Spring comes in Dusty Blue

Happy Wednesday!

How was everyone’s Easter? Kody, Ellie and I had a fast and event filled weekend. Kody went on a 60 mile hike starting by Cedar City and ending up in Zion National Park. Ellie and I had a girls weekend and hung out by the pool. Kody made it home safe Saturday night. We headed to Holden on Sunday for our Easter adventures. My family all got together and dutch ovened, did multiple easter egg hunts, ATV ride, and then went and did our annual Easter Egg shoot. We literally lined the eggs and shot them with our pistols. Haha sound a little redneck?

It was a perfect Easter weekend. Kody, Ellie and I are now back in St. George trying to conquer our week. Isn’t it so hard to get back to work and reality after weekends like that! Especially this time of year, when the weather is perfect. All I want to do is go hiking, swimming or riding horses.

Today’s outfit is a casual Spring look. If you haven’t noticed, I’m obsessed with dusty blue this Spring. I swear it’s the only color I buy, so of course when I saw this blouse I had to have it!

Spring and summer fashion is always hard for me. The clothing style becomes revealing, leaving me with nothing to wear. I was happy to find this top because it is light, breathable and covers my shoulders. It is the perfect blouse for warm Spring and Summer days.

This striped blouse is from Simply Reese. Simply Reese is an adorable boutique with the latest Spring and Summer trends. I feel especially connected to this boutique because it is out of the small town of Salina, Utah. I have many fond childhood memories in Salina. I love seeing small businesses thrive, especially fashion oriented shops in small towns.

Follow @SimplyReeseBoutique on Instagram to keep up with their latest deals and trends! Use discount code BRIANA15 for 15% off your purchase!

Direct Links:

Dusty Blue Striped Pocket Blouse: Simply Reese

Denim Wedge Sandal: Target  (Under $30.00!)

Length is everything

It’s a great day, to have a great day!

I hope you are all enjoying yourselves this beautiful day.

Today’s blog post is all about lashes. If you follow me on Insta Story you saw that I took my lash extensions off. I've had my lashes on and off for the past 7 years. They became an addiction my Senior year in high school.

This past year it became hard to schedule appointments, especially here in St. George. I hated trying to coordinate schedules with Kody every 3 weeks so I could make my lash fill. To top it off, lash prices rose due to popularity. The fill prices rose from $35 to $65. I honestly wish I could afford them, but paying $65 every 3-4 weeks really added up. I knew my time with lash extensions had come to an end.

I contacted my girl Lauren Raye Beauty. I followed her on Instagram and she was always posting the best beauty tips, I knew she was my girl. I reached out to her asking for her secret to long lashes. She instantly messaged me back and introduced me to Lash MD. I was skeptical about the lash serum but decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did. I’ve been using Lash MD for over a month now and I am shocked with the result. My lashes went from little stubs to long lashes.

I use the serum every night before I go to bed. I make sure my lashes are clean and then I let the serum set all night.

If you are wanting long lashes this is your solution. I’m still a huge fan of lash extensions, but honestly, I forgot how nice it was to rub my eyes! It sounds funny, but it's true. Now I can open my eyes to full extent. I didn’t realize how heavy my lash extensions were. They were weighing my eyelids down. My eyes feel light and bright again.

Lauren Raye Beauty is also a Maskcara consultant. If you are interested in any of her products contact her on Instagram or see her website www.maskcarabeauty.com/laurenraye

Also, for those of you who have been asking about my brows, here is a close up picture so you can see the final product! It's been two months since my touch up and I’m in love. It’s so nice to wake up with sculpted brows. Contact the Fairy Brow Mother to schedule yours!

Thanks for following!

Xoxo,
Briana Marie Smith

My little fishy

How is everyone? Are you all enjoying this wonderful time of year? I know I am.

Kody, Ellie and I  love to be outside and in the sun. Ellie is our little fishy. She would  stay in the pool all day everyday if  we would let her Kody and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We want her to grow up enjoying the outdoors.

With that being said, Ellie has recently found a new obsession, watching Frozen on the IPad. Kody and I never thought electronics would become a problem until this past week. All Ellie wanted to do was lay in the bed and watch Frozen. It was cute the first few days, then we realized it was starting to become habit.  Kody and I freaked a little haha don’t  judge, first time parents  remember;) So, we did a little Frozen detox lol. We all went to the store and bought  sidewalk chalk, a trike  and other items we could play with outside. We went two days with no movies or Ipads, then gradually brought Frozen back into her life. She now watches it in the morning when she wakes  up. I then try to have activities for her during the day to keep her busy. 

I know it’s silly but it really did catch Kody and I off guard. We didn’t realize how easy it was just to hand her the Ipad and have her watch Frozen for hours. Kody and I were able to get our work done and even keep the house clean, but we  both agreed that interacting with her is more important than anything. Kody and I also decided to set hours for us to use our electronics. We realized we were being poor examples by having our faces glued to our screens all day. Now we look at our phones while she is sleeping.

What activities do you like to do with your kids? Indoor and outdoor, I need suggestions! Comment below with your ideas!

I can't end this post with out talking about our swimsuits. My suit from @naniswimwear is a fave! It is perfect for everyday swimming. I am obsessed with the tops pattern and racerback. 

Direct links to our favorite swimming suits :)

Xoxo,

Briana  Marie Smith

White Mesh Racerback Top: Nani Swimwear (love, love, love this top!)

Black Tie Bottoms: Nani Swimwear (these bottoms have a tie on the back, obsessed!)

Follow them on Instagram for discounts style tips: @naniswimwear

Ellie’s Swimsuit: Janie and Jack

Life's too Short Not to Jump in.

Happy Spring Ya’ll!

There is nothing better than feeling the sun rays on your skin after a long winter. Ellie and I have been absorbing as much vitamin D as possible!

Swimsuit season is basically here for Ellie and I.  We have been playing in the pool and by the lake all month. Ellie is obsessed with the water. She’s a little fish who wants to swim all day everyday!

How cute is this swimsuit from Strange Bikinis? I am literally obsessed with the design, print and material of the suit. As soon as I tried it on, I knew I had to have it. I’ve never felt more confident in a swimsuit.

Strange Bikinis are all handmade using top of the line fabric. I first fell in love with Strange Bikinis custom designs, then fell in love Strange Bikinis message. Strange Bikinis started their company with the goal to empower women and create swimsuits for every body type to feel confident in.

This message rang loud to me last week. Ellie and I were swimming at the local pool when a cute, young family walked in. My heart broke as I overheard the conversation between the mother and preteen daughter.

The daughter was so excited to jump in the pool. She immediately jumped in and splashed around.  She asked her mom to get in the pool and swim with her. The mom said no multiple times. The daughter was determined to swim with her mom. After much nagging, the mom finally gave in and started to dip her fully dressed body in the pool. The daughter was so confused when her mom didn’t take her t-shirt or shorts off to swim. The daughter said, “Mom that’s not a swimsuit, you have to wear a suit to get in the pool.” The mom replied, “Honey, I’m to fat to wear a swimsuit.” I could tell the daughter was taken back with her mother's response.  I was devastated as I watched the confused young daughter look down at her own body.

I know the Mom didn’t mean any harm with her statement, however, what message did she send to her daughter?  That you have to be skinny to wear a swimsuit?

I know we as mothers want our daughters to grow up feeling empowered and confident, but how can they when their mothers aren’t? Don’t get me wrong, I have insecurities about my body, however, I want Ellie to have a positive body image. I believe it all starts with being an example. I never want her to look in the mirror and think she can’t swim because she isn’t “skinny.”

I’m not saying we all have to wear bikinis, however, as a society we need to be less judgemental of ourselves and others. Everyone deserves to wear a swimsuit and play in the pool with their kids, regardless of their body type.

Life is too short not to jump in!

Xoxo,

Briana Marie Smith

Direct Links Below:

Follow @strangebikinis on Instagram for deals and more!

Swim Top: Tango Wrap Top

Swim Bottom: Hannah Bottom (Since all swimsuits are custom made, you can request bottom to be less cheeky (more coverage)

Ellie’s Swimsuit: Old Navy

Healthy Living. It's a lifestyle.

Hello! Sending good vibes out to you all this morning.

Today’s blog post is monumental. It is my FIRST fitness post. I am nervous because I am not claiming to be a trainer or a dietitian, however, healthy living has always been a focus for me. “Love yourself enough to live a healthy lifestyle.”

Healthy living is all about loving yourself enough to treat it right.

I’ve never been extremely toned, strong or fast, however, I try to improve each day. Finding time to workout is hard, especially as a mom. I’ve realized it has to be a top priority. I can’t find time, I have to make time. I try and workout 3-4 times a week. This relieves my anxiety and stress. It gives me the mental clarity I need to conquer the week.

Healthy living is even more important to me now, having Ellie. I want to be a leading example to her. I want Ellie to grow up with a healthy habits.

Kody, Ellie and I try to eat healthy. Well, Ellie and I do;) I I am not strict dieter, however, I enjoy healthy, clean foods. I try to incorporate healthy carbs, fats and proteins to our families everyday meals.

Please comment below with tips and ideas with how you incorporate healthy living into to your home.

For me, I always have a better workout when I have on a cute workout outfit. Cliche I know, but when you feel good, you do good;) Am I right? Zyia Active is a brand new active apparel line.  I am obsessed! It launched this month, and I am already a huge fan. These Navy Camo Mesh Leggings passed my “Legging Inspection.” My legging inspection includes: Fit (I hate it when they fall down), Comfort, Material (make sure they are not see through and absorbent), and Cuteness.

Legging Inspection Results

Fit: 9

Comfort: 10

Material: 10

Cuteness: 10

The White Sporty Tank is an all time favorite. I love it because the design and fit. The top has a built in sports bra which is amazing! I was surprised with how supportive it is. To find this look and more head over to Zyia Active. (Direct links to my outfit are below).

I hope you all have an amazing week.

Xoxo,

Briana Marie Smith

Direct Links to Outfit Details:

Navy Camo Mesh Leggings

White Sporty Tank