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MEET KARINA

I'm an IT/Oil & Gas professional by day and blogger by night! I'm excited to connect with you on a variety of topics including women in business, fashion, spirituality, travel, beauty and more! Look around and stay awhile...

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What we all need right now is a lil more self-care

What we all need right now is a lil more self-care and me time. 🧖🏻‍♀️ Ladies, can i get an amen?!
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This last month has been busy and challenging in so many new ways since I’ve gone back to work after the 2nd baby. One of the ways that I’ve fallen off the wagon is not doing my core exercises everyday. It’s crazy how much back pain I’ve had over the last 1-2 weeks since I’ve stopped doing them regularly. I’m working on getting those back into my daily routine because my body needs it! Picking up two kiddos everyday requires some serious core strength, y’all. 🤪
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My natural inclination during any times of stress is to keep to myself and not get on social much, or just not share as much because I have an aversion to being negative. But I am going to try and share more about how I navigate these challenges as a new mom of 2 because I know so many of you are right there with me!
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And through it all, we’ll be grateful every single day because this life is a gift and I want to cherish every moment!!
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I hope you guys are all doing OK amidst the Corona-madness. Sending y’all all the good vibes today and for this week. 😌
📸: @angiegarciaphoto

It has been quite an intense couple of weeks y’a

It has been quite an intense couple of weeks y’all...hence why I’ve been a bit MIA on social media. It’s been my first few weeks back at work post-baby and I was also planning my daughter’s baby naming.
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Re-entry into the working world after baby #2 has been a totally different experience and for many different reasons. More on this later as I work through and navigate this process...
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Last weekend we also had a baby naming ceremony for our daughter. In Jewish tradition, you give your daughter her Hebrew name and it’s a joyous occasion akin to your son’s circumcision. We had a small family gathering at our home after the ceremony at synagogue. You can see some of my setup in these pics. ☺️ It was so special to have some of my family come into town for it from San Antonio. 💗
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Things are starting to settle down and I’m getting back into my routine. Will continue to share what I’m learning as I go along and I’m excited to continue connecting with you all...💗☺️

🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ Can someone please tell me whose idea it was to demo my closet the week after I went back to work?? 🤪 This girl, apparently! Channeling my best Chip & Jo vibes over here and praying I remember where in the house I put my clothes and jewelry!
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But in all seriousness, we are redoing our master closet. The shelving and shoe racks were not functional. They were super high up and all my stuff just ended up on the floor most of the time. See my stories highlights for the deets!
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We gutted it this week and are getting new carpet and @thecontainerstore Elfa shelving put in. Swipe right to see the before.
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Looking forward to see how it all turns out!

🍼 My Favorite Baby Products for months 2 & 3 po

🍼 My Favorite Baby Products for months 2 & 3 postpartum are on the blog! 🍼 [Link in bio]
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Navigating the ‘fourth trimester’ can be challenging. The last thing you need is to be stressing about what gear you need for your baby as they journey through infancy! The products I listed are what I used the most during this time, which includes strollers, bottles, apparel and more!
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My daughter is just a little over 3 months now and I have been documenting what has been the most useful - both for baby and mama!
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Do you know a mama or mama-to-be who needs this list? Tag her in the comments below! 💗

Today marks *day 3* in my first week back at work

Today marks *day 3* in my first week back at work after #maternityleave. I think I’ve experienced aaall the feelings this week, from excitement to joy to FOMO to frustration and sadness.
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I never knew what #momguilt meant until I became a mom. I thought it was some trendy term thrown around in the mom world. I only started to understand when I went back to work after my first, and I’ve definitely felt it this week.
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I love to work. I love feeling like I need to get things done, that I’m useful and being productive. I love to create and to connect with others.
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I also love my babies more than anything in the world. I love watching them learn and grow and experience new milestones.
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I think every mom has to make a choice about what’s best for her and what is possible for her and her family. But it doesn’t make the choice of staying at home, working outside the home or working from home any easier.
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At some point or another, if you do go back to work, you will miss something - a new word that’s said, a new song that’s sung or a deep belly laugh. Your kids will fall more deeply in love with their nanny, caretaker or teacher [and what a blessing that is!] You will miss them deeply when you’re gone. But they don’t love you any less and vice versa.
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And I’m sure the moms who stay at home with their babies have their own things that they miss - working with their colleagues, their “me” time and more.
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One is not better or easier than the other. We all have our own paths and as women, I hope we choose to support each other. To love each other through the heartache of missing our kids throughout the day, or through the yearning to be out there working again.
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There’s no lesson here other than community, support, belonging and love. Because at the end of the day, that’s all we really want, right?
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If you have a friend who needs to hear this today, tag her below. 💗
📸: @meganmweaver

@basicinvite #ad My love affair with paper began q

@basicinvite #ad My love affair with paper began quite young. 💗 It started with school supplies, then transitioned to journals / planners and then grew to cards.
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My daughter’s baby naming is coming up and I started looking for “Thank You” cards online when @basicinvite reached out about their beautiful products. I ended up ordering these ‘Water bouquet’ cards and love how they turned out!
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I went with a peach color on the roses and a plum hue on the berries. 🤤 You can change the color of any element on the card and there are over 180 colors to choose from! You’re able to see the preview of what you select immediately on the screen. They allow you to order a set of samples before committing which is so nice! As a “late majority” buyer, I’m all about knowing a product is legit before I commit. 😉
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Today’s the last day of their sale and you can use code 15FF51 to get 15% off. Check out my blog post [link in bio] for more deets!
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Happy Friday, y’all!! 📸: @meganmweaver

Yesterday Jess and I had our 3rd Pilates class #po

Yesterday Jess and I had our 3rd Pilates class #postdelivery, and it was the first time that I was able to actually do some core work. Our first two classes were all about reactivating the core and reteaching my body how to use those muscles again.
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Before yesterday, if I laid down like this in tabletop and tried to extend out a leg, my back would arch, meaning my core was not properly engaging. However yesterday, I was finally able to extend out my legs with my back flat on the mat.
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It’s so crazy to me that women are cleared to work out at 6 or 8 weeks #postpartum but there’s no other information provided. I had no idea that once I was cleared I shouldn’t do any exercises that cause you to stick out your stomach, like planks, sit-ups, crunches and push-ups. At #10weekspostpartum I started doing online videos with all of those exercises and ended up tweaking my back. My core had not been reactivated and was certainly not ready for that.
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Jess and I are working on a fitness guide for postpartum women - what you should and shouldn’t do and how to know when you’re ready to work out like you used to.
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Let me know if you guys have any other questions about what you should and shouldn’t be doing and if you want anything else included!

These two #Athleisure looks are on the blog today!

These two #Athleisure looks are on the blog today! [Link in bio!]
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These last 2.5 months post-baby, I’ve been living in my pajamas or these two outfits [with a few other tops / leggings] in rotation. The pajamas are great, but as I’ve slowly started to get into more of a routine with the bebe these last few weeks, I’ve been wanting to feel more confident and more like myself! These @colorfulkoala leggings, which I’ve posted about before, are high-waisted and smooth out any bumps and lumps. 😉 The @lululemon Define jacket on the left makes me feel super svelte and fit - ha! And the hat on the right is great for the days that I haven’t washed my hair and only the ends are presentable. All in all, these outfits have been making me feel confident in these months post-baby when I’m still not back to my pre-baby weight [which is totally normal.]
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Also, I hadn’t gone shopping for sneakers in probably 2 years and finally got a few pairs. They’re all linked in the blogpost but these black Nikes from @nordstromrack are a staple and go with everything!
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Do y’all have any athleisure pieces you love that just make you feel great every time you put them on?? Lemme know in the comments below! Would love to check them out. 💗💗

I’m what you call in marketing a “Late Majorit

I’m what you call in marketing a “Late Majority” buyer. I wait to hear about how everyone likes a product first before buying it, aka late in the cycle, *and* I prefer for it to be on sale! 🤣

Today I’m sharing a fuzzy pullover that is on major sale and yes, I’m late to the fuzzy pullover trend! I haven’t wanted to shop too much recently because #pregnancyweight but I did want at least one fuzzy sweater before spring comes.

This one is great because it’s a bit longer, so it doesn’t make me feel as boxy as the others I tried on. It’s also on sale for $49 [orig. price $78]. You can see it on my stories!

Swipe right for the actual sweater. 💗 I’d love to hear if you guys have a favorite fuzzy sweater that you got this season! I love this one so much that I might just get another one... 😉

P.S. Peep the exposed wires on the wall. 😱 We’re going to be redoing our closet soon so stay tuned for the before and after!

✨A tour of our nursery is up on my stories✨ S

✨A tour of our nursery is up on my stories✨

Swipe right for more detail shots 🎀 📸: @liznoviphotography

Hi friends! I asked on stories a while back if you

Hi friends! I asked on stories a while back if you guys would like to see a baby product breakdown of what I use each month postpartum and the overwhelming response was ‘yes!’ So today’s blog post is just that! All of my favorite and most-used products for Month 1 after baby! I hope this helps all you future mamas who are worried about what you’ll need on day 1, when you bring that baby home. 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️ I know I certainly had no clue! 😅

Today, I am also sharing a nursery update! We moved into our new home in January 2019 and the nursery is a bit different than in our last house. It’s a smaller, rectangular-sized room that connects to our master. The previous owners used it as an office / workout space. I love having the baby’s room so close for the convenience factor, but was initially worried about fitting in the furniture, etc. The crib and dresser ended up fitting perfectly and we moved the rocker to our room. My favorite Antelope rug from @ballarddesigns didn’t fit but I replaced it with this one [see pic above] from @potterybarn.

In terms of decor, I used almost all of the same stuff that I had in my sons room and added some girly touches. Peach-colored sheets, pink llama bookends and some sweet stuffed animals. The whole reason I went with a neutral theme for my firstborn [a boy] was so that I wouldn’t have to make too many changes if the second was a girl, which it was! 🎀😌 I also couldn’t find drapes that were long enough for the space so I worked with @allison44 on those, and I love how they turned out!

Everything is linked in the post - link in bio! 💗 Let me know if there are any other products you loved in the first month after you brought your angel 👼 home! 📸: @liznoviphotography

So glad @jesswulke and I were able to start our Pi

So glad @jesswulke and I were able to start our Pilates classes again! This little lady cut our class a little short but we were still able to get it in.

Today we focused primarily on activating the core. I am now #10weekspostpartum 🤰🏻 and I definitely feel stronger after this pregnancy than my first. Doing our #prenatalpilates classes all through pregnancy strengthened my core and made all the difference!

Also, I got to try out these Lululemon ‘Align’ legging dupes and I love them! They’ve been all the rage in the blogosphere and I had to see for myself since they were only $25 [even though I’m always hesitant when I hear “Lulu dupe.”]. I am still not back to my pre-baby size, so paying $100 for leggings right now is not what I want to be doing! Long story long, they are buttery soft, so comfortable and cute! Definitely worth the $25. Swipe right ➡️ for a screenshot of them! Also just reviewed them in stories. 💗

If you caught my post today on the blog, you saw m

If you caught my post today on the blog, you saw me wearing these @sam_edelman loafers. I shared them on my stories today so you can see what they look like IRL and with 3 different types of tops!

I went to @nordstrom to replace my beige Tory Burch ballet flats and ended up getting these instead. They’re the ‘Lior loafers’ in Saddle leather and I 💗 them!

They’re definitely a different look than a ballet flat - preppier and more structured - but I find I can style them with most things. They’re also so comfortable and can be worn out and to the office!

I wanted to share with y’all in case you were needing something versatile and comfortable! ❤️

Today I want to share with y’all a delicious blu

Today I want to share with y’all a delicious blueberry spinach protein shake that I make while at home. It calls for plant-based protein powder, has 50g of protein in total and a healthy dose of antioxidants. I got the original recipe from my dad and it reminds me of home when I make it. I took his recipe and added protein and modified a few things! My husband also made it for me when I had an aversion to meat during both pregnancies. You can find the recipe on www.loveksz.com. [Link in bio]

Also, I am loving the start of the new year! I love the freshness that it brings and the feeling of new opportunities buzzing around the corner. Being on maternity leave sometimes feels like the earth has stopped spinning and time is standing to still. Nothing snaps you out of that haze like a trip to the grocery store and seeing Valentine’s Day candy 🍫 and hearts 💕 everywhere! 🤪

I can’t believe I go back to work in the beginning of February! Less than one month away and I’m not ready yet! 😩 Well to be honest, there are moments when I get excited at the thought of working again - i.e. having time to myself throughout the day and getting a break. 🤪 But I’m torn of course! More on that when I go back... Lemme know if you make the shake and what you think! 📸: @meganmweaver

Looking back on this decade with complete gratitud

Looking back on this decade with complete gratitude and awe. So much life lived and so much love given and received.

In the last 10 years I moved from Houston to Dallas, worked my butt off at work, got engaged and married, had two babies and moved to 3 different houses. I have been emotional all day just thinking about how much has happened.

Tonight, as my husband and I sit on the couch with our 2 month old drinking champs and eating sushi, I cant help but feel immense gratitude for all of the blessings that we’ve been given. I’m looking forward to the next decade and all of the love, joy and opportunities that are coming, especially connecting with all of you!! HAPPY NEW YEARS, y’all! ✨❤️🥂 Bridal photo, 2015: @lightlyphoto

Breaking down my monthly / weekly / daily planning

Breaking down my monthly / weekly / daily planning process on the blog today! [Link in Bio]
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I talk about how I schedule out my day for maximum productivity, and list out the planner & calendars that I use!
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If you have a weekly/daily planning strategy that you use, I’d love to hear what works best for you!
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Also, if you have any tips or tricks to increase productivity, let me know in the comments below!
📸: @meganmweaver

💨Whew!💨 These last two weeks have been a whi

💨Whew!💨 These last two weeks have been a whirlwind in the best possible way.

We brought home our baby girl from the hospital and have fully entered the newborn phase. 🎀🧸 I write about it all in my newest blog post [link in bio] - from nursing the second time around and wanting to spend enough time with my oldest, to the new stretch marks I got. 🤪

I also write about this $28 Old Navy dress that is comfy and perfect for mamas on Thanksgiving Day! [Old Navy is having 40% off right now so it’s a great time to stock up on their maternity basics - I like their dresses and tank tops!] I also link a few non-maternity dresses as well to give you some Thanksgiving 🦃 outfit inspo!

Sunday night planning post-baby: feeding, laundry,

Sunday night planning post-baby: feeding, laundry, dishes, feeding, laundry, dishes, attempt a nap & repeat. 🤪

Sunday night planning pre-baby:

1️⃣ Daily Planning: write out schedule in 30 min - 1 hr increments so that I know exactly what I should be doing at all times - this includes calls, meetings, emails, etc.

2️⃣ Weekly Planning: plan our meals, grocery needs, list any appts / dinners / major to-dos

3️⃣ Monthly Planning: In the beginning of the month, I write out all our major commitments / events, my blog posts and to-dos.

This is a high level view of my planning 📝 process that I would do each Sunday night to keep myself organized and the most productive throughout the week. When I skipped a week or didn’t keep up with my schedule, I’d end up frazzled and overwhelmed. Most importantly, I’d forget to do important things that needed to get done that week!

If you’d like a detailed blog post on how I plan for the week and what planners / tools I use, lemme know in the comments below! 📸: @meganmweaver

🎤 Mic. Drop. 🎤 Man, this one hits home @john

🎤 Mic. Drop. 🎤 Man, this one hits home @johncmaxwell. If we want to live the life of our dreams, it’s going to take sacrifice, lots of learning and hard work. Seems so simple and obvious, but we don’t tend to think about the cost of a dream when we first think about pursuing it. Love this healthy dose of kick-your-butt-into-reality medicine.
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Happy Saturday, friends!

Baby girl Zide 👼🏻 decided to grace us with h

Baby girl Zide 👼🏻 decided to grace us with her presence yesterday and we are overjoyed. Thank you to all of our friends and family for making this day so special and making us feel so loved. 👫 I can’t wait to see how her big brother reacts to meeting her. And more importantly, how Morty reacts... 🐶 Stay tuned! 😆
📸: @victoriablitshteinphotography

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