't know we could still be on our parents' plans until we were 26 until later), and to help out income-wise. After Aubrey was born, I knew right away I wasn't going back to work. Steve supported my decision completely. We were nervous, but we took the plunge and I quit. It just felt right that I should be home with the baby. After that, everything kind of fell into place - Steve got a promotion at his job, we figured out insurance, & things worked out. It definitely takes a toll when so much income is taken away but I assure you it can work in a lot of situations (but I do realize that it also can't in some). And even if you have to do things like cancel cable, barely go out to dinner, etc, you will NEVER regret being with your baby all the time. You are going to love it!
What do you like to cook for dinner? Any favorites?JessicaOh my goodness, I'm so not a cook. I'd really like to expand my abilities in the kitchen. My mom is an amazing cook and I should probably make her teach me! We keep it very simple - chicken quesadillas, spaghetti, lasagna, chicken-rice-beans concoctions, & lots of baked fish like salmon and tilapia. Chick-Fil-A & Chipotle happen often, too. :)Where did you come up with the name Kate Brielle? Is it a family name?No, neither of our girls' names are named after family. We decided from the beginning that we wouldn't use any family names. As much as I love my dad, I just couldn't name a son Ronald, ya know? (Love ya dad!) We told our family we will honor them in other ways, lol. We have loved the name Kate forever, and Brielle just kind of came to us one day and we loved it. I'd love it as a first name, actually, but Aubrey and Brielle sound too alike I think, because of the "Bree" sound.From the same email: Where did you get your dress in your maternity pictures?It was from the maternity section of asos.com Last I checked it was out of stock though, sorry! :(From the same email: Do you make money from your blog? If you don't mind my asking how much, I'm so curious to see how much bloggers make as I am just starting out in the blogging world?I only make money through google ads now, since I no longer accept sponsors. I welcomed sponsors for a while but then had a hard time promising them that I would post 5x a week, and it just became a hassle. Google sends me a $100 check every couple of months. We just stick it in savings.From Natalie:Where did you get your blog book printed?My husband did it as a Christmas gift the past 2 years, he said he used blog2print.com !
Phew, all done! Sorry that was so LONG & completely unorganized. Hopefully everyone found their questions okay. (
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Lisa, thank you so much for answering my question about breastfeeding. You made me feel so much better and you are right, if my son turns out half as adorable as Aubrey I will know I made the best decision! ;)
ReplyDeleteLoved reading the q and a's
Lisa, thanks again for being so generous (my question was about how you and your husband met, but I wouldn't have minded to read the long version, I love so much these stories).
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Spain
Thank you Lisa! This was so nice of you :) Loved reading all the answers! I will most definitely be purchasing that Moroccan Oil hairspray asap lol!
ReplyDeleteawesome, I've also been wondering what curling iron you use! and I definitely need to get some dry shampoo and I think I'll try the hairspray you use also. =)
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to answer these! It was fun reading them, I'll have to try some of your tips. I did not know you have trouble producing progesterone, I'm the same way, no fun! Clomid never worked for me so hopefully taking progesterone daily will help us get pregnant. Love your blog!
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