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It’s A…..

Published on March 14, 2019March 14, 2019 by meganaperezLeave a comment

So, as most of you probably know by now, we are having a baby GIRL!! I still can’t believe it. For some time, my husband and I thought we were having a boy. We were fully convinced. About two days before my reveal I changed my mind and thought it was a girl. But I mean, really, you can’t really know until you see the sonogram picture. We were so surprised and happy. We have been so blessed!

I wanted to share some pictures from that day to just show you how emotional it was for us. I’m telling you, I’ve never seen my husband jump so high before ever! Even when he’s playing basketball! Can you tell he was excited?! Lol.

Of course, I’m beyond excited too. I mean I feel like girls are just so fun! So many cute outfits and things you can do together. I can’t wait! We do have a first name picked out, but we haven’t decided on a middle name. I might share it on the blog, but it probably won’t be until we know for sure what her name will be.

My amazing friend through our Gender Reveal and my awesome sis-in-law took our photos. My friend definitely tricked us that day though! She initially told us she put the reveal inside of a cake. So my husband and I started to cut the cake and pulled out the slice to see what it was and it was just vanilla icing! Let me tell you, as he was cutting that slice of cake my hands were sweating and my heart was pounding! Then to see it was a joke! Ugh! My heart dropped! Then she came out with a balloon and a pin. That was the scariest thing ever too because I was afraid it was going to pop in my face! You can kind of see that in the pictures. But it was the best day ever, finding out that I’m having a daughter! I still can’t believe it.

BabyPerez-98 BabyPerez-103 BabyPerez-109 BabyPerez-110 BabyPerez-111

That night, as I was lying in bed, all I could do was thank God. This whole pregnancy has been amazing. Yes, it hasn’t been the most comfortable at moments but to know that I’m bringing a child into this world is really just a blessing from God. I can’t wait to keep sharing more from my pregnancy journey into my motherhood journey!

xoxo,

Photos done by: Elsie Calo

Top from: Motherhood Maternity (Currently on sale)

Jacket from: Old Navy (Currently on sale)

Jeans: Old Navy (Currently on sale)

Staying Organized!

Published on March 7, 2019March 4, 2019 by meganaperezLeave a comment

As a Worship Director, I have to stay organized and on top of things. Not just for my own sanity but for my team. Our worship team consists of college students and adults who work full-time jobs and have families. If I’m not organized, it affects everyone. As our church is also growing, it’s important that I remain organized for the sake of our pastoral staff as well. So that everyone is in the know of what is happening in each department that we run.

My husband and I are Co-Worship Directors at our current church. I mainly focus on all the admin work for the department while he focuses on the music side of things. I take care of the scheduling of our teams, our song selections for the month, our department budget, and some more. I also take care of the social media account for our church, which is a work in progress at the moment, our churches app and our website. It’s a lot of work but it helps me stay busy during the day. I’m working on updating a lot of it, but it might take a little while.

As someone who loves to stay organized, I love to create different templates to help me stay organized. Right now, we use Planning Center to help us schedule our teams and what not, but before anything goes into Planning Center, I created a monthly template that I use to write out what the month will look like scheduling and song wise. Doing this help me to get my ideas down on paper and be able to go over everything with my husband before anyone gets scheduled. I don’t know about you but I’m the type of person that loves to write things down. There is something about a piece of paper and a pencil that just helps me get my thoughts out. I love computers but sometimes writing things out is better for me.

Below I’ve given a screen shot of what I use to plan our teams for the month. This has really helped me and my team to on top of what we have going on. If you would like a PDF copy of this template, simply leave a comment with your email and I will send it out to you! I have different templates for our weekend services and our midweek services. Let me know which you would prefer!

Schedule Template - Worship

What are your favorite tips/tricks for staying organized in ministry?? Leave a comment below!

The Daily Grace Co – Devotional Reviews

Published on March 4, 2019 by meganaperezLeave a comment

Okay so some time ago I saw an Instagram post from The Daily Grace Co about a sale they were having on their devotionals and decided to purchase some. I’m ALWAYS on the hunt for a good devotional. I love learning more about God’s Word in different ways and from different people. I had heard of The Daily Grace Co in the past and figured I would make the purchase and check it out for myself!

I purchased the following devotionals:

His Love Never Fails – A study on the book of Hosea
How To Study The Bible
Freedom & Grace – A study on the book of Galatians
He Is More Than Enough – A study on the book of Hebrews
Proverbs – The path of wisdom

So far, I’ve honestly loved them. If you are trying to get into a habit of adding a devotional time to your day, this is a great way to start. These studies are easy to digest and easy to follow along with. They have a great layout in their books with gorgeous photos to go along with each study. I really loved that each study isn’t crazy long so it’s not intimidating at all. They offer a wide variety of topics on their website in their bible studies. They also offer other products that are super cute, like home décor, bibles and verse cards.

I would definitely suggest checking them out! I know that you will be able to find something for whatever stage you’re at in your faith journey.

What are some of your favorite devotionals from other companies/authors? Let me know below!

My Pregnancy Journey So Far

Published on February 18, 2019February 18, 2019 by meganaperezLeave a comment

So as of today (2.17.19) I’m 17 weeks pregnant. Which doesn’t seem that far along but it’s definitely far along enough for me to notice changes in my body. Which, honestly, has been the hard part for me. Prior to becoming pregnant, I had already gained close to 30 pounds in about 3.5 years. I was previously on birth control, which was the main reason I gained so much weight. It was so hard for me to lose weight while on birth control that I actually stopped trying. I finally made the decision to get off birth control because my husband and I were ready to start our family. I figured that as long as I’m watching what I’m eating (I normally eat very healthy anyways) that I can focus on really losing weight after the baby.

With all of that being said, fast forward to today, and I am currently growing a tiny human being and am gaining more weight. As I’ve been seeing my body change, I’ve had to consistently encourage myself and tell myself that it’s okay. This is the first time I’m going through this so I don’t know what to expect with the body changes. I mean my stomach is getting bigger and harder, my boobs have gotten bigger and I’m not really sure I like that, and I think I’m retaining water. I know that more changes are coming and soon I’m sure. Which is okay. I think the more I talk about it the more I can accept everything that is happening. Don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond excited to be pregnant with our first child. This is something I’ve been wanting for the last year. It’s just so weird to see my body changing this way.

Every day I look at myself, I’m reminded of what a miracle life is. It’s so crazy to think about how God created the female body with the ability to create life like this. It’s such an amazing experience. As crazy as it can be, it’s so worth it.

My first trimester was not easy. Granted it may not have been as bad as what other women experience but it was still hard for me. I was consistently nauseas and not able to throw up. Which I would have rather done just to get rid of that feeling. I was so exhausted all I could do when I got home from work was lay on the couch for a few hours then go to bed. All I could eat was scrambled eggs and toast. So much so that after 2.5 weeks of that, I literally couldn’t stand even looking at eggs. That lasted for about 3 weeks. I started to feel really about the fact that I could barely eat. I started to feel guilty, like I wasn’t taking care of myself or my baby well enough. When I went to the doctor and explained what was going on, she basically said, “Right now, you’re just eating to survive. Eat what you can. This will pass.” Once I heard her say that, it was light a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

Now that I’m in my second trimester, my appetite is back fully and my energy is somewhat back. I’ve concluded that I will probably be tired for the next 18 years now so I’ve come to terms with it already.

For those women who may have just found out they’re pregnant, don’t be scared. You got this. Our bodies were made for this. We’re strong and we can do this together!

What is your favorite part of pregnancy so far? Let me know in the comments below!

(Shirt pictured above from Confident Motherhood. Shop here!)

Simple Life

Published on July 25, 2018February 9, 2019 by meganaperezLeave a comment

Hey Loves! It’s been so long since I’ve written a post. So much has happened in these past few months that has pulled my focus away from my blog. But now that I’m settled into my new place and new job, I’m finding more time to devote to writing and other ventures.

If you haven’t noticed, I changed my blog name to “Simple Life by Megan Perez.” Why? Because I’m finding that as I’m getting older I’m changing. I find that I’m not all about having the most expensive things or tons of materialistic items. I’m more about having the #simplelife now especially since I’m expecting my first child. Life isn’t about the “things” it’s about the experiences and growing through them. Now don’t get me wrong, I still care about fashion and beauty and what not, so don’t worry I will still have those posts here! But my goal with this is to try and help you all live the #simplelife too and to inspire your own personal growth in different areas of your life. I’m a firm believer that you can never stop growing and honestly you shouldn’t want to stop growing!

I’m working on content right now to share with you on different tips and tricks to help you live out that #simplelife! Don’t forget, you can always leave comments below on anything you’d like me to cover!

Have a great day loves!

xoxo,

Life Updates…

Published on March 13, 2018February 9, 2019 by meganaperez2 Comments

Hey loves, I wanted to kind of give a life update since I realized a lot has changed in the last month or so and I haven’t really shared much. It’s been quite the rollercoaster of emotions to be completely honest. I don’t really think I’ve fully come to a place where I can say I’m no longer emotional about everything that happened.

It’s also hard to figure out how much you should share about your personal life and how much you should hold back. But what I can say is that within the last few weeks, I was recently laid off from my job. It was a crazy experience and I didn’t see it coming. I knew that God was beginning to transition us into a different season of our lives but I never anticipated that this transition could happen so fast. This wasn’t happening according to my timeline. But it turns out it was God’s timeline.

In this moment, I really needed to think about my faith and trust in God. Did I really trust Him enough to know that He will supply our each and every need like it says in Philippians 4:19?

Philippians 4:19: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

So, of course that thinking reigned in my head for a few days after everything happened. But as the days have gone by, I have started to realize that I do have that faith and trust in God. And that maybe this needed to happen in order for me to realize that I do have that faith. William (my husband) and I are coming to such a weird place in our lives. We are seeing one-chapter end and another begin. It’s such a weird feeling. Because you can see what is ahead and you just want to get to that point already and just be done with it. But at the same time, you really can’t do that. You have to see this out to the very end. Only then can Chapter 2 really begin. So, to be honest, it’s just really weird.

But it’s also very exciting. I feel like William and I are finally getting to a point in our lives where are seeing all of our hard work come to fruition. We are finally able to starting setting down the path that we have been waiting for, for so long. And it’s a great feeling. Of course, this new chapter means moving to another place, graduating and starting a new life, which is all exciting. But it’s also kind of sad to see this chapter that we are currently in end. I know that I’ve said to a lot of people how excited I am to finally be done with this chapter and move on. But to be honest, it hasn’t really been that bad. God has provided for us these past two years here and really grown us. It’s hard to see that growth while you are going through it but as you look back you can really see what has changed. My marriage has grown stronger, my relationship with the Lord has grown stronger, I’ve come to fully trust and have faith in God like I have never before. It’s amazing really.

Hebrews 11:1: “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”

I’m even more excited to see what challenges lye ahead of us and what type of growth we will experience at that point as well. For now, I’m home blogging full time and finishing my graduate degree. I’m really enjoying this time of rest and I’m trying to make the best of it by staying somewhat active. So, if you have any topics you’d like me to cover in a future post, just let me know! Leave a comment below!

xoxo,

11 Things I Can’t Live Without

Published on February 28, 2018February 9, 2019 by meganaperezLeave a comment

Today I’m rounding up 11 items that I just cannot live without on a day to day basis!

Bible: It’s so important for me to keep myself in check on a daily basis. I start my day in the Word and it just sets the tone for my entire day.
Coffee: Honestly, this is another thing I cannot live without. I just love to start my day with a good cup of coffee. The caffeine helps me get focused on what I need to get done throughout the day.

Face Wash: I cannot live without my face wash. Makeup, I can do without but having the option to keep my skin clean is something I can never go without!
Moisturizer: Again, I cannot live without my moisturizer. My skin gets super dry right during the winter season so making sure I have a good moisturizer is absolutely key. I’ve been using this new moisturizer from Pacifica and I’m absolutely in love with it.
Toothbrush: Another item I can’t live without, and I’m not sure many people could live without this to be honest, is my toothbrush! I fell in love with this automatic toothbrush and have been using it for over a year now. I feel like I get a better clean for my teeth using this automatic brush. It’s easy to use and easy to clean.
Toothpaste: I started using Toms toothpaste a couple months ago and to be honest, I’m in love with it. I love that I’m getting a good clean in my mouth without harsh chemicals. It has a great taste and still has great benefits for my teeth!
Deodorant: Again, I’m not sure anyone could live with this item but you just never know! I always need to have deodorant with me. I’m very sensitive to smells so I always make sure I’m applying it every morning. Sometimes, if I feel really self-conscience I’ll apply it twice a day! Lol.

Earrings: No matter what I’m wearing you will ALWAYS see me with a pair of earrings on. No matter what. I literally cannot even workout without a pair of earrings on. I don’t know what it is, but I always think you should have something on. Anyone else agree?? Shop some super cute earrings with Stella & Dot!

Water Bottle: Keeping hydrated is an absolute must!! Especially if you’re working towards clearer skin! I always carry my water bottle with me to make sure I’m drinking enough water on a daily basis. Because my water bottle holds 16 oz. of water, I try to make it a goal to drink 4 full bottles a day. Gotta get those 64 ounces of water in!
Sneakers: My go-to foot wear. I’m a very simple woman. There is no doubt about it. Anytime I can wear sneakers with my outfit, you best believe that I will! These are my favorite sneakers right now. But I will share another post on my favorite sneakers later on!
Gum: I cannot stand bad breath. Or even the feeling that I may have bad breath. So having gum on hand is always a must!

Make sure to click on the links to shop these products!

What are some items that you can’t live without?? Let me know in the comments below!

No Shopping (Part I)

Published on January 17, 2018 by meganaperezLeave a comment

So, my I decided to give myself another challenge this year. Not only is my new word such a challenge (see my previous post), but I have also decided to not to purchase any clothes or shoes until April. Now, for some that may sound super easy. But for someone like me, a shopaholic, that is really hard to think about!!!

Some may even wonder why I decided to do this. Well, my biggest reason was we’re going to be moving within the next 6 months. I don’t know exactly where we’ll be moving to just yet because we’re still job searching. So, I don’t know if I’ll be staying up north for a few more years or moving back down south. So why would I spend more money on clothes for the north if there’s a possibility that I may not stay up here?! Logical right?! But still…going to be very hard.

This weeks post is all about finding what is in your closet and making it work in multiple ways. That is going to be my life for the next couple months so I figured why not share those ideas with you all!

First up, the basic. Everyone has a basic tee shirt. I have multiple so now is the time to bring those babies out and start using and abusing them!

The first outfit I chose was a basic tee with jeans and sneakers. This is a casual outfit that you can wear anywhere and even if the weather is a bit colder out, throw on a cardigan or blazer and your set! I also paired with outfit with my engraveable bangle from Stella & Dot, bar necklace and gold earrings. These pieces really dress up this outfit and add another element of style.

The second outfit is one I chose for work. Basic top with a midi skirt. This outfit is super comfortable for me and just a downright classic. Through on some tights and booties and I’m set for work! Because I work at a conservative university, I’ll pair this with another long cardigan like this one here. Because I went for an all black look I decided to pair it with this silver statement necklace and stud earrings. This necklace can actually be worn 6 different ways so I have a lot of option in terms of style for this one. I paired this with our wrap bracelet and my Alex and Ani bracelets as well.

The third outfit is one I’d wear for date night! Which don’t come often but when they do, I gotta dress up! I paired this tee with a fun mini skirt that I had. I love the design on this skirt that is makes perfect for a date night outfit. For the colder months, I’m also pairing this with tights and booties. You could also add a leather jacket over top. But since I don’t have one just yet (and now I won’t buy one until May) I’ll stick with this look. Because the skirt has so much detail you don’t really need too much in the jewels area. I decided to pair this with my bar necklace, gold earrings, and simple bangle.

So there you have it! This is one option that I wanted to share with you all! Because I’m going to be doing this for next couple months, I do have some other outfit ideas I want to share later on. But I figured these are good to start! Let me know which outfit was your favorite in the comments below!

If you aren’t already following my social media account (@MeganA.Perez) make sure you do that today for some daily fashion inspiration!

Love you guys!

Xoxo

New Year’s Resolutions!

Published on January 3, 2018February 9, 2019 by meganaperezLeave a comment

Okay so most of the time New Year’s Resolutions are so personal that not many people share them. But I decided to share mine with you so that I can make sure I’m accountable! Most of the time when people make these resolutions they don’t create actual steps that they can take to make those goals come to fruition. So, what I did was write my goals down. I wasn’t very specific in the actual goal just yet. I just wrote the main goal down. Once I did that, I went back and started writing down steps on how I’m going to accomplish those goals. Of course, my goals are based around my business, blog, faith and health, but you can just use these as examples to create your own resolutions for your personal life. Check it out below:

Lose 30 pounds by May
1. Work out at least 30 minutes a day 5 days a week. Allowed one skip day if needed, but the skip day can only be taken on a Wednesday.
2. Cut bread and other carbs during the week.
Take more “me” time during the week.
1. Take at least 20 minutes a day and do something for yourself. Whether that be soaking your feet and painting your toe nails, doing a face mask and relaxing, coloring, or even song writing. Do something to help you relax and clear your mind every day.
Blog more
1. Take time every week to work on blog posts. It could be a few minutes every day or an hour every week. Take some time to write, take pics and post. Only way to grow is to be consistent! Post every Tuesday!
Sell more (Stella & Dot)
1. Reach out to at least one person every week for potential orders or hostesses.
Save more
1. No clothes or shoe shopping until after graduation in May.
2. No more unnecessary spending.
3. Start searching for coupons for groceries.
4. Limit the amount of times we go out to eat to only the weekends we are traveling.
Pray more
1. Be intentional about my prayer time. Start every morning with prayer and devotionals and end the day with prayer.

What I did start doing as well is writing everything I accomplished on a wall calendar. It honestly feels so great to be able to write down my daily accomplishments. If you have never tried that, you really need to. It feels amazing!!!

Another tip that I do is I get a new planner every January. I don’t like the calendars that start in August it just completely throws me off. I always get my planners from Target just because they have the cutest ones. But all you need is a planner that you can schedule your week and month.

Also, PRINT OUT OR WRITE OUT YOUR RESOLUTIONS!! I cannot stress this enough. If the only place you write them down is your phone or computer, you will never keep to them. Write them down and hang them on your bathroom mirror or the kitchen wall. Somewhere where you can look at them every day. If you can’t look at them every day than you are going to forget them. Trust me, it happens to me all the time!

Here is a link to Target to check out all the different kinds of planners they have. Click here to shop them.

Let’s make this year a great one! Let me know what your favorite tip was and share some of your resolutions below!! xoxo

My Fall favorites!!

Published on July 26, 2017July 26, 2017 by meganaperezLeave a comment

Here are some my Fall Favorites right now!!! The first five items I’m going over are all from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and the last three are from the new Fall line at Stella & Dot!

First up are those super cute caramel suede mules from Kristin Cavallari. These are super comfortable and fit so great on my feet. I did find out that they fit perfectly to the length of my foot. I contemplated going up a size but I chose not too because the rest of the shoe fits perfectly around my foot. I purchased a size 8 and normally wear a size 8 shoe.

Second is that gorgeous bell sleeve top. That color is amazing. I cannot get enough of it. The bow details on the side are everything. I normally wear a size large and I ordered a size large. This top fits so perfectly on me. I have a wider back so I usually find it hard to purchase tops but this one fits perfect. I’m so in love with it and can’t wait to start wearing it!

Third is this Billabong sweatshirt. I also purchased a large and it fits great. This sweater is extremely comfortable and cozy and will be perfect once the weather starts to cool off. It does have a baggy fit to it but the size I purchased still allowed for that baggy feel. I purchased a large, and it fits pretty much how the picture up top looks.

Fourth is this Adidas sleeveless tank. This is the first athletic type shirt that I have purchased and just love it. I’ve seen many of my friends with these athletic shirts and I’ve been on the look out for one that I could wear. I order a large in this top because I wasn’t sure how it would fit. I figured it was a little bigger than normal, it would be fine, because I don’t really like tight fitting clothing anyways. I will say that I am 5 foot 3 inches tall and this top goes down until about a hands length from my knee. So I could throw on some leggings with this top or just wear skinny jeans and tuck in the front a bit for a more slouchy look.

Fifth are these Steve Madden thigh high boots. Now I’m a little sad about this purchase because I decided to return them. I am completely in love with these boots and the style. I’ve been wanting a thigh high pair of boots but I found that these were not the ones for me. I found that the shape of my legs didn’t complement the style of the shoe. Because they are a thigh high boot and my thighs are on the thicker side, they were actually not comfortable for me to wear. If you don’t have thick thighs, then these are definitely the boots for you! They are super cute and I’m bummed I can’t keep them but I gotta go with what is comfy!

Sixth is this new Taj Clutch from Stella and Dot!! This clutch is seriously giving me life!! The embroidered detail on this is beyond amazing. I love the design and the colors. These colors are so versatile that they will go with so many different colors that you will wear in Fall. Not only is this an amazing date night bag, you can also rock this with your favorite tee shirt and jeans for a super cool day time look!

Seventh is this gorgeous necklace from Stella and Dot called the Terney Layered Necklace. For the one price you pay, you can wear this necklace in five different ways!! Can you believe that?! FIVE DIFFERENT WAYS!! The detail on this piece is amazing. The mix of colors and texture really take this piece to the next level. Make you click on the image to check out this necklace, this is one you need for fall!!!

Last but definitely not least is the Bora Fringe Necklace. This is one my favorites because of the bronze and rose gold colors on this. You can still wear this with many different colors clothing wise but this necklace definitely takes your outfit to the next level.

Make sure you click on each image to shop each item. I’m telling you, you will not regret this!! These are some amazing pieces that are available now for Fall. It’s definitely the time to start building up your Fall wardrobe!

Which items are your favorite?! Leave a comment in the section below to let me know! Xoxo