To Create or Be Seen? | 12 Things 3.22.21

Mar 22, 2021

Hey there, whether you’ve been around my corner of the internet awhile or just happened to pop on over here for this post because you were drawn to it. Welcome! I haven’t spent as much time on Instagram since my break in December and that’s a good thing. My mental health is definitely so much better. I need to use Instagram for my job and I love connecting with the community we’ve built there but I’d be lying if I said I wish there was a better way for me to connect with you than Instagram. That’s why I’ve been putting a lot of time and effort into my email newsletter lately and developed a Patreon membership. But even with those things I feel like there’s a lot of stuff I’m not able to update you on or talk to you about. So that’s where these posts come in. I’m going to aim for this to be a weekly thing, something you can look forward to each Monday morning but if you’ve been here awhile you know that sometimes I’m really bad at sticking to a posting schedule. Still, I figured I really like when other bloggers do these types of posts and wanted to try my hand at it.

Here’s 12 Things for March 22, 2021

I saw a post a few weeks ago that has really been stuck in my mind lately. The creator was basically talking about the time we spend as content creators and writers trying to be seen versus actually being able to write creatively or just whatever the heck we want. I’m trying to find a balance with this struggle currently. I hope to do more of the creative free writing and less of the working on trying to get seen but I’m also trying to earn a stable income from this which requires both things. Like I said, it’s a delicate balance that few creators seem to have actually struck. Do you have to “make it” before you can focus on writing what you actually want? I don’t know what the answer is. But if you see more posts from me like this one about Surviving Life Below Zero in Alaska then you know what started it.
Old Navy is having a huge 50% off sale today! Where we live Old Navy is basically one of the only places I can actually shop so I love popping in there from time to time. I’m not buying a lot right now, obviously, because I’m 8 months pregnant but I did head in there this weekend and picked up a few pieces that will get me through the end of this pregnancy and will work well for postpartum also. I’ve linked some of my favorite finds for you here!
In an effort to be more creative like we talked about earlier, I’ve gotten back into YouTube lately. Now that I figured out a workaround for uploading videos despite our terrible internet I’ve been posting regularly! There’s currently two vlogs and a video of the refresh I did of Jasper’s peach themed bathroom. I’d love for you to subscribe if you’re not already!
Speaking of YouTube, I spend a lot of time watching videos since we don’t have cable. It’s one of my favorite things to do in the mornings when I’m drinking my coffee or at night before bed. A new creator I’ve found recently and have been loving is Lucy Moon. I have been specifically inspired recently by her 168 Hours videos (or weekly vlogs) and plan on trying this style out for myself pretty soon!
I’ve been obsessed with small shops lately, especially for clothes for Baby M. I can’t say enough about sites like Kate Quinn and Jamie Kay. I actually get all of Jasper’s good knit sweaters from Jamie Kay and just recently picked up another one for his birthday. The quality of these items is fantastic and I always size up so he can wear the piece throughout the year. They’re actually running a promotion right now where you can get one of their knits for $2 when you add $60 worth of merchandise to your cart. Trust me, the quality of these pieces is so worth it!
Speaking of clothing for toddlers, I’ve started putting together an intentional capsule wardrobe for Jasper for the spring and summer months. I’ll be sharing a huge Target haul on my Instagram stories soon so stay tuned for that. I also picked up this basic Zara set that he’ll be able to mix and match with all season long. I also went ahead and got him the 3-4 size so he can wear it most of the year. I loved that it was only $25 for both pieces. I’ve never ordered from Zara before and was impressed by the quality and their shipping speed. I also picked up this adorable sweater for Baby M.
Speaking of Baby M, I still have no idea when, where, or how I want to do her name reveal. Part of me wants to just do it now and get it over with because I’m low key so excited to share her name but the other part of me is like “I’ve already waited this long.” Here’s a hint: the origin of her first name is Old English.
I received my first round of the COVID vaccine a few weeks ago and it feels so weird to be saying that out loud. By April 7th, I’ll be completely vaccinated! I feel so fortunate that Alaska has been on top of the vaccine game when it comes to distribution and I hope the rest of you will get vaccinated soon too. I don’t want to get my hopes up about how “normal” things will feel this summer but the possibility that it could be a lot different than last summer makes me really happy. I’m also excited that there’s a potential Baby M will get the antibodies from the vaccine which would just be amazing.
Remember when I used to do monthly favorites here on Made in Mom Jeans? Well, there not coming back BUT I am excited to be announcing that I’ll officially be doing a quarterly edit of my favorite things, what I read, etc. all in one post. So you can look forward to that coming in the first week or so of April and then every 3 months or so after.
I received my first affiliate income check on Friday! I knew it was coming but it was seriously such an exciting moment for me and a huge milestone to reach in my career as a digital content creator. It means that you guys trust me enough to buy products I recommend or visit shops I love which is a huge deal. Using my affiliate links doesn’t cost you anything extra and I make a small commission. I’m hoping throughout the rest of 2021 that I’ll be able to make that income more consistently.
As I was putting Jasper down for his nap today we were reading books and he started mimicking animal sounds. He has NEVER done this before and we’ve been working with a speech therapist regularly since January so it made my mama heart so happy. Honestly, I definitely almost cried. I can’t believe he’s going to be two in just a few very short weeks.
After doing a ton of research and getting some great recommendations from you all, I finally picked what I think will be the perfect diaper bag for me! I decided to go with the Dagne Dover Indi Diaper bag in the Large size so it would fit my new (massive) laptop for travel/PCSing. I’ve only used it a few times so far but I am so impressed with it and can’t get over how comfy the straps are. I’m obsessed with this brand now and actually planning on picking up one of their duffle bags and travel cases as well.