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01.11.19
#coffeetalk

1. How do you decide on items to purchase for the home? I think one of you have mentioned having FOBO and I struggle hard with that. I really want to get my place put together but have a hard time choosing decor.
Brooke: With our new house we used a designer since we were starting with absolutely no furniture! Not gonna lie, at first I was opposed to the idea b/c I love interior design and I thought designers just told you what to purchase, but I ended up loving it! Sites like Homepolish are super cool too (online interior designers!). I still have FOBO whenever I hop on pinterest bc there are always going to be inspiring spaces different from your own. But, I would recommend making a plan before you buy for a room. Try creating a mood board and pick pieces that work well together – pinterest is your best friend! This is a good example of what I’m talking about. Good luck!
Meggan: That’s me – I suffer from severe FOBO lol! We’ve lived in our house for almost a year now and I still don’t have it fully furnished/decorated. I agree with making a mood board, it really helps decide what kind of vibe you want and pieces you should look for. When I find things I like I bookmark them and keep looking at them everyday to see if I still love them. I used to make impulse purchases and try to avoid that now because I usually end up not liking it!

2. I’m attempting to blog. I say attempting because I haven’t had much luck over the years when it comes to getting followers and drawing people to my blog. Seriously, no luck. I’m beginning to wonder if there are just too many bloggers in the world these days, if it’s Instagram algorithm or if it’s just my content. Do you have any advice for how to get people to follow along? (Without buying followers. I think too many people do that and I want to be authentic).
Some advice we have is be consistent (post regularly or have a schedule so your readers know when to expect content), share what makes you unique/special, work on what’s already working for you, drive traffic through Pinterest (SO much potential there), hire an SEO specialist (something we want to do this year too!), and keep engaging with other bloggers and your followers. And it sounds cheesy but just be yourself!! That’s what makes you different and people like to see that. It’s hard but focus more on your blog instead of Instagram. Your blog is the only thing you own and Insta could be gone some day! And we would NEVER suggest buying followers!! It’s so obvious when people do and takes away your credibility. Hope that helps! xx

3. Can you please help me find a good skin care regimen? Serums, face wash, moisturizer. You name it I wanna hear it!!!
Meggan:
Here are the current products I’m using/what works for my skin…this antioxidant essence, this vitamin c serum, this eye serum, this moisturizer, this oil, and this overnight cream. I also really love the GloPro, this face mask, and this facial roller.
Brooke: I think a great place to start is TULA. I have loved every single product I’ve tried from them, and the pricing is reasonable if you’re looking for an entire routine (plus we have a 20% off code: SOMEWHERELATELY). But, my current products are: cleanser, moisturizer, hydrating mask, eye cream, toner pads, facial oil, retinol oil, and lightweight moisturizer. Obviously I don’t use all of these at once, but these are the products I’m always reaching for lately. Also love the GloPro!

4. Wondering if you guys have bought or seen any new loungewear sets that you love? I’m into matching tops and bottoms lately.
Meggan:
I recently got this top + pantsthis top + these pants (so soft!), and this jammie set!
Brooke: I’m looking for a new one right now and just added these joggers and this sweatshirt to my cart – love the hearts! My other favorite is the one I’m wearing from this post.

5. Meggan – HOW are you getting Mila to sleep 7 hours at night?! Any secret tips or tricks you swear by? Thanks in advance from a fellow newborn mama here on the no sleep struggle bus!
I wish I had a magic trick to share with you but honestly she is just such a good baby and loves to sleep! For her 10pm feeding I pump and give her a bottle so I know she’s getting at least 4 ounces and her tummy is full. Then I swaddle her (with these), turn on the sound machine and lay her in her bassinet and she puts herself to sleep. Good luck mama!

6. Could you link some of your favorite affordable leopard pieces? Mainly tops, skirts and dresses? I want to get some leopard in my wardrobe but a lot that I see looks cheap!
Seriously loving this skirtthis blouse, this jacket, this dress, and this skirt!

7. I am in my later 20’s and take relatively good care of my skin however, I know I should probably be working in more preventive habits to my skincare routine as I approach 30. What basic, affordable recommendations do you have?
Sunscreen, Vitamin C, and Retinol!

8. Have you ever used a numbing cream with high heels for an event? If so is there a good one you’d recommend?
We’ve never even heard of that haha but it sounds kind of amazing as long as you can still walk?! Sorry we can’t be of more help! xx

9. How do you feel about other influencers/bloggers copying you? I’ve seen other bloggers totally rip off your #coffeetalk posts (you ladies have been doing it for what? 4 or 5 years now?), your recipes (and claim them as “their own”), and complete outfits or even random finds that you share. Wondering how you deal with that and if you ever address anyone? Or would you ever address anyone? I’m annoyed for you, so I can only imagine how you ladies feel!
We’ve noticed and it’s honestly a little annoying. Of course we get inspiration from other bloggers (who doesn’t?), but always mention them if we buy something we saw on them, or a recipe they shared, etc. We work really hard to come up with new, original ideas and it is frustrating to see other people turn around and claim they came up with it. But you know they say imitation is the highest form of flattery ;), so I guess we’ll take it as a complement. We have never addressed anyone and we probably never will – at the end of the day, they know they are copying and that’s enough for us. They have to live with their (un)original ideas lol. 

10. I am registering for my wedding at Crate and Barrel. Any tips on must haves? Anything you put on your registry that you never ended up using?
Brooke: We didn’t register for a ton, only the basics and pretty much use everything regularly! These are my favorite wine glasses (also have the champagne flutes), and we recently got these dishes from C&B and I love them!
Meggan: I registered there too and was so overwhelmed (ended up registering for a ton of stuff lol). I did all our basics (dishes, silverware, wine glasses, mugs, pots & pans, etc.) and random things I don’t use a ton but are good to have (cake stands, salad spinner, cheese boards, etc.). Here’s a list of great tips on the C&B website!

11. I just recently started taking barre classes and I am looking for some new sports bras, which are your favorites?
Brooke: 
I love this one from Target, this one from Nike, and this one from Reebok.
Meggan: This one, this one, and this one!

12. I am getting married this summer and have a family friend that has been beyond helpful with the planning process. I am looking for a gift idea to show our appreciation. Looking to spend up to $500. Would love any ideas you have!
A gift card (for a nice dinner, spa/massage, etc), a nice bottle of wine (Opus One, Caymus, Cade, Nickel & Nickel, or Silver Oak), or a gift card to their favorite store!

13. Have either of you done Botox? I have friends who are talking about starting soon but I’m not sure what age is appropriate and don’t want to start too soon (we are 26/27).
We have both done Botox/Dysport before, but you should only consider it if YOU are ready, not because friends are talking about it/doing it, or because someone else said you should. It should be something that is 100% up to you. If you are interested, we would recommend you go for a consultation with a doctor in your area to talk about pros/cons and whether you are a good candidate! We talked a little more about it on this post (question #11).

14. I have a bachelorette party in Scottsdale in a few weeks! Any ideas for black outfits?
Love this jumpsuitthis bodysuit, this dress, or this romper.

15. I am going to Vegas for a wedding in late March, just for a weekend and the wedding is going to be small and pretty casual. I am looking for some suggestions on what to wear while I am there!
Some cute things to pack: this bodysuit, this skirtthis jumpsuitthis mini dress, these leggings, and this dress!

16. I’m so excited for the Houston Rodeo coming up but have no idea what to wear! Any suggestions? I live in NYC and am excited to get into theme but don’t want to look out of place :).
Omg fun!! We’d pack these shorts, this belt, these bootiesthis dress, this tee, and this jacket.

17. I’m having a bachelorette weekend in Napa in February so it’ll be pretty cold. I can’t for the life of me think of what I should wear for wine tasting.. also a dress for dinner. I’m thinking I should rock something white.. the big issue is that I can’t wear heels (balance problem). Help me please!
For wine tasting, we would just do something simple like skinny jeans, a belt (Gucci dupe!), and a bodysuit with sock booties. And a white dress for dinner – love this one, this one, this one (designer deal!), and this one (so fun!). For the sleeveless dresses, we would wear a moto jacket over any of them, and you could pair any of these with cute sneakers!

18. Any suggestions for date night tops to wear with jeans? I feel like my husband only sees me in basic tees and sweaters these days ;).
We feel you ;). Some great date night tops with jeans: one (love the neckline!), two, three (just got this, it’s so cute!), four, and five (meoowww)!

19. I’m on the hunt for some cute and affordable (ideally < $40) bookends for my bedroom, but have come up empty-handed thus far. Any good recs?
These agate bookends
are really pretty, also love these acrylic ones, these stone bookends, and these brass moons.

20. I feel like you are both kind of transitioning your style to more of a capsule/minimal wardrobe (I could be wrong lol), but I love it! One of my 2019 goals is to create a capsule wardrobe and buy quality basics I can wear time and time again. Would you PLEASE do a post on capsule wardrobe favorites? Or maybe like a 15 pieces, 20 outfits type of post? They are all over Pinterest, but none of them are really my style so I’d love to see what you put together!
Yes we can definitely do this post – such a good idea!

21. Meggan – Any hair tips?! My hair is similar – so think, random waves/curls/straight, and SO MUCH hair. How does yours always look so perfect? When you were working a traditional 9-5 how did you manage to do your hair daily?
Oh gosh mine definitely doesn’t always look perfect – I feel like it’s in a bun 24/7! Luckily when I do dry and curl it, it lasts a few days and I don’t have to touch it. One product that I can’t live without is this conditioner. I think everyone with our hair type needs it!! It makes my hair sooo smooth and fights off the frizz! And I’m going to order this dryer – Brooke has it and said it’s amazing!

Leave your questions below or email them to brookeandmeggan@somewherelately.com with #coffeetalk in the subject! xx

M&B