As promised, I am here with quick instructions on how to build the baby gate we did! It was pretty simple, but did take a little bit of time just because you have to make sure it fits correctly, have an anchor (or stud) on the wall and we did two of them (for the top and bottom of the stairs). Anyways, I like these SOOO much better than the store ones, not to mention they are literally more than half the price for us because we have such wide ...continue reading >>
Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2020 – Show this to your partner ;)
Basically I just rounded up all the things I love or want...I mean I figured that was the best route to go here...right? ;) Just send this link to your husband and he should be set. I got chu. I also included a few ideas below for Grandmas because for whatever reason they're hard to shop for...ya feel? SHOP EVERYTHING: The Grandma's Gift Guide: SHOP EVERYTHING: ...continue reading >>
Mental Health Check – During Social Distancing
Put your hand up if you feel like you're drowning? Have lost it more times than you care to admit? And honestly just want to either hide in the pantry or JUST GET OUT OF THE HOUSE...or both? Is your hand up? Cool, mine too. I'm not even going to sugarcoat it, this has been challenging in SO many ways, but especially on my mental health. I've talked about it before but I'm currently on medication for anxiety and postpartum depression. My anxiety ...continue reading >>
Current Stay at Home Activities for Kids
I thought I would get a round up, up of current things that are free and happening for kids! So many people have come together to keep our littles entertained and donate their services/time, which I think is just incredible. Even during all the chaos and unknown we've also seen people come together and that I love. Anyways, so I found kind of the top 10 that we have used and that I thought were great and I linked everything + gave details of them ...continue reading >>
50 Date Ideas
Marcus and I have been trying to make more of a focus on date nights - which means just nights together or time with just him and I. It doesn't have to be necessarily going out and spending money or doing something extravagant but mainly just time to focus on us and our relationship. So I'm going to share 50 ideas that we've done and love! SO HERE YOU GO: 50 DATE NIGHT IDEAS: Walk the Farmer's Market Watch funny ...continue reading >>
Infertility Insurance You Need to Know About
Thank you to LifeSpring for sponsoring this blog post. All experiences and opinions are my own. Did you know that one in eight couples in their life will be faced with the (heartbreaking) challenge of infertility? Did you also know that, well, most of the time insurance doesn’t cover most, if any, treatments? I know about both of these firsthand. Most of you guys already know this. We struggled with infertility for years before ...continue reading >>
Current Favorite Amazon Hair Accessories for Mamas + Littles
This post is a long time coming and well, it's finally here. Y'all know I love myself some Amazon and well there are SO MANY good hair accessory finds on there! So I've broken it down in two categories for y'all - a category for us Moms and our favorites and a category for our littles! Ready, set, shop! And honestly, a lot of the ones in the Mama section would work great for girls too, Blake wears a lot of mine and vice ...continue reading >>
Be Yo Own Valentine.
I am not above treating myself and wellll any holiday is an excuse to do just that. Including Valentine's day. Buy your own goodies. So I thought I'd share some things I have loved that I've splurged on recently or in the past. You're welcome, happy treating and you deserve it. ;) I split it up by shop for you because well, y'all know me + Target, Amazon + Nordstrom have my heart. So most of the time you can find anything I have from one of ...continue reading >>
Pumping on the Go Made Easy
Mkay, let’s talk about a breast pump that I recently got and well, am obsessed with. It’s called Elvie and y’all it’s legit. They’re basically like little cups you put into your bra and they pump while you’re doing whatever - HANDS FREE. Meaning, there’s not a cord, they’re pretty dang quiet, they’re discreet and I’m hooked. In fact, I haven’t used my previous pump since getting these just because they are NOT a hassle to plug in and set up and ...continue reading >>
Link Catch Up – Linking all the things
I thought this would be an easy thing to do and just round up some of the requested links lately on Instagram! I won't get too crazy because well I've got two littles who are going to need me here soon, but let me round up as many of them as I can... Basic long Sleeve tees - i've been living in these lately, they're so soft and comfy and affordable. I have them in a medium, but honestly wish I had gone with a small. Blender ...continue reading >>
All the details you Need on Getting a Breast Pump Easily
All you breastfeeding or pumping Mamas or future breastfeeding or pumping Mamas, listen on up! I’ve got a good post for you guys today with Aeroflow Breastpumps and all the details you need on getting a pump! If you aren’t familiar with Aeroflow, first a quick rundown on who they are exactly. They are a company who specializes in helping Moms get not only their breast pumps, but also their pregnancy and postpartum ...continue reading >>
The Biggest Changes from 1 to 2 Kids..
Y'all know, I try really hard to just keep it as real and light hearted as possible. I've been wanting to get more of a life post up, so I though I'm going to write about something close to my heart - and immediately thought, yep - let’s talk about my newest journey. That journey is going from one to two kids. Now, let me preface this with, for those new around here, we waited a hot minute for this, you know - the lovely “blessing” of ...continue reading >>
Mental Health Q+A – My Experience (Part 1)
I've shared my story a little bit on mental health and anxiety and depression here on the blog before and on Instagram, but I wanted to kind of open it up to questions. So I through up one of those fancy question boxes in a story on Instagram and let you guys go to town with questions! I probably won't answer all of them, but figured I would hop on and answering a handful of them. Let's dive in ;) I think that talking about mental health is so ...continue reading >>
Let’s Talk PCOS
This post has been a long time coming and I'm going to kind of put it in two parts just because I feel like that will be easier. First I'll share my story and just how things have gone down with me and what I've dealt with, overcome, etc. since being diagnosed and then at the end I'll break it down into a quick Q+A since I opened it up for questions on instagram. I figured this was the easiest. Sooo, my story. I'm not even sure where to begin. I ...continue reading >>
The Grove Collaborative Fall Promo You’re going to Want in On!
I took the plunge + I tried Grove Collaborative for y’all. Long story short - I fell in love and got you quite the hook up ;) But first, let’s talk details of the brand + what they’re all about, especially for those of you not familiar. Grove Collaborative is basically an online marketplace that sells plant based, sustainable products that you can have automatically shipped to your door each month! They have everything from home, beauty to ...continue reading >>
Let’s Talk Nursing Bras
I have promised y'all I would share this once I got it down and well, I think I finally have it down. ;) I tried SEVERAL nursing bras, like I'm not kidding probably 10+ different ones and ended up returning 90% of them because I just didn't love them and they didn't meet my standards. So here's what I'm really looking for in a nursing bra and let me clarify I look for two different kinds. I want a daily nursing bra that has a little padding, ...continue reading >>
Walmart’s Semi-Annual Baby Event
This month is Walmart's Semi-Annual baby event - you know in case you couldn't read my title. ;) Well, I wanted to highlight some of the final things that are still happenin' and what you should be getting your hands on. Especially now that baby Nash is here and I've tried and used all of these things and well, I'm sharing some of our tops favorites that we've used non-stop. Anyways, so this event is basically a mini black Friday sale - focused ...continue reading >>
All The Links to Your Favs
Just a cute pic of baby boy today.... I promised y'all on stories yesterday that I would round up everything that you've been asking about link wise! So let's do this now that Marcus is home and I have a few minutes. I'm going to just make it quick, to the point + hopefully easy to navigate. ;) Fingers crossed anyways. You can shop things by actually clicking on the images at the very bottom or I've listed them out in bullet points under ...continue reading >>
The Toothbrush You NEED
This post is sponsored by GLEEM. All opinions are my own. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of GLEEM. The opinions and text are all mine. First off, do you know how awkward it is to have a photo shoot while brushing your teeth? ;) HAHA! But you know what - I do it for you guys, just making things happen to bring you the best of the best. Are you ready for this - about to blow your mind with this ...continue reading >>
Easy Back to School 5 Minute Makeup Routine
I’ve been trying out some new makeup products for y’all the last couple of months and perfecting a “back to school” routine, that literally takes all of 5-6 minutes. I’m trying to prepare myself for a newborn, Blake going back to school and well, the chaos of back to school. Because you Mamas know what I’m talking about - our “getting ready” and well, anything, takes the backseat. ;) HA! Well, I figured it out guys + I’ve got it down - this ...continue reading >>
Our Fav Sunscreen + a Couple Summer Bucket List items
I’m not sure if you remember last year - but I actually shared about this same sunscreen briefly on instagram, but I figured let’s get a blog post up and details on it so it’s easy to find, especially now that we are in the summer months. I’m kind of a freak about skin protection, especially because my Mom had melanoma and well, I just want to be as safe and cautious as possible for me and my little family. Well this summer we have some fun ...continue reading >>
Our Summer Cleaning Schedule
Does anyone feel like this picture accurately describes basically every aspect of their life? ;) You’re doing one thing only to repeat it over and over again because well, Mom life. Seriously though, why do kids think it’s the funniest thing ever to push their entire face against the dang windows and typically as you’re cleaning them or within a couple of minutes of them being cleaned. Anyways - summer is here and while I LOVE this season, it ...continue reading >>
5 Ways I have ME TIME in Motherhood
If you’re a Mom, you know what I’m talking about - Motherhood is literally the best, hardest freaking job in the world. There’s nothing like it, literally. You won’t feel as much love, guilt, stress, overwhelm, obsessiveness (and all at the same time) in anything else, except well, being a Mom. ;) HA! But with that, comes losing your mind just a little bit here and there, which leads me to my entire point of this post. YOU TIME. It’s a must and ...continue reading >>
More Moments as a Mom
I’ve been working on enjoying little moments - my goal for this year, 2019, was to live more in the moment and to put being a Mom first. Obviously I have to work and that’s an important aspect of my life too, but I really wanted to focus more on Motherhood. And I’m not going to lie, it’s been a really hard balance, in fact it has since I became a Mom, since I’ve always worked. It’s something I strive to work on everyday and to attempt to get ...continue reading >>
Confidence + New Shoes
I've been really working hard lately to work and perfect my own confidence. I don't think it's anything I'll ever fully have down or be well "perfect" at, but I'm trying and want to make sure I'm portraying my best, confident self especially for my little girl. From the moment I found out I was pregnant, Marcus and I kind of decided that words like "fat" and "ugly" and just you know - not nice words about yourself or anyone, wouldn't be words we ...continue reading >>
Current Top Favorite Robes
Guys, I'm a little bit of a robe snob...in fact I just love my robes. HA! This started when I was in my early 20's and I just realized how much easier it was to slip on a robe before bed and then again in the morning before I was ready to get dressed for the day. We're all about convenience here people. Then when I had Blake, it was a whole new level of love. The fact that I could easily nurse in a robe, I could be comfortable but also look like ...continue reading >>
Healthy on the Go
I feel like the title of this post is the theme to my life, constantly trying to make healthier choices, but also never a moment to really breathe. I swear it’s go, go, go, all the time. Anyone else? And it’s only going to get worse when baby boy gets here. HA! Such is life. I’ve learned a few tips and tricks though to constantly being in the car and always on the move or with some sort of work to be done at home. So I thought I’d share them, as ...continue reading >>
Saving + Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles Expanded
Since my post last month sharing about our latest car buying experience and how we saved going with a certified pre-owned vehicle, I've gotten a lot of questions. SO I thought it was time for round two on this post, but a little more expanded and more details strictly on certified pre-owned vehicles. I'll share as much as I know, though I am not an expert, then I'll give you details and info I've learned from Autotrader, because they're where ...continue reading >>
To the Anxious Mama
I remember when I was a little girl and my parents would go out on date nights, we would have a babysitter at home watching us but I still felt this sense of worry. I would call to check in on them, you know back in the day when they had like the brick phones that weren't super reliable but were there...yeah those. And if they didn't answer or call me back, I would go in a panic. I was probably around 10, but my mind would instantly go to - they ...continue reading >>
Current Spotify Playlist on Repeat
It's been a hot minute since I've shared a playlist, so it only felt right to! I've been in a weird, chill, music kind of mood for the last couple of weeks. Which if y'all know me - know that's abnormal for me because let's be real I'm usually a Beyonce, turn it up loud kind of music lovin' girl. Like the girl you see dancing in the car next to you at a stoplight to music blaring - that's 100% me. Typically some killa' songs from 90's/early ...continue reading >>
Budgeting + Car Buying
Who has plans for 2019 to budget a little better, spend a little less -- butttt also buy a new car or are just in need of one and know it's coming? Right here, my hand is definitely up. Not so much because well, I want to - honestly, I love my current car, but because well, it's gonna be necessary with a growing family. ;) WHICH THAT PART I'M STOKED ABOUT. Marcus and I love buying Certified Pre-Owned, you can get a car on a budget, but also get a ...continue reading >>
Current Favorite Things
It's been awhile since I've done a "favorite things" blog post - so I thought what better time than now. I rounded up nine of my favorite things as of right now and linked everything below. Hair Wrap - Shared these on instagram stories last week and so many of you bought them and are just as obsessed. They're SO GOOD. My sister actually gave me this for Christmas and it comes in a three pack on Amazon, but they basically dry your hair a ...continue reading >>
WiFi Tips + Tricks
I figured we are not the only people in the world with this issue, so I thought I would share some helpful tips on how we make our Wi-Fi a little stronger in our home - especially in parts that are further away from the router. We had a problem with slow Wi-Fi connectivity at our last house too, so we actually received and set-up Samsung’s first mesh Wi-Fi and smart home hub and fell in love. Well, turns out connectivity has been even tougher ...continue reading >>
At Home “Winter Relief” Kit
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc., Abreva, Breathe Right, Clorox, Robitussin and Theraflu. All opinions are mine alone. #SoothesOfTheSeason #CollectiveBias Winter time is basically in full force over here. I feel like the minute our “highs” started saying in the 30’s, I was like mkay...yep, hello winter. With winter (and fall) comes all the sicknesses though, BLEH. So I’ve kind of come up with a little “winter relief” kit ...continue reading >>
Easy DIY + Recycled Wrapping Paper Ideas
I’m actually really excited about today’s blog post because well one, it’s Christmas related and y’all know how much I love Christmas and two, it’s got a little bit of home decor love to it too so it’s basically a match made in heaven for me. I’m going to share with y’all a couple different ways I wrap presents using things from around my house, some quick tips to neat wrapping and then a DIY on a super easy bow to throw on your gifts this ...continue reading >>
The Her Gift Guide + Jewelry
Guys, I’m so excited to do a little gift guide for you today - but with a jewelry focus from PANDORA. If you aren’t familiar - PANDORA makes the beautiful jewelry. In fact, I remember getting my first PANDORA bracelet as a teenager and thinking it was so cool to be able to add on charms. Literally, I went to the store, picked out all the charms that I thought were “me” or had meaning and wore that bracelet everyday for close to a year HA! Well, ...continue reading >>
The Amazon Prime Gift Guide
Amazon Prime is basically life, so naturally it only felt right to do an entire gift guide revolving AROUND IT. ;) HA Seriously though, that two day free shipping, everything is way cheaper, life is where it's at. So I rounded up some favs, things I own, Blake owns, M owns, wants, all the things into categories to make it easy for y'all to shop. Again, my theme this year is less is more, so I didn't go over the top and kept things really simple ...continue reading >>
Small Shop: Holiday Gift Guide 2018
We did our small shop black Friday guide and now its time for our annual small shop - holiday gift guide! Great ideas for gifts for family members of all types/ages and exclusive coupon codes included to some of the shops! So let's dive in and do this thing. SHOP: TOM DESIGN SHOP Details: Y'all saw the beautiful necklace I got for my Mom, with the words "I love you" in her Mom's writing, my Uncle's (her brother's) and ...continue reading >>
Our Christmas Tradition
I love Christmas so much that there’s a reason I start decorating for it at the beginning of November. It seriously just brings me so much joy. The entire month of December is about giving, family time and being together and all of those things seriously make my heart so dang happy. I thought today would be a good day to share a Christmas tradition that we started last year and are doing again this year. Blake was so excited about it last year ...continue reading >>
Gifts by Price Point ($15 + $25 + $50)
So excited to share today's post - it's been one that has been asked the most about and has been sitting in my drafts for a good week, as I finish it and hit publish! Welp, today's the day I finally hit publish! I searched high and low for gift ideas that are GOOD gift ideas that are under these two price points. I didn't go totally overboard because I feel like when you get too many options it really starts to get overwhelming. SOO I did 12 ...continue reading >>
My (The Mama) Gift Guide
I'm actually really excited for this guide. Mainly because I feel like every year, I am kind of at a loss of what to get or I typically will take the back burner and just be like nah, I'm good and get something small then get and give to everyone else. But this year there are actually a few things I would love! Nothing crazy, but just some little things here and there I have wanted throughout the year, so I made a little wish list and sent it to ...continue reading >>
The Carpet Cleaner YOU NEED
Things are about to get crazy up in here! We are hosting Thanksgiving this week and I’m not going to lie, I feel like I haven’t really, you know like REALLY, cleaned my house in like three weeks...long before we started the whole IVF thing. Now that I’m finally feeling a-okay and almost back to myself I’m in a little bit of freak out mode, like crap - clean all the things. I started today, day one - clean the carpets/rugs, let’s get the big ...continue reading >>
![[show_shopthepost_widget id="3352843"]](https://www.jessoakes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/BABIES-676x514.png)
Babies + Toddler Gift Guide
It's time, it's time for allll the gift guides. I'm doing things a little different this year. Rather than loading you up with a million things that I think are great gifts, I'm focusing on specifics. So today, babies and toddlers with just a few things for each. One then it's not so overwhelming and two, they're items that I personally would buy (and have on some) and love. We also have a good mix of unisex, boy and girl toys so you can see lots ...continue reading >>
Eye Cream You NEED
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Olay. The opinions and text are all mine. Guys, I think I may have found the holy grail of eye creams! Seriously though and at an affordable price. You guys already know how much I freaking loveeee Olay products, so when I found this and saw it was Olay, it was basically a match made in heaven. The product is called Olay Eyes Brightening Eye Cream and it’s ...continue reading >>
Men’s Gift Guide – Not Your Typical Gift
First gift guide of the season and I'm starting with the guys. Mainly because I feel like they're the hardest to shop for every year and we want to do better than your typical, here's a "wallet" gift. SO I have a few items, that I like to think are not "your average gift" or else they're a step above it. ;) You know, so you can show the guys in your life that you stepped your game up this year. Okay, let's do this thing. Zenni Glasses - ...continue reading >>
Let’s Talk Christmas Cards
Yep, I'm about to share Christmas cards - but guys, you've got to jump on the ball early or else you'll be sending them out after Christmas....like I did, last year. WHOOPS. I told you, I've made myself some promises this year - Christmas shopping done early, cards done on time and more focus on family. I feel like I'm always so rushed at the end that I miss so much, so I've literally calendar-ed things out this year and I'm really sticking to ...continue reading >>
Early Holiday Shopping – The Target Sale
This year I kind of made a vow to myself that I would not wait until December 20th to start my holiday shopping. HA! I swear every year I am super on top of it for all of y'all and share deals, ideas, etc. but never actually get my own shopping done in a timely matter. WELL THIS YEAR IS GONNA BE DIFFERENT, MKAY? Anyways, so first you need to know that Target started doing a Kid's daily deal, I'm not sure when - but it's underway and happening ...continue reading >>
My Best Tips for Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees
I did a few insta-stories the other day on all my fiddle leaf figs and how I kind of care for them and have for the past few years that I've had some of them and had lots of questions. So I figured I would answer everything I know and have done for mine. However - please know that I'm not a plant expert at all and this is just what has worked for me. SO with that said, let's do this thing. Where to buy a Fiddle Leaf Fig? Hands down, best spot ...continue reading >>
Keeping on a Schedule/Organized
I've been working on this post for what feels like forever, but haven't felt like I was practicing what I'm about to preach and well, that's important to me. I want to be a firm believer and actually doing what I'm writing about rather than just preaching it but not actually putting it to use. SO obviously I'm human, somedays are chaos - but I do feel like I finally have somewhat of a routine down. The only wrench that has been thrown in it ...continue reading >>
Self Care Favorites for Mama
Today I'm sharing five things that I love FOR MYSELF. Meaning, no one else uses them except me and it's my freaking treat. MKAY? ;) That's a rarity around here guys. Also some are splurges, so you've been warned. However, I think it's so dang important to remember to care for ourselves. I feel like we are constantly, go, go, going as Moms and taking care of everyone else that we forget to take care of ourselves! So these are five things that I've ...continue reading >>
Zenni Glasses – Let’s Chat
BEFORE WE START TALKING - Look how freaking sophisticated I look in my glasses. Okay sorry, now that we are past that ;) The long awaited blog post!!! Seriously - I'm not sure I've ever had so many questions about something before than these glasses. Well, let's rephrase that -- all the glasses, because zero self control and they're affordable. Mkay? So let's talk about them. First, they're from Zenni Optical (because I know you really just want ...continue reading >>
Favorite Cleaning Products
YASSS let's adult today and talk cleaning products. Seriously though, you know you're an adult...and a Mom...when talking about cleaning products is like a fun topic of discussion. Whoops. No shame in my cleaning game, mkay? ;) Or lack thereof. Anyways, I figured I would share some products I love and have used for awhile with y'all. This was one of my most requested posts when I asked what y'all want to see more of. So here, we, are. I broke it ...continue reading >>
Fall Bucket List
Shop the picture: YOU GUYSSS. I FEEL LIKE FALL HIT TODAY. I mean we've had some glimpses of cold waves, but today feels totally like fall. It's crisp outside - it's cloudy and well, I'm obsessed with all of it. So naturally it felt like the perfect day to well, GET MY OFFICIAL FALL BUCKET LIST UP. We have our letter board (as pictured above) with all the main things we want to do as a family, but I wanted to share my more "in depth" one and ...continue reading >>
Budgeting: What we Do + Best Tips/Tricks
I'm a little nervous, a little excited and welp, all the emotions about writing this post. First off, let's just get this out of the way - I'm in no way an expert at budgeting, I have a background in personal banking and have studied it quite a bit, but it's not my area of expertise and this is what works for us and might not work for others. Also with that being said, these are my opinions. Now, moving on. I'm going to kind of break this down ...continue reading >>
Feelings Are Normal
The other day I was driving home and honestly, just feeling all the feels - you know, one of those drives where you just feel like life is too fast, things are unfair and you just want normal. But like Harley Quinn said it best on Suicide Squad ;) "Normal is just a setting on the dryer". There are things everyday that I really struggle with, we all have our own things and well, that's our "normal" if you will. There's really no such thing as ...continue reading >>
Meal Planning Tips and Tricks with a FREE Printable!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Dannon® Oikos® Greek Yogurt and Danimals® Kids Smoothies. The opinions and text are all mine. First off, confession - I LOVE PRINTABLES. Like I google and Pinterest them all the time, but I couldn't find the perfect meal one so naturally I made one, duh. I wanted something that broke down each meal of the day, including snacks so that I could plan and count calories ...continue reading >>
Best Tips and Tricks to Healthier Eating
With summer coming to an end (UGH) and well life picking up busy wise I figured I needed to get a system into place for healthier eating, lunches and everything. Plus Blake starts preschool this year (which, where did the freaking time go), Marcus goes back to work (teacher life) and I’ve got to get this whole lunch thing and new schedule down. When it comes to eating in general I pick things typically based off of convenience. My days typically ...continue reading >>
First Alert: Safety Tips for Your Home
Thank you First Alert for sponsoring this post. Don’t let the beep steal your sleep. I've always been kind of an anxious person, but I'll tell you what since having Blake (and as many of you know since I've talked about it a lot) - it's times 10. I just want to make sure I'm doing anything and everything I can in my power to keep my baby safe. So when I saw this opportunity to work with First Alert - I knew it was a perfect fit, ...continue reading >>
Best of Prime Day
I dug through the Prime Day sale and rounded up the best of the best in the following categories! HOME DECOR Amazon Basic 3 Piece Towel Set - These towels are soooo soft! Down Comforter - White and cheap at $23! Touch Sensor Bedside Lamp - I love myself a touch light, seriously though....hahah! Vintage Area Rug - Tons of options and they start at $23!! SHOP THEM ALL HERE: ELECTRONICS SHOP THEM ALL HERE: ...continue reading >>
Power Car Shopping for Power Mamas
First can we talk about these cute pics from looking at the sunset last night?! Second, okay, let's get serious for a minute? Marcus and I have been talking about buying a new car for, well, forever. We want one that is going to last us a long time through more kids and with the space we need. Car shopping totally intimidates me though. Especially as a woman, I just worry that I'm not taken totally serious and am going to ...continue reading >>
Our Favorite Sunscreen
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen. The opinions and text are all mine. So I'm kind of a freak when it comes to SPF and just being aware of my surroundings for my skin. My Mom had melanoma a few years ago and since then, have to go in every 6 months for checks - generally resulting it getting something cut out and just use extra precaution. So naturally I'm a little over ...continue reading >>
Creating Memories
One memory I have growing up was having bubble baths. Seriously, I still love them so much, it’s a little obsessive and it’s fine. There’s just something about a good bath after a long day to kind of melt the stresses away before I go to bed! Well, naturally I’ve gotten Blake just as obsessed, but it’s kind of turned into a whole thing and honestly, it’s just about the best thing ever and I love our little time together. I hope that one day she ...continue reading >>
Best of the Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale for Mamas
Y'all know I love a good sale, sooo obviously I'm diving all in with the Nordstrom sale! I found all my favorites for Mamas and babies though and figured I would share them with y'all! There are a lot of good things on sale, like their Zella leggings (my FAVORITE leggings), cute shoes, some great casual tops for on the go and lots of cute baby items - especially this one tiny dress that literally went in my shopping cart RIGHT ...continue reading >>
Event Tickets that are Affordable
So call me nerdy, but I'm so excited for today's post and honestly, because of that - I'm going to just cut to the point because I got y'all the discount/deal of a friggin' lifetime! Put yo hands up if you love yourself a good concert/sports event/all the things?! For example - you know...all the T Swift concerts that everyone has been posting about all over Instagram lately. ;) Welp, so if you aren't familiar with Ticket Club, it's basically a ...continue reading >>
Our Summer Fun List
I can't believe summer is officially here! Although, I'll tell you what...not sure Idaho's weather has gotten with that announcement yet. It switches back and forth between 60 degrees and 90...sooo I'll let you know when it decides to be full force summer. ;) Probably not ever. Either way my heart is in full force summer mode and we worked hard on our "Summer Fun List" last night -- a list of things we want to do this summer together as a family. ...continue reading >>
What Strength Is to Me
Thank you Pfizer for sponsoring this post. Join Pfizer’s #InspirationLives initiative by sharing your story with the hashtag on Facebook and Instagram to support and inspire those who have been affected by cancer, and be sure to check out the LivingWith™ mobile app available via iTunes and Google Play! When my biological dad left us when I was little, I had the most incredible experience of my uncle stepping in and helping ...continue reading >>
Health: Pre Natal Vitamins that Don’t Make Me Sick
So as the world knows ;) HAHA we've been trying to get pregnant forever and a day. Basically since Blake was born. WELL, we are hoping to do IVF this summer (that's the goal anyways), SO I've been prepping my body and trying to get everything in order. Which led me to Forte Elements. I have been dying to try their prenatal vitamins forever. I have used their Amino Acid Supplements for a little over a year off and on and have really benefited from ...continue reading >>
Why Life Trials are Important
The last couple of weeks have been really stressful. It's just seemed like one thing after another - nothing crazy terrible, but just a lot at once and almost too much to handle. It's had me really reflecting on the past couple of years though and realizing how trials and hardships shape us for different moments in time. About two years ago, maybe a little less, I was at my lowest point. I had broken rock bottom - I was so far past rock bottom ...continue reading >>
Mother’s Day: Inspirations to Me
It’s Mother’s Day weekend! A weekend that honestly used to cause me a LOT of pain while we went through our infertility journey. Now it’s a holiday I cherish, something that I feel extremely lucky, forever grateful for, but also know the hurt it causes. So this Mother’s Day I thought it would be fun to reflect on a couple Mamas that have shaped me, made me who I am, made me laugh and kept me grounded. I’m also sharing a peek at the plans I have ...continue reading >>
Greatest Mother’s Day Gift
Can we just take a minute and talk about what I personally think is the greatest Mother's Day gift? Besides sleep, because I mean sleep, when you're a Mom is just something that cannot be beat with yummy foods, prettiness and chocolate...Sorry. BUT since sleep is only an option on a really good day and honestly - if you're REALLY lucky (which I hope you are) maybe you'll get both and then you'll feel like super woman by Monday because you'll be ...continue reading >>
A Few Mommy Must Haves
I have been compensated by JOHNSON'S® Baby for this post; however, I am sharing my own thoughts. All opinions are my own. I’ve had the request for a little while to share some of my favorite “Mommy must have” items for the babes. So I finally rounded up a few, made a cute video with Blake trying them all out on her doll ;) and listed them below with a few reasons on why each one is my favorite. I feel like at this stage in the game ...continue reading >>
My Mother’s Day Gift Guide
So I'm not going to lie, really for Mother's Day I would just love like 15 hours of sleep, straight. ;) HA! Or...to be in our house. I'll take either, preferably the second one, I'll give up sleep for that. BUT I know, I know - it's a gift holiday...I think, for most people right? ;) Marcus and I are TERRIBLE at gifts, literally terrible. Anyways, so I figured I better put together a little list for the fun of it - a little inspiration for y'all ...continue reading >>
Easy Ways to Live a Greener Lifestyle
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tetra Pak for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. As I mentioned on Instagram the other day, I’ve been really trying to get in the habit of living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Mainly just because I feel like that hasn’t really been something I’ve been great at in the past...so I need to get better about it and teach Blake these things. Since Earth Day is coming up, it felt ...continue reading >>
My Top 3 Favorite Car Seats
I've gone back and forth on posting this post for awhile mainly just because car seats are a touchy subject, BUT I get asked quite a bit about this so I figure, here's my disclaimer - I am not an expert, do your own research." ;) How did you like that? But we've tried a few car seats...so I thought I would jump on and share my three favorites, one is an infant one and then two are toddler car seats (convertible though, so you can use infant and ...continue reading >>
Enough, is Enough Moms.
The other night I was struggling. I was feeling overwhelmed, defeated and honestly just done. I sat on the bed in tears, my plate was full, I had dealt with a SASSY, almost three year old all day (and she pushed the limits ALL day) and my husband was working late. I had just put the threenager down for bed, which was a FIGHT to say the least and I walked into a room that was a disaster, looked at my to do list and just broke down. How in the ...continue reading >>
