Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Favorite Things Party--August

Today I'm linking up with Andrea and Erika for their August Favorite Things Party. I love reading everyone else's favorite finds under $10 and I hope you enjoy mine as well! 
I've already professed my love for Olay's shower lotion and I'm here to profess my love for their Total Effects 7 body lotion as well. I still use my shower lotion when I take my shower at night and I'll put this on in the morning. I bought mine at Walmart but I haven't been able to find it online anywhere for me to link it in. I believe I paid about 7 or 8 dollars for mine.


I used Honest diapers with Sawyer and now with Jansen. I can't say enough good things about this company's products! Sawyer has a bilateral reflux in her ureters so we are very careful about what products we use with her in the bath. It breaks my heart a little bit that she won't be enjoying bubble baths anytime soon but if it keeps the UTI's away then that's what we'll have to do. I love using Honest's shampoo and body wash because it's natural, organic and free of harsh chemicals. I've tried some other natural products before but I couldn't stand the smell of them. I don't know about you but one of my favorite things is cuddling with my clean and sweet smelling babies once they're in their pj's and ready for bed. As far as I know, this shampoo/body wash only comes in the sweet orange vanilla scent but I LOVE it. Smelling clean and sweet at the same time....yes please :) I have mine shipped to me along with JT's diapers and wipes but Target just started carrying it in stores. You can find it for $9.95 HERE.


They have a conditioner but I like to use their conditioning detangler spray for Sawyer. It is the same scent as the shampoo/body wash and cuts through the worst tangles. It's extremely light and doesn't make her hair oily or weigh it down. 


I've saved the best for last! If you are an instagramer and haven't discovered Chatbooks yet, you need to download the chatbooks app or visit their website HERE ASAP!!! Trust me, you'll thank me later :) I'm the worst about printing off my pictures and putting them in frames, let alone in photo albums. Chatbooks accesses your instagram account and puts them into 60 page books. I ordered 8 volumes at $6.00 a piece with FREE shipping. You can choose which photos you want in your books and I love that they include the original caption and date. 








Thursday, August 21, 2014

Guest Post--Lonestar Ginger Boutique

Hey y'all I was super honored to be asked to guest post for Lonestar Ginger Boutique's Wonder Woman Wednesday!

Stop on over at The Lone Star Ginger Boutique blog to read my post :)

Melissa is super sweet and has an adorable Etsy shop with TONS of items that I am already adding to my wish list! If you want customized spirit shirts for your school, Lonestar Ginger Boutique is where you need to look!




I just might be a little obsessed with this shirt. #lovemesomejoshabbott

Check out her blog HERE
Etsy store HERE 
Facebook page HERE







Thursday, August 14, 2014

Something for all my fellow mommas

Summer vacation is officially over....such a bittersweet statement. I'm sad that the summer is over ...as I am every year, but I am extremely excited about a new year with a whole new group of 4th graders! This morning we kicked off the school year with convocation followed by the first day of conference sessions (think mini workshops). This is such an amazing way to start off the school year for me because I get so pumped and excited with tons of notes and ideas for the new year!! I went to two awesome conference sessions today and I can't wait to share a couple things with y'all tomorrow on Friday Faves. 

I came across this blog today and fell in love. Coffee + Crumbs is a collaborative blog by 7 women about all things motherhood. The posts I've read just hit home as I'm sure they would with all of you mommies out there. I don't know about you, but sometimes it helps to have that reminder that 
1. You're doing just fine.
2. You're not the only one. 
3. It's only temporary
4. Don't sweat the small stuff.
5. Time passes by too quickly and you need to embrace what is in the present (even the cheerios on the floor)

This is the first post I read by Ashlee Gadd @ Coffee + Crumbs. Every single word is so real and so true that I feel that every mom and mommy-to-be needs to take the few minutes to read these words that have been written so perfectly.

a letter to my pre-mom self.

Oh, momma. I see you over there in the diaper aisle of Target, stuffing your face with popcorn, icee tucked carefully between your arm and baby bump. You’re staring at eight different kinds of baby wipes trying to make life-impacting decisions for your unborn child: scented vs. unscented, organic vs. non-organic, name brand vs. generic.
Your brow furrows as you glance over your shoulder at the array of other choices staring at you—diapers, diaper pails, diaper pail bags, diaper rash creams. All the products sit neatly lined up on the shelf, mocking you. Mocking all the moms.
“Pick me! Pick me!” they shout, trying to get your full attention in between bites of popcorn.
And what I really want to do is grab you by the shoulders and both yell and whisper sweetly at the same time: it doesn’t matter. None of that stuff matters. It doesn’t matter that you don’t have a clue what you’re doing or buying because I’m going to let you in on a little secret: nobody does.
Nobody knows what they’re doing bringing fresh new babies into the world. We’re all clueless and equally terrified of doing everything wrong. We’re all just here, caught up in this newfound all-consuming love, trying to figure it out one day at a time, one mistake at a time, one too-expensive Target trip at a time.
I see the worry on your face, the anxiety in your heart, the ridiculous things you’re googling. It’s okay, it’s part of the process. I know you’re scared that life will never be the same, and you’re right—it won’t be. It will be both better and harder than the same, a truth you won’t entirely understand until that squirmy seven pound baby is in your arms.
I am only two measly years ahead of you, but rest assured: I have learned more about motherhood in these past two years than I did in the 26 years leading up to that first positive pregnancy test. And while I have so much to tell you, gentle advice and encouragement to offer, I know that you will never fully comprehend any of this until that baby is here. Yet still, I cannot help myself….here is what I want you to know:
You will be different. You will see parts of yourself that are unrecognizable, brought only to the surface by the sheer fact that another human is suddenly dependent on you for everything. You will be anxious, you will worry, you will feel overprotective like you have never felt before. You will simultaneously need space and not need space because all you want to do is be alone and also never leave your baby with anyone else. You will uncover a plethora of mom-related judgements that were hiding in your heart all along, and one by one they will fall by the wayside as you realize just how hard and messy and glorious this calling of motherhood actually is. You will learn to love fiercely and wildly without expectations, and for the first time in your whole life, your heart will default to selflessness—a part of you that always existed but was buried deep down inside—waiting for this moment, this change, this baby, this occasion to rise. 
Your body will be different. Some parts will get bigger while other parts will shrink; it’s weird and miraculous and confusing most of the time. You will hate your body some days and love your body other days. Give yourself grace. When you’re having a hard time offering yourself grace, take a shower and blow dry your hair. Treat yourself to a new pair of jeans when you're ready to wear jeans again. Get the expensive kind (tell your husband I said it was okay). Remind yourself that your body grew and sustained a human, and that those faint stretch marks on your belly are the well-earned marks of a warrior. 
Your marriage will be different. You and your spouse will see each other with a whole new set of eyes: a brand new microscope on each others’ triumphs and failures. One of you will be “too carefree” and one of you will be “too careful”—you will learn to meet in the middle, eventually. You will trust each other like you’ve never trusted anyone before, and you will learn to love each other as parents, which is a different kind of love. Your date nights will be sparse. Your sex life will be slow. Be patient, be patient, be patient. You'll be tempted to keep score of everything: the number of times you get up in the middle of the night, the number of diapers you've changed, who did the dishes last, whose job is harder. Listen to me carefully, momma. Score-keeping has no place in your marriage. Throw that scorecard away. The best thing you can do for yourself and for each other is to say “thank you” and “I love you” every single day. Be grateful, be appreciative, offer each other grace upon grace upon grace. It is easier said than done, but trust me in this: you both need it now more than ever. 
Your house will be different. You will often feel overwhelmed by the mess, the piles of dishes, the sticky surfaces and crumbs. But one day there will be a trail of cheerios on the floor marking where your baby has been and what he has seen, and you'll realize that those cheerios make your house feel more like a home than any fresh flower arrangement ever could, and that epiphany will make you smile. One day your toddler will run down the hallway in his footy pajamas and you will want to capture that sound in a bottle for all of eternity because there is no better sound to wake up to (excluding the coffee maker). Your house will be messier, more chaotic, and less conducive to hosting company, but you will love it a hundred times more because it has never felt more like home.
Your whole life will be different. Every single day you will wake up with the responsibility of loving a child beyond measure. It will affect every decision you make, every thought you have, every fiber of your very existence. You will slowly learn to let go of control and expectations, a process you will practice every day for the rest of your life as a parent. You will start to see the world as a mom—you will see love and God and humanity through new eyes that will change you and mold you and make you more aware of how small you are and how big God is.
A void will be fulfilled that you didn’t even know existed. Can you remember the first time you saw a sunrise? The first time your toes felt sand? The first time you tasted chocolate? Probably not; you were too young to remember. Five minutes before those experiences happened you were just cruising right along, thinking life was great as is. But then, you saw that stunning orange sunrise and you felt that warm sand between your toes and you tasted that delicious piece of chocolate and you just knew. You knew life just became infinitely better in every way because you experienced magic. And motherhood is kind of like that, only a million times better.
So keep on shoppin, momma. You just dropped a piece of popcorn down your shirt but don’t worry, nobody noticed. And remember what I said about the baby wipes: that stuff doesn’t matter.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Recap in Pictures

Today is my last official day of summer vacation. This time tomorrow I will be sitting in a workshop learning all sorts of new science things :) I had planned on working in my classroom today but instead I'm at home doing laundry, watching old One Tree Hill episodes and snuggling with my little guy in between his naps (which he is doing right now). It turns out that Jansen has thrush AND strep throat. When Sawyer was JT's age, we were told that children under the age of 2 rarely got strep throat so I was extremely surprised when we were told that's what JT had. Apparently that changed in the past 18 months.

So because it's the last day of summer (for me anyways) I'll be posting an end of the summer recap in pictures from the last few weeks.



We love Kendra Scott 

Lunch and shopping in West Village for Mom's birthday


Showing our love and support for Claire before her surgery

 These aren't the best quality but these girls wanted to play in Jansen's pack and play at Nana's. They were having some wild fun! 



Naps at Nana and Papa's are the best.

Love these two.

Posing at Andrea's Matilda Jane Trunk Show


Shopped till she dropped


Lunch @ SNUG with my favorite girl.

Two is better than one.

Sweet wall of heaven.

1st time for Jelly Bellies. 


The BEST sandwich I've ever tasted. EVER.


McKinney wore this gal out. 



Costco Run!



Date night @ Top Golf. I was just a tad bit proud of beating him a couple times ;) 


 This girl is OBSESSED with popsicles. She may or may not have had a small meltdown this morning because I wouldn't let her have one for breakfast.

1st time to try spaghetti. #ate3helpings #idsayhelikedit

Monthly pics don't come easy anymore.


Oh Happy Day :)


"Say Cheese Daddy!" 




Smooth Operator by Emporium Pies...there aren't enough words.


She loves pudding.



 
You wouldn't know he had strep by looking at him.

We like to balance Lucky Charms on our nose.

Ella gave Sawyer these flip flops and she slept in them for two nights in a row. #yesmom

When I asked her who taught her to do the splits, she quickly replied, "Papa".
I definitely raised an eyebrow. I think I'm going to need to see that Dad.


My sweet boy.