Our Xtreme Experience

One less item on the old bucket list…

Not really for me, per se, but for Rob and Knox? This past Saturday was a dream come true. As a boy momma of two, it can be rather challenging at times to come up with cool new things to do on the weekends…. especially when my job revolves around fashion. Although I am a boy mom, I’m not the mom who sits and plays on the floor with cars. I’ll admit it! I always say that’s what Rob is for, and to be honest he’s way better at it anyway so why rock the boat? But when I found out that we had the opportunity to drive super cars with Xtreme Xperience (think Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, etc.), I knew this would instantly score me major mom (and brownie) points.

Rob and Knox couldn’t wait to get there, but I was a little (okay, extremely) nervous to say the least! I will go ahead and admit that I’ve never really been a dare devil and the thought of wrecking a quarter of a million dollar car wasn’t exactly easing my anxiety.

Everyone at Xtreme Xperience was incredibly friendly, accommodating, and most importantly — informative. After turning in our drivers licences and checking in, we did a brief drivers class where they walk you through the course, go over all of the safety rules, and give you a better idea of what to expect from your in car instructor.

If there’s one thing that stuck out to me (other than driving super awesome cars), it’s when my instructor said, “trust me and I’ll trust you.” It was no secret that I was literally shaking when it was finally go time.

Talk about an adrenaline rush…

Momma got to drive the Ferrari 488 in yellow…it honestly didn’t even feel real at first. Sitting in it was one thing, but I couldn’t believe I was about to floor it in a car that costs more than my house. What if I hit a cone and get fined? What if I get a little too confident and lose control? Just a few of the many questions racing (pun intended) through my brain as my Xtreme instructor gave me the green light. Not to worry…I made it out alive and it was even more fun than I could have imagined!

Rob drove the Lamborghini Huracan in matte blue and you can just tell by the look on his face that he was in his glory. Meanwhile, all the employees at Xtreme Xperience let Knox sit in every single car they had! They gave that kid the royal treatment and it truly made us so happy. Even if I hadn’t driven one of the cars, just seeing that boy’s big blue eyes light up as he sat in the drivers seat(s)….let’s just say it was something that I will never forget.

I HIGHLY recommend Xtreme Xperience whether you’re looking for a fun new date night idea, want to make your kids happy or you just have an itch to drive a badass car that you can’t ever actually buy. It was a first class experience and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend a Saturday.

*This is a sponsored post with Xtreme Xperience. All opinions are my own, and I mean it when I say we really had a badass time. Sponsored posts like these allow me to create quality reviews for you guys. Your support is greatly appreciated.*

How I found the prettiest spring outfit for under $30

What would you say this outfit costs?

Go ahead, take a wild guess. If I saw this off the shoulder dress and these cute little block heeled sandals on a stranger at the store, I would easily say the outfit was around $100 total — if not more. But this momma is looking for cute AND affordable, amirite?!

This ruffle off the shoulder dress was under $13, you guys. My black block heeled sandals were under $17! Insane. You’re probably thinking, “what’s that catch?” There’s no catch. Each piece from Burkes Outlet is brand new and the quality is amazing. I’ve ordered several outfits from Burkes now and haven’t been disappointed once! Everything seems to be very true to size and you just can’t beat their prices. Most of the tops I looked at were under $10 and you will find that most clothing items are under $20!

Burkes offers more than just cute, affordable threads.

Yeah, you’ll find some KILLER deals on clothes (for all ages) at Burkes Outlet, but they offer much more than that. You will find amazing deals on all the hottest toys, kitchen appliances, home decor, accessories…I could go on.

I also found these tan, perforated heels for under $18 which is amazing because they will go with everything this spring and summer! Keep in mind that because Burkes prices are so competitive, styles do tend to sell out pretty quickly. The good news? They add trendy new styles to their website on the reg, so you’re always bound to find something you’ll love at Burkes for a fraction of the price.

Happy Shopping!

Loving you for you

What do you see when you look in the mirror?

I don’t care what anyone says, there’s not one person in this world who hasn’t been insecure about something at one point in their lives. Growing up, I was often teased for being “too thin” and kids would even ask me if I had an eating disorder. Ahh, middle school — ya gotta love it! Meanwhile, I ate like a full grown man (some things never change) and at times people’s comments made me feel like I needed to be curvier.

Did I eventually get over that whole “skinny girl” complex? Yes. I started to appreciate my fast metabolism and focus on what I did love about my body. Does that mean I never feel insecure about anything anymore? Nah. I’m far from perfect and just like most women — I will let the occasional self deprecating thought run a muck in my mind. Let’s just put it this way — we are all a work in progress and the grass will always look greener if you let it.

CHOOSE to love the skin you’re in.

Now that I’m in my thirties and a mother of two, I want to feel sexy, confident, all while feeling comfortable. I love this seamless bralette — it provides the support I’m looking for and is seriously the most comfortable bra I own now. It comes in five different color options and is under $50. It’s the perfect bra whether you’re layering, lounging, or working out. I linked all of my favorite new arrivals from Soma, a company who takes pride in empowering women regardless of their shape or size.

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This post is sponsored by Soma and all opinions are my own. Sponsored posts like these allow Boy Mom In Jeans to continue producing quality content and reviews on products like these. Thank you so much for all of your continued love and support. x

 

The truth about blogging

My very first photoshoot (photo taken by my SIL, Ashley Lindsey)

One of the questions all of us Influencers/Bloggers get asked about frequently is – “how did you get started?” or, “how can I start getting paid as an Influencer?” Well that’s kiiind of a loaded question, so I’m gonna have to give you a fairly loaded answer. I’ve been meaning to answer this in a blog post for quite some time, but ironically have been putting it off due to how insanely demanding this job actually is. Like, you’d possibly even question why I’m doing this to myself or how I can still function — and that would be totally fair if you did. I hope that by the end of this post (if you stick around, that is), you will have a new found appreciation for this very “new age” sort of career choice.

How it all started…

I started my blog right before my 30th birthday back in October of ‘16. I had been a stay-at-home working mom for about a year – working for StitchFix 15-20 hours a week. I loved being a stylist and the fact that my little part time gig allowed me to spend lots of time with Knox before he was in any sort of child care setting. I also loved that my job was all about fashion and making women feel good about themselves. I prided myself in getting women to try out new styles, gently pushing them to step outside of their “comfort zone.” Denim has always been my thing. My favorite part of the job was finding the client that PERFECT pair of jeans – something about it just made me so happy. What didn’t I love? Feeling like I was working 24/7 for very little pay… and there was just something missing. I knew it wasn’t what I was called to do.

First IG post – October 7th, 2016

You’ll never start anything if you wait until you’re ready.

I had been following a few fashion bloggers for a while and was just starting to figure out what LIKEtoKNOW.it even was. My inspiration was Cella Jane…. still is. I loved how effortlessly chic she always seemed, and admired every single look she posted! I drew inspiration from her outfits, but of course put my own retro spin on the pieces I would buy through her LTK links.

So one day it came to me. I was going to start my own blog before my 30th birthday. So I went for it without even hesitating… I posted my very first OOTD photo on October 7th, 2016. I had no idea what I was doing, but did it anyway not knowing what to expect. So I posted a very grainy selfie of my outfit and tagged each piece so that people knew where it was from.

And I’ve posted every single day since then….

My goal at the time was to eventually get some free stuff at some point. I mean, after all, I was buying cute clothes anyway and realistically had no place to wear these clothes half the time as a stay-at-home working mom. My shopping habit was pretty much a waste of money so I figured I better make use of these clothes!

Find a way to get paid for something you’re already doing.

I mean that’s the American Dream, isn’t it? Fast forward to 2017… I was still posting every single day but not seeing a whole lot come out of it other than meeting lots of amazing women through Instagram with the same exact dream (which is incredible in itself, by the way). I applied to Reward Style a little too early (before I had much of a following) and was rejected. So I waited a few more months and applied again. Still nada. I finally got accepted into Reward Style around August of ‘17 and was THRILLED. It was such an adrenaline rush because I had started to think I’d never be accepted and all of my hard work would end up being a waste of time. Being able to link my outfits and having the opportunity to make a little bit of money motivated me more than ever. Because I knew sales… I knew clothes…. so it had to be easy money, right?

Boy was I wrong.

But wait — Cella Jane and all the other bloggers make it look so EASY! They’re making a living posting effortlessly beautiful photos – so why can’t I? Surely the money will start rolling in soon…. right?

The reality is that nothing and I mean nothing good in life comes easy. I knew that deep down, but I was so excited about everything and didn’t realize at the time that there is a 90 day waiting period after you earn your first $100 in LIKEtoKNOW.it sales. Let’s just say it took a really long time for me to see $1.

But I kept going and going.

Was this news discouraging? A little. But it didn’t stop me from posting every day, throwing tons of money into clothes at the mall that we couldn’t afford. It sucked at times, I’m not gonna lie. I could have had a husband that said “why are you putting us in this position?” But instead, Rob believed in me enough to allow me to invest in this little side business of mine.

Eventually, I couldn’t handle two jobs anymore – I was holding onto StitchFix as a way to help “offset” some of the clothes I was buying for the blog. But it got to be too much and I knew deep down that you can’t do anything well if you’re doing too much.

So I left my part time job in February of 2018 and put all my faith into blogging…

It was scary, don’t get me wrong. But the excitement of this whole new chapter outweighed any cons in my mind. What I didn’t realize is that this would eventually turn into something amazing. Once I quit my part time job and was able to put my ALL into Boymominjeans, crazy things started happening. I was seeing a light at the end of the tunnel! Brands were emailing me, offering me free product in exchange for collaboration, I was starting to sell a tad bit more via LTK, and I’ve made some incredible friends along the way.

I knew this was my calling.

What didn’t I know? How to juggle it ALL. Because as I got deeper and deeper into this, I started to see that those big time bloggers I followed didn’t have it so easy after all!

This is hard. Like really, really hard.

Replying to emails and DM’s all day, coming up with content constantly just to sustain LTK (even though we were not in a good financial position)… all while taking care of a toddler who only went to Mother’s Day out twice a week. Oh and you have to engage…constantly. It’s one of my favorite parts about this job but can also be so difficult because you’re always. plugged. in. Thankfully I have an amazing support system including Rob who takes the majority of my pictures now, and of course my wonderful SIL Ashley, who volunteered to take pictures of me in the beginning (not knowing what she was getting into).

Never give up on your day dream.

Ladies, if starting your own business is something you REALLY want to do – then do it. But I will say that if you’re not willing to put your blood sweat and tears into it, then this probably isn’t the job for you.

Don’t wait until the time is right because it’ll never be the “perfect” time to start. That goes for anything in life, really. If I hadn’t impulsively started my blog 2 1/2 years ago it would have never happened. I’d probably be scrolling through Cella Jane’s feed right now wishing I would have given it a shot. Point is, YOLO.

Turns out that it’s ALL important.

For me, personally, paid collaborations seemed to be the way to go. But you kind of have to do it all until you figure it out – and I still don’t have it figured out, to be honest! I’m still doing it all. I’m posting every single day for LIKEtoKNOWit but I’m constantly working on a campaign or collaboration. Oh and the whole blogging thing….. turns out it’s pretty important to actually write blog posts in order to consider yourself a “blogger.” I don’t want to be JUST Instagram based, so my goal this year is to be more consistent on www.boymominjeansblog.com. Because that’s my name and my brand that I’ve been working my ass off to build.

For me, it’s not just about posting “pretty” pictures and it’s definitely not for ‘likes’…

For me it’s about much more. Getting real and raw with you guys and helping women feel GOOD about themselves. All while letting you know that I’m human, too….. boy am I. I have lots of shitty days and I’m not afraid to let you know that I struggle with anxiety/depression off and on. I’m not always dressed up and there are lots of days where this job can get to me, causing my anxiety to spiral out of control. I’m a perfectionist and a workaholic and it can be a real problem – it’s something that I’m trying to work on every single day. Trying to find balance as a mom and wife and blogger and friend. Mom guilt is REAL at times, you guys. It’s pure INSANITY keeping up with the collaborations that I commit to each month. The opportunities are endless which means although it’s a great problem to have – the work is never ending. And if you start comparing yourself to other bloggers…forget about it. Game over.

The best advice that I could ever give you ladies is to be YOURSELF and keep looking straight ahead.

This blog has also gotten me through some incredibly difficult times… maybe you can call it a distraction, who knows. But I love it and I pray that it shows. You see, I’m not writing this post to discourage you if you’re considering starting up your own blog or small business. I’m simply writing this to tell you about my own personal experience so that you have a better idea what all goes into this.

If you’re still reading this… THANK YOU. And if you’ve been following my blogging journey since that very first OOTD post… THANK YOU. For every encouraging word and every time you trusted me enough to shop through one of my links. I literally could not do this without all of your love and support.

It means the world.

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My top swim picks for 2019

Trending: One-pieces and all things leopard.

Oh hey, friends! Since Spring is practically here, I figured it would be fun to talk about my top swimsuit picks for this season. Whether you’re new around here or you’ve been following along for a while, you can probably already tell that my style is pretty retro.

I also realize that leopard is making a HUGE comeback, but believe it or not I’m pretty new to the game. I used to not care for much animal print, but my love for it has really grown here lately! This two piece mix and match set that I’m wearing is linked along with the rest of my faves (see bottom of this post for direct links).

“Trust me when I say that not all one-pieces are created equal.”

I love a one-piece as much as the next gal, but I am very choosy when it comes to the way they fit. If the quality isn’t great, there’s a high probability that it can go very wrong. It’s the worst when a one-piece fits funny in the back and you end up with the dreaded “frump butt.” ‘Cause let’s be honest, nobody has time for that ish.

I shared this one shoulder one-piece with you guys recently and you all seemed to love it as much as I do! Isn’t it cute? It comes in ten different colors, true to size, and under $100. If you use code JENNIFER10 on any suit from Summersalt you will receive a $10 gift towards any purchase over $95. You cannot beat the quality and this is truly one of the best fitting swimsuits I’ve ever tried on. Very flattering!

P.S. This post is in no way sponsored and all opinions are my own.

Although quality is very important, I am also allll about affordable! That being said, I linked a bunch of my favorite swimsuits for you ladies and most of them are either on major sale or under $100. You will even find some pieces that are buy one get one freee! You’ll find a good mix of one-pieces and high waist mix and match sets that I have a feeling you will love!

As a 32 year old (boy) mom, I want to make sure that my swimsuit picks are not only stylish, but tasteful.

I am also all about the high waisted bottoms! I feel like they are so much more flattering because they accentuate your waist while sucking in your lower stomach (something you usually don’t want to flaunt after kids – at least I don’t). You will find that most of the swimsuits I linked are either cute one-pieces or a mix n’ match set with a higher waisted bottom.

I wanted to keep this post short and sweet, but I hope you found my picks helpful! I don’t know about you, but I am oh so ready for warmer temps, beach trips and long pool days with the fam.

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Happy Shopping!

Read My Lips.

(Before on top, 6 days after on bottom)

Ohhh HAY!  As promised, I wanted to take you guys along on my very first lip filler journey….something I never thought I would actually pull the trigger on.

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My holiday look with Burkes Outlet

 

Hey, guys!  So since I’ve been getting lots of requests about holiday outfits, I figured I would share a really pretty look that won’t break the bank.  My gorgeous off the shoulder dress and these knee high boots by Madden Girl are both from Burkes OutletBurkes has a wide variety of name brand toys, holiday decor, clothing, you name it…for a fraction of the price.  You’re not going to believe what I spent on this outfit….

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Circle with Disney

 

Hey Guys!  Can you believe the holidays are HERE?!  I absolutely love the holiday season and all that comes with it, but it also means you have to find constant entertainment for the kids when they’re out of school for extended periods of time.

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My top Tula picks

 

Hiiii!  I’ve been talking to you guys so much about Tula lately, I figured I would write a post on some of my favorite picks while reviewing some of their latest products!  For those of you who are new to Tula altogether, all of their products are packed with nothing but probiotics and superfoods.  They are also free of phthalates, parabens, toxins, carcinogens, mineral oil, sodium laurel sulfate, and harmful preservatives.  Annnd cruelty free. 🙂

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My top 5 “must haves” for Fall

 

Hey, guys!  I am SO pumped that it finally feels like fall here in Dallas, so I thought it’d be appropriate to share my top five picks for fall.  When I say top five picks, I mean five staples that you will be able to wear over and over again….versatility is KEY in my book.  In case you haven’t noticed, I really like white booties.  When this trend first came around, I wasn’t sure I’d get a ton of use out of white boots — but once I bought my first pair I realized they were a must.  You’ll quickly find that they go with everything……

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