Mackenzie Oakley
Hi! I’m Mackenzie, wife to Justin and mama to three beautiful babes. I grew up in Sioux Falls, SD and headed south for college in Lincoln, NE where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from UNL. I met my husband while I was visiting family in Kansas City in August 2007 and we've been together ever since. After graduating college in 2008, I landed my first job in Kansas City, Justin and I bought a house in Olathe, got married and started our little family. We’ve called the KC-area home for almost 10 years now! I work full-time for a small marketing firm and spend what little free time I have loving on my kids, attempting a little DIY here and blogging over at Baby By Oakley.
No More Mush! Baby-Led Weaning
Introducing new foods to my daughter was probably one of my favorite things to do when she was little. I was counting down until she reached the magical 6-month mark so I could whip...
I Know I’m a Good Mom… and So Are You
Motherhood is hard. Babies, in all their squishy glory, are tough. Raising tiny humans is exhausting and I know I'm oftentimes left wondering if I'm doing a good job.
Is the baby eating enough?
Does she feel warm to...
Cry Me a River : The Period of PURPLE Crying
As second-time parents, I thought we had the whole "fourth trimester" thing figured out. You know, the first 12 weeks of a baby's life where they're adjusting to life outside the womb and the...
Bye-Bye Binky: Giving up the Pacifier
Ah, the dreaded pacifier. The nook. The binky. Or, if you're at our house, just plain 'ol bink. For some kids, it's their lifeline. They can't leave home without it. They can't sleep without it....
How to be a Work-at-Home Mom and Actually Get Work Done
I am a full-time working mom. While pregnant with my first child, my husband and I weighed our options and decided that it made the most sense for me to continue working once the...
Guilty Pleasures: Mom Style
Guilty pleasures. We all have them, right? Things you do when no one's watching or habits that might be a little embarrassing to admit so you don't like to talk about them? I know...
Cooking with Mangos
Special thanks to our friends at the National Mango Board for sponsoring this learning opportunity!
Confession: I am not a foodie.
I mean, I like food but developing recipes and throwing together elaborate meals with exotic...
New Kid on the Block: Introducing a Sibling
Bringing a new baby home for the first time is uncharted territory. You go through the 100-point checklist to make sure everything is ready at home, double check that the carseat is installed properly and...
Kicking the Crib to the Curb
I was never in a rush to move my 2-year old daughter out of her crib. In fact, I was almost sad when I realized the time was getting close for her to move...
Lacking the Lactation Love – My Second Attempt at Breastfeeding
We recently welcomed baby number two into our family. I've blogged before about the differences between my two pregnancies and how we tried to prepare our first-born for the impending arrival of her little sister....
Things Are About to Get P-interesting
Pinterest. Pretty much the greatest thing ever. I mean, a virtual pin-board where you can save anything and everything from the internet and organize it all onto an unlimited number of categorized boards? Genius.
I have to admit,...
To Work or Not to Work…
Every mother has asked herself this question at one time or another. Being a mom is tough, whether you work full time outside the home or stay home with the kids, raising kids and...
When Parents Get Dementia
No one wants to become a caregiver for an ailing parent. No one wants to see their loved one become someone unrecognizable seemingly overnight. And I assure you, no one wants to be in the...
Home is Wherever I’m With You
As a college freshman, I decided to major in interior decorating. I loved designing random floor plans and decorating my dream home. I'd spend hours moving walls around in my head, picking out color...
Sister, Sister
I'm 6 months pregnant and have yet to feel like I've done anything to get prepared for this new baby. My husband and I seem to be going through the motions of everyday life...
