Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Halloween Through The Years

Happy Halloween Eve!!!

I thought it would be fun to share our costumes through the years. We make all of our own costumes and I've become quite proud of our creations. This is Tolar's absolute favorite holiday and it has also become Kendall's favorite. In full disclosure, until I met Tolar I never really celebrated it because I do not like anything scary. However, once Kendall was born and we decided to dress in theme for our costumes, I have developed a love for Halloween. I even remarked this year that I love how creative we are becoming and I look forward to the time that Tolar and I spend putting the finishing touches on the costumes.

I do have to give credit where credit is due. My mom has helped us create some of these costumes due to her wonderful sewing skills and we are so thankful. She luckily has taught me some sewing knowledge and thanks to being a theatre major in college I picked up even more. Maybe next year I will actually get my sewing machine set up in our house so I don't have to bother my mother.

It is fun to look back and remember the awesome times we had. It is also fun to see how my photography and staging have improved over the years.

2013 - Kendall's first Halloween
Super Mom, Diaper Decimator and Captain Chaos
All of these costumes were created on the fly, using items we had around our house.
Halloween Diaper Decimator
Halloween Super Heroes

Friday, October 26, 2018

Kids Labels Made Easy

Thank you Inchbug for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are completely my own.
Inchbug Bag Tags and Orbit Labels

It is storytime y'all!
Several weeks ago, I had an event to attend and I needed to leave Knox in the care of some nursery workers. This was the first time he was in this particular class so his schedule was new to the friendly workers. I explained that he needed a bottle at 11 a.m. and I showed them where all of his belongings were kept. But there was one problem I didn't realize existed...I had not labeled anything! I know this is shocking to some as I consider myself to be a very organized person.

After my event was finished, I went to the nursery to pick up my child and found a bottle that didn't belong to us in the diaper bag. I thought nothing of this, placed the bottle on the counter, and then we went on our merry way. Once we made it to the car I made a shocking discovery: Knox's bottle was still in the bag completely full!!! Now I cannot be certain if that bottle I found earlier was simply just placed in our bag by mistake, if Knox missed his 11 a.m. bottle or if Knox was fed someone else's bottle. I'll probably never know the answer to that riddle. But here is something I do know: Knox will never be left in a nursery without his belongings being properly labeled again. I'm certainly not interested in learning that there was a chance my child was potentially fed someone else's food. (I don't want to get too deep into that subject matter, grace has been given regarding the situation I share above. I tell you this story to paint the picture)

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Old Navy Options For The Cooler Months

Last week I received some INCREDIBLE customer service while shopping at Old Navy, so I have decided to spread the love and share some of my favorite items. Old Navy is always a good option because of the super affordable prices. You can really find some great pieces and almost everything in the store can be styled multiple ways. Old Navy is always where I head to stock up on basics and to find comfortable dresses that you can wear everyday.

I've compiled a list my favorite tees, dresses, vests and shoes for you. This post is clickable and shopable - all you have to do is click on an item if you like it and you can purchase it immediately. And right now through October 28 you can use your Super Cash to score some really great things. If you don't have Super Cash just use code SWEET for 20% off your purchase!

Shoes



Dresses



Vests



Tees

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Hello 8 Months

8 Months Old

I do not know how we got here so fast!!! As much as I try to make time stand still, it keeps right on not listening to me and actually moving faster instead (is time a child or something?!?!)! Here we are at 8 months old and I'm definitely not ready for this. So let's just get on with the monthly update.

Stats: I don't know his exact height, but I do know Knox is 18 pounds, 11 ounces. Knox unfortunately has been sick in recent days and we ended up at the doctor on Friday where they weighed him.

Development: We have a full blown crawler! Knox picked up crawling fast. One day he was rocking back and forth on his hands and knees, the next day he was on the move. There is no sitting still with this kid. Now that he is mobile, he wants everything in sight and will get whatever object he wants all by himself. He can also pull himself up to standing. He particularly loves to do this in his crib during nap time. He's still a very happy baby and always gives us tons of smiles. We are working on getting him to clap his hands; he isn't able to do it by himself yet but he always giggles when we clap his hands for him.

Loves: Since he is mobile, Knox has shown us his fondness for new things. He LOVES the heater we keep in his room. That heater is like a Knox magnet, the second I set him on the floor he takes off after it. I have to quickly pick it up and put it out of his reach. He has also discovered door stops and that they make the most brilliant noise when you play with them. He could play with a door stop for a good ten minutes if I let him. Blowing raspberries is another favorite of his.

Dislikes: Taking naps. Seriously, this kid has the most inconsistent nap schedule ever!!!! In fact, last week I was pretty sure that he only slept for 15 minutes one day. Oh sweet baby Jesus, please help this kid nap!

Sleeping: As you can see from above, naps are a challenge. Sometimes he will sleep during the day and most of the time he won't. His naps are all over the place in length. However, he does sleep through the night, so I really cannot complain. I would much rather him sleep at night when we are trying to sleep too!

Diapers: He is still in Pampers size 3 diapers and I think he will be in them for awhile. Now that he is mobile, I don't see him gaining weight so quickly.

Eating: Food is definitely still a favorite of his. He doesn't like to wait on food; when he is hungry he wants food immediately. Knox gets four 8 ounce bottles of breastmilk each day, plus I give him food at lunch and dinner. Because he loves food so much, he really isn't that messy! He makes sure everything goes straight to his mouth!

Clothing: Knox is able to wear lots of different sizes. He can still wear 6-9 month clothing and just regular 9 month clothing. I do love that just like his sister he can wear the size that corresponds with his age. That makes it very easy to shop for him. Now that the weather is colder, I pretty much keep him in sleepers all day long. They make diaper changes easy since we prefer the sleepers with zippers.

Miscellaneous: His sister still tops his list of favorite things. I love to watch them interact,; if sister is in the room he is so incredibly happy. She is also quite fond of him and will do just about anything for him. She is such a big help, especially if I need to leave the room. I just ask Kendall to play with Knox and she will do so until I return. She tries to keep him out of things that he shouldn't get into and she does it the only way you knows how...by dragging him across the floor by his feet!!! Since she can't pick him up, this is the next best thing. And of course Knox thinks being dragged by his sister is quite funny.
Knox is certainly a second child because we just took our first overnight trip away from him (I didn't leave Kendall until she was about 14 months old). I have quite the freezer stash of breastmilk, which makes it easy for someone else to feed him.
He's a sweet baby with a loving disposition. He often reaches out to touch the face of others and he loves to cuddle. I'm soaking up the cuddles while I can!

8 Months Standing

Friday, October 19, 2018

Diaper and Wipes Gift Subscription with IncrediBundles

Thank you IncrediBundles for sponsoring this post. All opinions below are completely my own.
IncrediBundles

Holy smokes, I am so pumped to share today's blog post with you!!!! One of my favorite things to do (and a big reason my blog still exists) is to try and make daily life just a bit easier for you gals. Probably the biggest gift we can give ourselves and others is more time and I think I have found a way to help you mamas out with that: a diaper and wipes gift subscription service from IncrediBundles!!!

I think we can all agree that two of the most needed items for a baby are diapers and wipes. When I was pregnant with Knox, we were gifted so many diapers and wipes and it was such a huge blessing! In fact, we made it a full seven months using the diapers we were given before we needed to purchase any more. Virtually every time I pulled open the drawer for a new diaper, I found myself thinking just how thankful we were that friends gifted us such practical things. Don't get me wrong, the cute clothes are appreciated just as much! But there is definitely something pretty spectacular about being gifted the necessities. Add in a subscription service where the diapers and wipes are delivered straight to your door and you will surely make many mamas happy!

Do yourself (and any moms of babies) a favor and click on over to IncrediBundles right now. The next time you have a friend or family member who is expecting a child, don't fret over selecting a gift. Trust me when I say that gifting them a diaper and/or wipes subscription from IncrediBundles is the way to go. The only thing you will have to worry about is selecting which gift option to purchase.

Thursday, October 18, 2018

When God Speaks To You Through Your Words To Your Children

Isaiah 66:13


Four and a half years ago the life of my family looked much different than it does today. At that time, my husband had lost his job right after we made the decision for me to leave full time employment so I could stay home with our baby girl. We exchanged our big city life for small town living and the future seemed kind of uncertain. I was scared and nervous and not exactly a happy camper to be living in such a rural area. 
I'll never forget the first time we decided to explore town. I was silently crying behind my sunglasses. "Downtown" was certainly not a happening place, Target was 20 minutes away, the only people I knew were family and I felt completely alone in my situation. As we drove around town, our baby (who is now a Kindergartener!) started crying in her car seat. I reached back to rub her head and said "don't worry baby, I'm right here with you."

BOOM! 

Did I just say that or did God say that to me? 

Friday, October 5, 2018

Aria Advanced Faux Wood Blinds

Thank you Comfortex for providing the Aria blinds for me to review. All opinions are completely my own.Aria Faux Wood Blinds Kitchen

Slowly but surely our house is coming along. The boxes have been unpacked, items are mostly organized, and I'm feeling a bit more settled. If anyone has ever built their own house, you know there are several things that you just don't think about adding until you move in. One of those things is window coverings. The options are endless, it seems, for blinds and window coverings. Luckily we discovered Comfortex Window Fashions and we couldn't be happier.

Comfortex has multiple types of window coverings to choose from including cellular shades, wood blinds, roller shades, roman shades and more. My favorite part about our new house is the grey wood flooring on our lower level. We decided on the Aria Advanced Faux Wood Blinds in Whitewash to go with our neutral color palette in the house and to complement our floors.

I'm a huge fan of faux wood blinds because I like how attractive and classic they look. Also, faux wood is necessary if you are going to have blinds in high humidity areas like the kitchen or bathroom. The Aria blinds resist warping, cracking, chipping and fading while holding up to the rigors of everyday life. In fact, the Aria blinds are guaranteed not to warp in temperatures up to 148 degrees.

We got two sets of Aria blinds, one for our kitchen and one for our living room. I took some simple measurements of our windows and our custom blinds were created from that. Installation was an absolute breeze (says the person who stood back and watched). Tolar and my dad put the blinds up in a matter of minutes - seriously. The included instructions were clear, thorough, well written and easy to follow. And the blinds themselves are lightweight, making them easy to handle and hang. Thanks to the simplicity of the design, the instructions are almost unnecessary. Though an extra set of hands is appreciated, one person could easily install these blinds by themselves.