We’re baaaaccckkk! So happy to be back to our regular #coffeetalk posts this week! We had SO many questions from this week as well as over the holidays, so we’re going to have to split them between a few posts – so stay tuned if you don’t see your question on today’s post, it’s coming! 

Has your style changed as a mom?

Brooke: Yes and no – I wouldn’t say it’s changed a lot…but it’s definitely evolved. I would say it’s much more relaxed (you’ll never find me in heels during the day anymore) & I tend to purchase more staple pieces and less trendy items.  Comfort and functionality are key!
Meggan: It has a little! I look at some of my old clothes and I’m like, woah can’t believe I wore crop tops! Like Brooke, I tend to buy more staple pieces that I can mix & match and layer.

 A great tee (black, white, grey), black skinny jeans or coated denim, a leather jacket – budget friendly option here, and a good pair of flats or sneakers.

Meggan – what laser treatment did you do that you posted on snapchat?
I did a BBL (broadband light) treatment – I talked a little about it on my skin care post. It treats fine wrinkles, age and sun spots, small facial veins, and other skin blemishes. You take 6 different images of your skin before so your treatment is tailored to your skin and problem areas. If you google before & after pictures you will be amazed! I will probably do another one in 6 months or so. I want my skin to look younger than it does now when I’m 40! 

Brooke: Thankfully, both of my babes are pretty good sleepers at home, as well as away from home. When we travel, Avery either sleeps in a crib or a pack and play, and does pretty well in either one. She has slept in her crib since 5 months (before that she slept in her Rock N’ Play in our bedroom), and she’s now a great crib sleeper. I did sleep train her, and the CIO method worked best for us (I know it’s not for everyone). The first two days were hard – it’s never easy to leave your baby crying – even if it’s just for a few minutes, but after 2 days the tears were gone, and she was putting herself to sleep #hallelujia! PS – this is the CIO method I used.
Meggan: Camden was a good sleeper until a month ago…it was a like a flip switched and he was screaming when we tried to put him to bed. So over the holiday’s we decided to try the CIO method and it was hard but it worked! If you decided to do CIO, I suggest keeping yourself busy while its happening. I cracked a few times – I couldn’t take the crying, it seriously pulled my heart strings!! But in the end it was worth it.

For your vacation & family photos, do you ladies use your iPhone or an actual camera? What edit tool do you use when you upload photos from a camera?
Brooke: Most of my photos from traveling/day to day are all taken with my iPhone! One thing I almost always do is sharpen the photos to make them look a bit more “professional.” This can be done on Instagram or VSCOcam. When I upload my photos from my camera, I use GIMP as well as Preview (the one that comes pre-loaded on most computers) to edit lighting, color, temp, etc. I don’t really think GIMP is very user-friendly, and I recently discovered Preview has a lot of great (basic) editing tools. Sometimes I use VSCOcam to edit the photos from my camera as well because I think they have great presets (this means emailing photos to my phone, opening them in the app, and emailing back to myself after they’re edited). It’s more work, but I typically end up liking those photos better AND using a preset filter is easier than trying to adjust brightness/contrast, temp, and lightness yourself. Whew! Sorry for the novel, hope that helps!
Meggan: I use my iPhone for most my pictures as well! Sometimes it’s too hard to carry around or travel with our big camera (I have this Canon 6D) so I rely on my phone. I use the same apps as Brooke to edit my pictures. I got this camera for Christmas. I wanted it because it’s smaller (fits in the diaper bag) and takes video! One note about using your iPhone for all your pictures: make sure to back your phone up!! I lost my phone last Friday at the Rose Bowl and for some reason it hadn’t been backed up since last February 🙁 Luckily I print my most my pictures every month with the FreePrints app but I lost all Cam’s baby videos…major sadness over here.

I’m so depressed – I don’t want to start taking down my Christmas decorations! I’m always left wondering what’s okay to leave up and what needs to be taken down. What do you leave up, if anything?
Brooke: UHG, I’m right there with you! Every year, I haaaatttee taking my tree down…it’s so sad! I feel like you should be allowed to leave your tree up until it’s no longer winter! 😉 This year, I took down all of the really Christmas-y items on Christmas night (since I knew we’d be traveling, and wouldn’t be home until after the new year), but left my tree up, as well as a few other decorations. Sadly, we will be taking our tree down this weekend…and I’ll probably pack up the rest of the decorations as well. As much as I hate taking everything down, it does feel great to have a clean space in the new year!
Meggan: It’s seriously the most depressing time of the year. I feel overweight and all the decor comes down, lol! I like to rearrange after the holidays or buy a new piece (nothing big, just a frame or small decorative object) for the living room just to have something to be excited about!

Brooke, how are you liking your Gucci Soho Disco bag? I’ve been debating purchasing it, and would love to know your thoughts!
I love this bag – it’s small, easy to carry, but holds a lot! A cross-body is my favorite style, because it leaves your hands free – perfect for city living, or running errands. I purchased the black one for my mama for Christmas, and I have the beige (and am seriously swooning over the red!). I think it’s a classic bag that will look good for a long time!