Logan Can

A Lifestyle Blog about Marriage, Parenting, Fashion and Fitness

Hampton // 9 Months

Happy August, everyone! It is officially my birthday month and as of tomorrow, my birthday week! It’s so hard to believe that my  little monkey was 9 months last week. I seriously can’t believe that we will be celebrating his birthday in less than 3 months. I want him to make like a lost boy and never grow up, you know? Unfortunately, that’s impossible. I have to face the fact that my itty bitty isn’t so itty anymore.

Hampton, I took you to the doctor on your 9 month birthday. You weighed 19 lbs. 7 oz. and were 29 inches long. You are standing for a few seconds at a time now and walking all around our coffee table. I feel like it will be any day now, and I am SO not ready for you to walk. You’ve started climbing everything and you did a squat the other day that most crossfitters would be proud of. You’re cutting your third tooth. You are still wearing size 3 diapers and starting to wear more size 12 month clothes. You are sleeping through the night again (hallelujah)! You have started eating a little bit of table food but not much because you still don’t have many teeth. You still love Thomas the Train and The Cat in the Hat. You love to read your books and pull them all off of your shelf. You have the hardiest chuckle and you make us smile every day. You are my everything. I love you, little prince.

-Mommy

le sigh

le sigh tee: wake me up designs here
shorts: target

This week has been a very strange one. Hampton woke up with the sniffles on Sunday and then Monday he woke up with a cold. He sounded terrible. It has been pretty pitiful. There is nothing worse than your child feeling sick. Tuesday morning, I woke up completely congested and feeling terrible. It was not great timing because I had to deep clean our entire house for a meeting that night with our new realtor.

If you remember, I talked earlier in the year about us putting our house up for sale. It has been on the market for over 6 months now. We haven’t had any bites, but we have had many showings. For the record, selling your house is not pleasant. It has been rather miserable trying to keep the house spotless with a 9 month old who is into everything and also working from home…with your husband who is now working from home. When our contract ran up with our other realtor, we decided to search for a new one. While I am very confident in our new realtor, I’m not confident in this housing market. Since we put our house up for sale, 10 others have gone up in our neighborhood. Not great odds. It’s been a stressful and long process and we are really ready for it to be over. We need a larger house with a little bit more space and an office so that we don’t have to work on our coffee table anymore. It’s not ideal. I know that God’s timing is perfect and I am trying to be patient and know that it will sell when it’s supposed to. Until then, I’m just going to keep swimming and make it better with a lot of prayer and a little retail therapy. Swoon.

Hampton and I are feeling much better today, and I am looking forward to a semi-quiet weekend with my sister who is coming to stay with us tonight! I can’t wait to see her and have some much needed sissy time!

Click here to see if you won my blogiversary giveaway!

Have you ever sold a house? Have any pointers for me? What are your weekend plans?

Weekly Workout Schedule

workout plans

My exercise routine is really simple. I run every other day and I walk the days in between. Sometimes, when
I’m really burned out on running, I do Zumba or the elliptical/bike at my church’s life center (it’s free). I also participate in the weekly Tone it Up fitness schedule religiously. This is one of my favorite workout programs I have come across and it’s totally free! Those girls have helped me so much. Their exercise routines are quick (under 20 minutes) and you can do them right in your living room. They mix it up each day so that one day you are focusing on your arms, the next your abs, the next your thighs, etc.

Exercise improves your mood, health, confidence, and energy. As a new mom, those are all very attractive benefits to me. I want to be healthy for my little boy and I want to have plenty of energy to chase him around. Most importantly, I want to be around for a long, long time so that I can raise him.

Here is what my exercise routine looked like this week:

Sunday: walk/rest day
Monday: Run + full body routine
Tuesday: Walk + Abs
Wednesday: Run + Double Booty
Today: Walk + Stretch
Friday: Run + Beach Ball Workout
Saturday: Walk

Do you follow an exercise schedule? What are your workout plans this week?

Linking up with Katie!

Summer Beauty Essentials

Beauty Essentials
One of my favorite summer beauty tips that I learned this summer was from our ALWB blogger of the month for July! Baby Skin. It minimizes the look of your pores and makes your make-up look flawless. Beach trips + many pool days mean lots of sunscreen and moisturizers. Here are a few of the beauty essentials I’ve been using quite a bit this summer.

Garnier Fructis Haircare Hydra Recharge // Volume Express Mascara // Baby Skin // Hawaiian Tropic After Sun // I’m Addicted by Essie // Emi-jays // Baby Lips // EOS Lip Balm // Make-up remover wipes // Sunscreen // L.A. Looks // Vices Versa by Essie
I’ve used L.A Looks for years because it is super cheap and works really well. I have naturally wavy hair and it is fun to let it go and do it’s thing more during the summertime.
These are definitely some of the best summer beauty products that I’ve come across. You can find most or all of these products at Walgreens, or any beauty stores like Ulta.
What are some of your favorite beauty essentials for summer?
Post contains affiliate links.

How to Make Your Blog Posts Comment Friendly

comments




Turn off your captcha. 
It’s amazing to me how many bloggers still use this. Honestly, I usually skip over the comment section if a blog has their captcha turned on, even if I have already typed out the comment. It is so frustrating when you type the wrong letter/number sequence and it makes you do it over and over…it happens all the time and frustrates people, so just turn it off. I’ve never had mine on and I’ve had no serious issues with spammers. If you get a spam comment, all you have to do is click and delete it. Done. No big deal at all.

Write an engaging post.
Engage your audience. Make them ask questions or force them to have an opinion about your post topic.




Ask questions.
I try to always end my post with a question. That is the easiest way to get people to leave a comment. Ask a question that they will want to answer.

If you’re doing all of these things and are still having trouble, here are two tips on how to get more comments on your blog:

Leave comments on other blogs.
If there is one thing I’ve learned from blogging, it’s that if you visit a blog and leave a comment, they will usually visit your blog as well. They may even leave a comment!

Join a Facebook group.
I am a part of a couple Facebook groups. These groups are awesome because they bring new people to my blog that wouldn’t visit otherwise and they are encouraged to leave comments. If you comment on their blog, they normally comment on yours as well.

Do you have any other tips on how to make your posts comment-friendly?

Read how I doubled my pageviews in 2 months!

Summer Trends // On A Budget

I discovered a great online retailer – Sheinside – not too long ago and I instantly fell in love. They have such a large variety of clothing and accessories, it’s scary for someone like me. Right now, they are having a huge sale on many of their summer items. I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite summer trends via Sheinside for those of you (like me) who are on a budget. These are great quality clothes for unbelievable prices.

fashion trends
striped shirt / paris shirt / deer shirt / navy floral shorts / red bus shirt / scalloped shorts / lace top / white floral shorts

All pieces pictured above are $9.90. No, I’m not kidding! Get to shopping! I’ll take one of each, please! After all, that would be under $70 before taxes and shipping. Deal.
fashion for less
1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8
All pieces above are under $20! Again, I’m not kidding. The best part? This isn’t even all of it! There are so many pieces on their site, it is nuts! These are just some of the many items I’ve been drooling over that are now on sale! If you are on a tight budget or don’t like spending a ton of money on clothes, you should definitely check out Sheinside. They have a wide variety of clothing options for everyone at affordable prices.
Are you on a budget? What is your favorite sale item from Sheinside?

 

2 Year Blogiversary // Paypal Cash Giveaway

giveaway
I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for 2 years! Time has flown. I am so grateful to all of my followers and friends that I’ve made through doing this. I have enjoyed it so much because of the wonderful community and people I have met along the way. Your comments seriously make my day! 

With the help from a few friends, I am bringing you a giveaway to win $125 of Paypal Cash to celebrate! Everyone gets one free entry so be sure to enter! I will choose one winner randomly using the rafflecopter. Please note that I will check entries. If your name is selected and you did not follow the way you say you did, I will choose another winner. 
I hope you all have a great weekend! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Move, Nourish, Believe // Lorna Jane

lorna jane

tank: c/o Lorna Jane here
tights: c/o Lorna Jane here
sports bra: c/o Lorna Jane here

When I traveled to the beach last week, I left my healthy habits at home. I definitely ate pretty bad and snacked a good bit on the beach. I never snack at home. I try not to eat when I’m not hungry. On the beach, the snacks were there, I was hot, and I ate. Bad, Logan. I have been trying to get my act back together, but it has been a struggle. Some days are better than others. When I eat healthy, I feel so much better and more energized. When I eat lousy, I feel that way. I’ve definitely learned my lesson. A little mess up is fine every now and then, but messing up over 3 days is not such a good idea.

I’ve definitely jumped back on the bandwagon and have been religious about my workouts/running schedule. I really enjoy getting active and sweating a little bit during the day. The days that I don’t, I can tell because I just don’t feel as good.

I discovered Lorna Jane a few weeks ago when I read a TIU post where Karena was wearing one of their adorable outfits. It was so cute and I had to look into it. I went to their site and fell in love. Seriously, can I have one of each,please? A few weeks ago I talked about my fitness motivation: cute workout clothes. If I get up and put on a cute workout outfit, I am much more likely to workout that day than if I don’t.  Lorna Jane offers a line of adorable workout clothes. They have so many options and they are great quality. After reading more about the company, I discovered that they have a content site, movenourishbelieve.com.  I absolutely love it! They have so many encouraging posts every day that are all health and fitness related. Everything from workout tips to recipes to encouragement, it’s all there. I am encouraged and inspired daily by these posts and I know that so many other women are as well. I definitely recommend checking it out!

I truly believe that in order to workout regularly and eat healthy, you have to first have the desire to do so. It takes believing in yourself to get up and start moving. Once you start moving, you will want to eat healthier, because who comes in from a 2 or 3 mile run and says “let’s undo everything I just did and order a pizza?” Um, no thanks. This is why I love Lorna Jane’s philosophy: move, nourish, believe. It takes all three to create a healthy lifestyle.

Have you messed up this summer? How do you stay on track?

Linking up with Katie!

Orange Tunic // Three07

orange tunic

I love summer. It is a great time of year. Beaches, vacations, ice cream cones, shorts and sandals, weddings, friends, family. It doesn’t get much better…until fall comes. See, in the southeast, it’s a bit humid during the summer. It’s hot and humid. We have had “summer weather” since April. Around the end of July/early August, I start anticipating fall. Fall is my favorite time of year! I love the boots, scarves, leggings, sweaters, cardigans, leaves, weather, PSLs, Halloween, and football. Ah, football. It’s also my favorite time of year because Ryan and I celebrate our anniversary and I get to celebrate the birth of my two favorite boys! Fall, I smell you! Where you at?

tunic

tunic
This orange tunic from Three07 is so perfect. It’s flowy and flattering and I love the ivory crochet detail. I had to get it in orange because of Florida and Auburn. I have to be prepared for football season, duh! This tunic is perfect for summer and fall. It can be paired with shorts and sandals or leggings and booties! I definitely love clothing that is diverse and that I can wear through multiple seasons. The Joyce tunic also comes in royal blue.

tunic

tunic: c/o three07 here
booties: dsw old
jeggings: dillards

What is your favorite time of year? Do you love fall?

Today is the last day to sign up to participate in my 2 year blogiversary giveaway! Fill out this form if interested.

Linking up here: Monday Mingle YOLO Mondays Monday Bloom Style SessionsTrend Spin Fashion The Pleated Poppy What I Wore Wednesdays Random Wednesday Look what I got! Vodka Infused Lemonade I Feel Pretty Be.You.Ti.Ful Casual Friday Fashion Friday Favorite Fashion Friday Friday’s Fab Favorites Fashion Friday 

Summer Travels: Destin, Florida

destin florida


Destin is my favorite beach to visit. No offense to Gulf Shores, but Destin’s waters are so clear (most of the time). I am really funny about getting out in the ocean. I’m not trying to get eaten by a shark. No thanks. This trip, I actually felt comfortable being out there. I could see the bottom of the ocean at shoulder length deep water, so I felt okay about it…until the one day when the life guards ran frantically down the beach blowing their whistles and yelling to get out of the water. It turned out to just be a school of fish. haha It was still exciting, though.

 

 

baby
This was Hampton’s first time to see the ocean. He loved the sand (and may have eaten some), but he wasn’t a huge fan of the waves. He definitely prefers the pool, but he will get used to it and learn to love it if he is anything like his parents. 

 

beach

We enjoyed a lot of sun, and food, but my favorite part of the trip was walking on the beach with Ryan and Hampton our last evening there. The sunset was beautiful. I hope to go back to Destin before the summer ends, but I don’t know if it will happen. We will see!

Where have you traveled this summer? Do you have any other trips planned?

To see more photos, follow me on Instagram!

         

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