Marcus wanted to take Blake out on an ice cream date and my heart almost burst. I love to watch him be a Daddy. He loves our little girl more than the world and it's the most amazing feeling in the world to watch it all go down. Obviously I was all for this date, then I thought to myself...wait...can I tag along? You know, like I'm not there, but capturing all the pictures because well, it's too good to miss. Then it hit me, WAIT, A VIDEO. Why ...continue reading >>
Dear Baby Girl, It’s a Scary World…
Baby girl, You're loved, you're perfect and I'll always be here. Things are going to be scary, things are scary. I'm going to worry, you're going to wonder why. You're going to learn things far earlier than I ever want you to and I'm going to have to answer questions I don't want to. The world is scary. People aren't always nice and sad things happen. They're happening more often than not now, in fact they're probably going ...continue reading >>
A Week of Family Time..
I'm interrupting our usual #favoriteshopfriday for a little recap of our week since it was such a good one! We spent it with Marcus' family and it was filled with fun, games, laughter and much needed family time! I'll just let this blog post tell it's story in pictures and a few words. We started this week with a one year old... Blake loved the fourth of July, seriously she couldn't get enough of the fireworks, her cousins and ...continue reading >>
Blake’s 1 Year Update..
I can't believe I'm wrapping up my little 12 months of Blake posts. It hurts my heart a little bit, but also makes me a little excited for everything to come. It's crazy how fast that year went though. I still to this day think my pregnancy DRAGGED on forever--but this first year of her little life, it's like I blinked and it was over. It's crazy! She's amazing though, seriously I can't even describe the amount of love I have for her. Her ...continue reading >>
Dear Mom, Quit Your Wallowing.
The other day, after a long day, a whole lot of tears and well, you know--that kind of day. I was beating myself up, picking myself apart in every single way. I was too fat, not good enough, never going to get where I wanted to, comparing myself to others, didn't have the house I wanted, didn't like my hair, you name it and I was probably talking trash about it and myself. I sat there throwing a pity party for myself, totally down in ...continue reading >>
Family Summer Fun & Giving Back…
Family time means the world to me. In fact it's probably the biggest thing that brings me happiness in my life. There's just something so rewarding about watching Marcus interact with Blake and Blake giggle and smile at everything! Unfortunately this doesn't happen as often as I would like it to, with busy schedules, work to be done and well...you know, a one year old ;) SO This past Saturday, I decided, it's happening! I told Marcus (way last ...continue reading >>
What’s Mine is Yours…
When Marcus and I first met, though we actually hated each other the first few weeks...(that's another story for a later date ;) ), I knew he had potential because he gladly watched A Walk to Remember with me. Literally, my all time favorite movie. He wouldn't hold my hand, but hey, in time people, in time. This girl knew what she wanted though, we just needed to get past the hate part first ;) Eventually we fell in love and all that cute ...continue reading >>
A Pigsty of a First Birthday…
Even though my baby girl doesn't actually turn one for about a week and a half, we celebrated early with a little party while my sister was in town. It was better than I could have ever imagined. Obviously I'm forcing my obsession with pigs on her..so...her entire party was pig themed ;) We had breakfast for dinner (egg/cheese/hash brown casserole, toast, bacon and French toast! Watched Blake open her presents, in which she definitely picked a ...continue reading >>
Mommy & Me Picnic Date..
This past week Blake and I got the chance to sneak away from work, chaos and whatever else for a little Mommy & me time. We two items on our to-do list; one, get Daddy a really good Father's Day present and two, have a picnic! Two very important tasks if you ask me. We headed to Target (because well, it's Target) and found Marcus the perfect Father's Day card. I literally let Blake pick it out and it was the cutest to watch her look at ...continue reading >>
What World Blood Donor Day Means to me…
Growing up, I was fortunate enough to not only have one man step up as a Father figure, but to have two when at one point I had none. My "step" Dad, Ken and my Uncle Dean. Both were and are amazing role models to me and today I'm excited to shine light on the life of my Uncle Dean who passed away a few years ago. Today is World Blood Donor Day and it hits me hard because I've seen someone first hand in need of blood often. My Uncle Dean was ...continue reading >>
What it’s Really Like to be a Professional Blogger
Since I started blogging I've been asked the same two questions over and over again, "What does a blogger even do?" And "How can I become a blogger?"... With these questions usually come common misconceptions, misunderstandings of what I actually do for a living and whole lot of stuff behind the scenes that not many people realize goes down. So I decided, let's "blog" about it, duh. Let me share a look into what so many people don't understand ...continue reading >>
Little Moments I Want to Remember
It's kind of nice to sit down and remember the little things. The things I don't want forget--our everyday life and little moments, like bath time. This blog is like a diary, I write all my thoughts, my struggles and what makes me happy. Then I share it, I share it with you, my family and myself again. So our little moments lately felt like a must to write down, to get on "paper" and to savor forever. Blake loves bath time. Like walk into the ...continue reading >>
Life is Hard Sometimes..
Outfit Details: Jess' Dress c/o Pink Desert | Sandals: Old Navy | Bracelets c/o Alex & Ani Sometimes life is a pain, you feel like you just keep getting knocked down and you can't get back up. In fact, I saw a funny meme the other day of a bunch of little babies walking out of a tent and every single one of them tripped on their way out. The meme read, "My life in a nutshell", I saw that and it totally felt like it was meant for me. Ha! ...continue reading >>
Family Ice Cream Night
This post was in collaboration with Cost Plus World Market. Jess was gifted items as part of the collaboration. This past Saturday, after another crazy week, I decided family time was going to happen! We ignored everything that needed to be done, left the house messy and headed to the grocery store. I know you're thinking, what? Just wait people, I'm getting to the good stuff ;) You know, the really good trip to Walmart. JOKING. In all ...continue reading >>
What I Learned After a Getaway With my Husband
Yesterday we headed to Utah for the night. I had a couple of work things happening there and we decided it was a good chance for us to have a little getaway. It was perfect, fun and not too long (because well I missed my baby the minute we pulled out of the driveway, ha!). The minute we were about an hour into our drive I started to realize some things. I couldn't remember the last time we did something just us, the last time we really put down ...continue reading >>
My Day in a Nutshell/How I Got my Blog Started..
I asked y'all what I should blog about tonight and I got two of the same questions over and over again, how I got my blog where it is AND a typical day in our house. So I figured those go hand in hand so I'll chat about them both! Blogging has been a labor of love for me for many years. I've blogged for about seven years, failed, failed and failed again and finally semi ;) figured it out with Positively Oakes almost three years ago. I think a ...continue reading >>
Blake + Her Pups..
I get asked a lot about how Blake and her pups do together so I figured what better than a blog post to answer those questions! Blake and her pups are literally the best of friends. Though it wasn't like that from the beginning. When Blake was born we only had Puppy Howie, whom was VERY spoiled before having her. He was never mean to her, but very jealous for about the first month. Whoever was holding Blake, was the person Puppy Howie wanted to ...continue reading >>
Family Ice Cream Date
This weekend we celebrated a successful "Positively Baby Shower" with an ice cream trip downtown as a family and it was the best. Naturally I had to blog about it so we've teamed up with Zappos to chat about the best shoes and our little family adventure. Obviously after our fun baby shower event, a little relaxation and family time was MUCH in over due and seriously just what my heart needed. I threw my new Timberlands (the best shoes in the ...continue reading >>
Dear Blake…
Dear Blake, My sweet girl, first off I want you to know how much you are loved by so many people, how much happiness you bring to me and your Daddy and how big of an impact you’re making in all the lives around you. You’re the happiest little baby, you hate to sleep, but you hold your own and you know what you want. You’re only 6 months old as I write this, but your personality is shining through brightly and I can’t wait to watch you grow ...continue reading >>
A Sappy Favorite Shop Friday
Mother's Day is this weekend guys, like in two days. I can't believe it. I remember last Mother's Day, I counted it as my first, I still do, but this one, this is the real deal, it feels so much more real and special. I HAVE a baby out of my belly and it's the most amazing gift I have ever been given. So naturally a sappy post is coming, but especially today. Today is Friday and as y'all know every Friday we do "Favorite Shop Friday". Well ...continue reading >>
Life Lately..
Sign c/o Letterfolk Oh life lately...life lately has been CRAZY, but so so good with some downs in between because well I'M HUMAN. This week is currently the busiest I have been in a long time because "A Positively Baby Shower" is happening THIS SATURDAY, that's in two days people! So as you can imagine it's been a whole lot of tears, meetings, laughs, final details and some caffeine in between. Haha! However, you should know that I have yet to ...continue reading >>
Blake’s 10 Months!
Oh hi...Jess here. I almost have a one year old. I've been in denial all day that she's 10 months. In fact someone asked me how old she was and I said 9 months, she's 9 months!!! NOT 10! Hah! Crazy Mom over here. Seriously though, she's growing so fast and it's insane to me that she's going to be one before I know it. I feel like I need to rewind and replay the last 10 months over and over again, maybe that will help her stay little forever! ...continue reading >>
Daddy Snuggles + Baby Dolls
Currently, Blake is really into stuffed animals. It's really the sweetest thing. She will hold them tight, crawl with them, snuggle them and sleep with them. It's a new side I'm seeing in her and I love it. I can totally see her little compassionate, kind spirit coming out. Recently she has clung onto a favorite little animal and it didn't surprise me one bit when I saw which one it was. A sweet little penguin named Everest from Cuddle + Kind. ...continue reading >>
Thank You For Not Being There..
At first I was angry, I was SO angry. Trying to figure out how you could just leave. Now being a Mom, I can't imagine leaving my baby, not having her by my side at every second. She's my everything, she makes me a better person and I'm incomplete without her. I watch my husband (her Dad) with her and I see so much love in his eyes. He will NEVER leave her, he will always love her, take care of her and be there. I can't figure out how ...continue reading >>
Living Room Look
What it really looks like usually.... ;) Couch c/o Joss & Main | Coffee Table c/o Joss & Main | Rug c/o Joss & Main | Pillows c/o Minted | Curtains c/o Minted | Growth Chart Ruler c/o White Loft | Dining Table Centerpiece c/o Eco Flowers It was so fun teaming up with Joss & Main to decorate my living room space! I chose a charcoal couch, that holds up well since I have little miss and the pups! Then matched ...continue reading >>
Outdoor Adventures with a Baby on my Back!
Spring is here y'all and I couldn't be more excited! Spring and fall are by far my favorite times of the year. The weather is beautiful and the temperature is usually perfect! It's the best time to get outside and do something fun, so you better believe we've been taking full advantage of it every chance we get. Since we moved to a new city a few weeks ago we've had new territory to explore and it's been a blast and totally breathtaking! We're ...continue reading >>
Mini Pool Party
Today was a busy busy day, full of meetings, work, more work and some errands ;) My Blake girl was such a trooper through it all though and I'm so glad because well, it's not slowing down anytime soon! Even through the chaos, I secretly love it. Don't get me wrong--there are HARD days, but I love what I do and I really like staying busy. Plus, Blake is usually by my side for most of it and well...that makes it even better! Well today, after our ...continue reading >>
Blake’s 9 Months Old!
Time out. My baby has been out of my belly the same amount of time she was in. WHEN THE HECK DID THAT HAPPEN?! Oh, today, that's when. I can't believe that though. My sweet baby girl is nine months old today. She's the sweetest thing, very active and by far my favorite human being. Sorry Marcus ;) She crawls, walks along the furniture and gets into everything...including the dog food and water. Whoops. #momfail But hey! We're surviving, having a ...continue reading >>
A Family Lake Day
Jess' suit c/o Kortni Jeane | Jess' Sunglasses c/o Shop Ditto | Jess' extensions c/o Hidden Crown | Jess' Sandals: Salt Water Sandals | Blake's suit: Carters | Blake's hat: Old Navy | Blake's sunglasses c/o Babiators Today was good, so good. We've been trying to make a family day happen for awhile now but between work, moving and life it just hasn't been happening. So last night we started our little "staycation". Blake didn't last long as she ...continue reading >>
Must Have Headbands
Black Leggings: Dillard's | Headbands c/o Owl Be Sweatin' | Gray Cardigan: Grab similar here or here | Peach Shirt: Grab similar here | Watch c/o Daniel Wellington | Shoes c/o Skechers Y'all we're on week two of healthy eating over here and could someone PLEASE pass me a Dr. Pepper? I'm dying. Seriously though, I feel good, so good. I'm not going to lie, I'm completely exhausted because Blake isn't sleeping, but my body and mind feel intact and ...continue reading >>
Family Picnic with Munchkin
Springtime means outside time and I'm all about that, especially when it involves my cute family. Recently we got the opportunity to try out Munchkin's car seat canopy, which meant a FAMILY PICNIC. It was seriously a blast. We rounded up our favorite Munchkin gear, lots of snacks (including Blake's Fav: puffs) and headed down to the park with Puppy Howie! (This was before we had Doc) Blake was the cutest ever to watch while Puppy Howie ran ...continue reading >>
Why My 8 Month Old Teaches Me More About Life Than Anyone
The other day as I was attempting to get ready for the day (you know the 5 minute let me throw my hair up and wipe yesterday's mascara out from under my eyes, look?) Blake was playing on the floor with some toys. She's currently learning how to stand and pull herself up on things, so naturally she tries to every chance she gets. Well since we're in the chaos of moving there were boxes everywhere and she tried to pull herself up on a box. I ...continue reading >>
Nursery Rhymes Night Time Routine
Every night before I rock Blake to sleep I read her a story. She snuggles up close to me and looks at all the pictures and touches all the pages. It's our little time together after the chaos of the day and every night she knows the routine and is so sweet. Growing up I remember reading nursery rhymes. My Mom would read them to my sister and I. And my Grandma would turn them into songs. I just remember dancing around and laughing and laughing. ...continue reading >>
A Mother’s Promise
When Pampers asked me to team up with them on their #motherspromise campaign I HAD to say yes. There are so many things I promise to do for Blake, but there's one that immediately stood out to me. So I wrote it out in a little note to her. One that I put in her baby box and want her to read often and remember as she grows. Blake, I promise to always be there for you, to support you in who you are and to always be a ...continue reading >>
Happy Birthday Uncle Dean!
I thought today was going to be hard, but it's actually turned out to be a really good day. Today is my Uncle Dean's birthday, he passed away a few years ago. He was like a Dad to me, he stepped up when my parent's got a divorce and I was left without a Father figure and he always made me feel like the most important girl in the world. He taught me values, he drove me and my sisters to school growing up and when I was younger he would take me to ...continue reading >>
Blake’s Easter Dress 2016
Blake's Easter Dress c/o Persnickety Clothing | Moccs: Freshly Picked | Headband c/o Little Poppy Co | Tights: H&M I've been pretty excited for Easter this year for several reasons. One, I HAVE A BABY! Two, I HAVE A BABY! And three, I HAVE A BABY! Okay, fine that's not all three, that's just two of them. ;) Seriously though babies make every holiday so much more fun and meaningful. And the other reason I have been so excited is because I got ...continue reading >>
Baby Dressed as Leprechaun Photobombs Pictures
We had so much fun with our #leprechaunphotobomb project so far we wanted to recap the pictures we've shared to our Instagram ! For those just joining us, we have been sharing a Leprechaun Photobomb picture everyday on our Insta with a riddle hinting where Leprechaun Blake will be the next day! Here's the final recap! Day one: We introduced tiny Leprechaun Blake and her little outfit before we let the photobombing fun begin! Day Two: ...continue reading >>
Stroller Walks for the Win
It's starting to get warm here and I couldn't be more excited about it! Spring and fall are my favorite seasons! There's just something about sunshine and taking 20 minutes everyday to get outside and walk around. It clears your mind and overall just makes for a better day! The other day Blake and I were out and about around the neighborhood and it was the best. We walked over to see our new house's progress, stopped and talked with some cute ...continue reading >>
An Easter Tradition
Traditions are really important to me. I grew up with so many that were passed on from generation to generation and loved it. They bring meaning to events, holidays and special days and even better, they bring a family closer together. Since having Blake it's been especially fun to continue those same traditions plus add in our own new ones. Last year, even though Blake was still kicking around in my belly, I started an Easter tradition. The ...continue reading >>
Baby Blocks & High Chair Games
Blake's favorite thing right now is playing in her high chair. Which I secretly LOVE because it allows this Mama to get things done while she plays. She is the cutest though while she plays, so naturally I had to take a bunch of pictures! I love documenting all these little moments. Even now I love to look back at when she was a newborn. Memories are the best! She will giggle and laugh, talk with her toys and have a blast for like an hour while I ...continue reading >>
A Baby Valentine’s Day to Remember
Can you believe tomorrow is Valentine's Day?! Me either. Naturally, it was an excuse to dress Blake up in a tutu and take really cute pictures. So now you all get to look at them, whether you want to or not ;) Let's be real though, I know you want to! Who wouldn't?! She's the cutest thing ever! PS. After the pictures I'm chatting about the cute shop that made her Tutu and I have a coupon code for y'all to their shop! Okay, okay, so the shop ...continue reading >>
Cute Headbands plus Daddy snuggles!
Blake is currently totally obsessed with her Daddy and it's my favorite thing ever to watch. She will just stare at him while he talks and giggle when they play together, it's exactly how I dreamed it would be. He's such a good Dad and I fall in love more and more every time I watch them together. So today I'm sharing a few of my favorite pictures of them over the last couple of weeks and teaming up with Sophia and Co to chat about Blake's ...continue reading >>
One of Those Days…
I wasn't going to blog today. It was a day from hell and this morning I said nope. I'm not working today, Blake is in serious pain and I'm running on 5 hours of sleep total in the last 48 hours. However as I rocked Blake to sleep tonight after an extremely long day I thought, yes. I am going to blog tonight for two reasons. One I love writing, it's my outlet and two, because I want to remember today. Not for the pain and chaos, but because we ...continue reading >>
Motherhood Brings Changes
The other day, Blake looked at me with the most intense look. One of those looks that just sink into your heart. Her eyes were big, she just stared into mine and with the tiniest little smile. It's like she was saying I love you, with a look. She looked peaceful, she looked content and in that instant I knew she trusted me. She trusts that I will take care of her, love her and be there for her always. In that moment I couldn't help but feel ...continue reading >>
A Winter Wonderland
Yesterday we packed up the car, lots of unhealthy snacks included plus puffs for Blake, and headed down to McCall for the day! The winter carnival is going on there and we decided it was the perfect little family outing. We dragged my sister Courtney and her fiancé too. It was seriously so much fun and a great little break from reality. When we got there (after taking 30 minutes to find a place to park since it's a little town of less than ...continue reading >>
Blake’s 7 Months!
Okay, okay, wait...when the heck did my tiny little baby turn 7 MONTHS OLD?! My mind is blown. Each and every month I can't believe she's another month older. I'm totally in denial that she's closer to a year than when she was first born, but we will talk about it anyways and a little update. Weight: She's weighing in at 16.5 pounds! Not much more than last month. Routine: Since our lives are on hold currently because we're living with my in ...continue reading >>
Four Tips to Make ANY Picture Look Great + How to Keep Them As Memories
In case you couldn't tell, we're totally obsessed with picture taking in this family. And by "we're" I mean me. I'm totally obsessed with picture taking. Seriously though, I love photography in general, but with blogging full time it's on entirely different level and I get to do it all day, all the time! It's my favorite. Well I've had lots of y'all ask me for tips and tricks for quick home photography, etc. So today I'm going to share my top ...continue reading >>
That Working Mom, Mom Guilt…
It's 12:30am and I just finished working for the day. My days are long, I work super hard, but I love it. I love my job, I love that I get to write my feelings out, help others and meet amazing people. I get to follow my dreams and hope for the best. However, with working and running my own business comes a little something I like to call, "Mom guilt" and TO THE MAX. My day goes a little something like this, I wake up, bring Blake into bed with ...continue reading >>
Our Utah Trip Recap
Last week we went to Utah because I spoke at Altitude Summit. We made a mini family trip out of it the last two days we were there and it was seriously a blast. Such a quick trip, but so fun. AND to any of you lovelies considering attending Alt next year--DO IT. Here's a quick recap of our week! ALT SUMMIT This was seriously so fun. I spoke on scheduling out the chaos and taught myself a few things ;) I got to hang out with great friends and ...continue reading >>
Little & Mighty Baby Puppy Playdate
This week was a whirlwind and SO much fun!! I won't go into too many Utah details because I'm blogging all about that later this week, but family time, snuggles and a giant king size hotel bed is just what the doctor ordered! Since we're currently in between houses, patiently waiting for ours to finish being built, we are in a queen size bed (which is fine....) but we are totally used to a king. Ha! And I just sounded like a spoiled brat, that's ...continue reading >>
Walks Around the Neighborhood
Photos by Stayc Smart Photography I love taking walks with Blake it's seriously the best. I've loved this since day one, but especially now. She's just so much more alert and into everything so it's kind of more fun now...is that bad to say?! Eh, it's fine. The other day we walked around our future neighborhood, the one that once our house is finished we will live in! It was fun, I showed her our house in the process, we had girl talk (and by ...continue reading >>
Ahoy Amigo!
Photos by Stayc Smart Photography Outfit Details: Jess' Cardigan: Macy's | Jess' Shirt c/o Cara Loren Shop | Jess' Shoes: Gray Monroe | Blake's Romper c/o Ahoy Amigo | Blake's Headband: Lou Lou & Company Blake and I were at the library the other day, walking around, picking out books and getting ready to cuddle up in the corner and dive into some serious page flipping and picture looking with the occasional book corner in Blake's mouth (it's ...continue reading >>
What My First Month of Motherhood Really Looked Like..
Photo by Locke Photography I've struggled and gone back and forth for months on whether or not to write this, to put myself out there and be completely honest and vulnerable. However after chatting with a friend who is currently going through it and hearing her say she wishes more people talked about it, I've decided to put my story out there. So let me start this by saying this first, every Mother is different, not one is the same. Motherhood ...continue reading >>
Blake’s Indie Nursery
When I started Blake's nursery I wanted something bold, but simple and girly, but not over the top. So when I teamed up with Delta Children to make it happen, I knew we were going to make this vision possible! We started with their Disney Princess Set and built from there. I'm so excited to show y'all how it turned out and I can't wait to recreate it in our new house! First things first, we will show all the pictures, then below you can find the ...continue reading >>
The Gift of The Mom Bod
Last night I got out of the shower and stood in front of the mirror for a good solid 20 minutes. My down time, the calm after the storm of a crazy day and my (if I'm lucky) 30 minutes of no interruptions. Tonight was different though, it was full of interruptions and not the normal the babe needs to eat kind. These were interruptions of bad thoughts and negativity. So here I stand, in front of the mirror, just staring, grabbing my love ...continue reading >>
Blake’s Half a Year Old…
Okay..when the heck did my little tiny, once 6 pound baby, turn HALF A YEAR OLD--THE BIG 6 MONTHS. Time is literally flying and I've been in tears for most of the day. That's totally fine right? Besides the fact that she absolutely hates sleep and I'm beyond exhausted she's so much fun right now. She plays all the time, giggles and smiles constantly and loves her Mama (that's me ;) )! I mean...she loves everyone else too, but I'm biased and as ...continue reading >>
2015 In a Blog Post…
I can't believe I'm waving goodbye to another year. I swear they just keep coming and going so fast the older I get. This past year has been one of the hardest years of my life, but definitely one of the best. I don't want to ever forget the trials we faced this year, the heartache, the tears, the frustrations and the challenges because they have made me so much stronger and brought me closer to God. Plus, through all those challenges I ...continue reading >>
Why I’m NOT Making a List of New Year’s Resolutions
Every year I make a huge long list of New Year's resolutions, ones that I think are really good ideas, but 99% of them not realistic. Each year I have the cliche, lose weight/get in shape and eat less sugar, both which last less than 24 hours and then I'm back to my old ways. So this year I vowed not to make a long list of resolutions, but to pick one thing. One thing that was really important to me to change, to get better at. The main thing ...continue reading >>
Oh Hey New Year…
2016 is fast approaching and naturally I felt the need to celebrate with a photo shoot, I mean really, how else would I celebrate it?! I'm photo obsessed. Angela Minnick Photography made all of my photography dreams come true and I'm totally obsessed with these. PS. Before we really dive into pictures, do me a favor and if you love them Pin it on Pinterest for me please so that we can make it a hit. (There's a Pinterest share button at the end ...continue reading >>
A Christmas Recap
Christmas this year was so much more special than the others. Don't get me wrong, I love this season every year, but when you have a baby of your own there's just something extra special about it. I struggled at first with everything this year. I was down in the dumps because we're not in our house yet and living with my in laws while it's being built and just felt like it wasn't going to be as special and like I was failing as a Mom ...continue reading >>
Dear Blake, let’s stand up to bullying…
Blake, This is for you my beautiful daughter, to read and remember that you’re strong, beautiful and perfect the way you are and that you CAN get through anything. This is Mama’s story. First off a little back story, I moved to Idaho when I was 14 from California. I instantly met a fun group of people to hang out with, but that shortly ended less than a year later. Hurtful things were said, videos made to make fun of me, and lies were told, ...continue reading >>
Our Christmas Bucket List…
Sometimes life can get chaotic and speed right by, especially during the holidays. I've noticed this every year. I'm so excited for Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Years to be here and before I know it, they're over. The holidays bring family together, happiness, sometimes sadness (hopefully not too much), but most of all a lot of hustling and doing things in fast forward. I swore to myself that I wouldn't let the holidays pass by in the ...continue reading >>
Oakes Weekap 12/6-12/12
Christmas is in full swing around here! Christmas decorations, events, family time and all the delicious food you can think of. Which means any diet I had in mind went out the window, but let's be real I didn't have a diet in mind-that's a funny joke ;) HA! We took Blake to see the lights Friday and she was in pure heaven, she LOVED looking at all of them and was just the cutest as she talked to them and giggled in excitement. This week's low: ...continue reading >>
Blake’s Bath Time Essentials
Bath time is Blake's favorite by far, like if she could tell me what she wanted to do I know it would be take a bath all day, all the time ;) ha! She smiles the entire time and has recently figured out the concept of splashing, which cracks me up the entire time! She kicks her little feet and swings her arms around that she literally almost turns herself sideways in the tub. I love watching her figure life out and giggle over simple little ...continue reading >>
Oakes Weekap 11/29-12/5
Our first week out of the house we brought Blake home to from the hospital and in between our first house we are going to own was a success. Obviously we're counting down the days for our house to finish being built, but enjoying all the extra family time and making the best of the situation now. Blake turned five months this week and we celebrated with her first little cold or teething, not sure. WAH. She's been a trooper though just extra ...continue reading >>
Happy 5 Months Blake!
I say this literally every month update, but OH MY GOSH, I can't believe my baby is five months old. Today. I swear to you I just had her, yesterday...so it doesn't make sense to me how she's five months old. The calendar is wrong, that's it. That has to be it! Seriously though, she's amazing, I'm obsessed with her and we're besties. She smiles and giggles all the time, is totally obsessed with Puppy Howie and loves lights. We pretty much do ...continue reading >>
Motherhood in One Night..
As I was driving home the other night, in tears while Blake was screaming in the backseat, I kept thinking oh my gosh, THIS IS SO HARD. Motherhood is hard. It had been a long day, in fact a long several weeks. We were in the process of moving, had just gotten home from a VERY quick work trip out of town and I was SLAMMED with projects to finish and deadlines creeping up. I was at my parents house, setting up my temporary office ...continue reading >>
Oakes Weekap: Thanksgiving Edition
Thanksgiving week was a success y'all! Family time galore, delicious food and lots to be thankful for. I love my little family, it was so much fun to watch Blake experience her first Thanksgiving. She is so into looking at everything right now it's the best to watch, the lights, the action, the cars driving by, everything--so you better believe she was in pure heaven with all the events happening this week! We moved on Saturday, which was ...continue reading >>
Oakes Weekap 11/15-11/20
This week was just as crazy as the last several, but it was so amazing. We took a little road trip for a couple of work projects for me! We attended the grand opening of the new Twin Falls Downeast Home + Clothing. Then partied with Freshly Picked (wait til you see their new line!!), took a million pictures and have worked on a few really fabulous things happening in the future here at Positively Oakes! This week we did have a little scare with ...continue reading >>
It’s Never Too Early For Christmas Cards..
I'm all about Christmas cards over here. It's like one of my favorite parts of the Holidays! Here's our Christmas card for this year, plus below I've got a code for you to grab 15% off your order from the same fabulous lady who designed our cards! Okay, okay, here you are: Use the code "OAKES15" to grab 15% off your order at Sugar House Prints, here. HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY CARD PRODUCTS: And finally this ...continue reading >>
Family is ALL that Matters.
Photo Details- Blake's Dress: Grab similar, here. | Blake's Tights: Old Navy | Blake's Moccs: Freshly Picked | Blake's Jean Jacket: Grab similar, here. | Blake's Headband c/o Lou Lou and Company | Jess' Dress c/o Kingdom and State (use code: 'OAKESDRESS25' for 25% off of it) | Jess' Watch: Urban Outfitters | Jess Lip Color: Lipstick Queen | Jess' Nail Polish: Essie | Marcus' Shirt: Old Navy Family is ALL that ...continue reading >>
Oakes Weekap 11/8-11/15
This week FLEW by. Blake rolls over like a champ now, I finished a big project I was working on (stay tuned y'all), we celebrated Marcus' birthday and ate out almost every night, whoops. That's just life sometimes though and the reality of two working parents and moving. Ha! But really who's complaining because let's be honest, the restaurants make food way better than I ever could! This week's high: Marcus birthday, family time and a successful ...continue reading >>
That Nursing Groove
Getting the hang of the whole nursing thing was a challenge for me, in fact it's still a challenge. You can read my full story of the struggle I had with it, here. Today though, we've teamed up with Dr. Browns and I'm going to share the five things I learned from breastfeeding and how I got/get through the harder days breastfeeding. Like I said, breastfeeding was always a little on the difficult side for me. Not because I was against, in fact I ...continue reading >>
Blake’s 4 Months!
Photo Details: Onesie c/o Hello Apparel | Knee High Socks: Gymboree | Headband c/o Laurle Lu First off... MOM BRAIN IS REAL. I literally circled the wrong day...as you can see in the pictures. Like I don't remember what day I was in labor? ;) So...rather than editing it out or buying a new calendar I couldn't help but laugh and put an arrow. Whoops. I can't believe my baby is four months old. Time is flying by!! She is miss independent (cue ...continue reading >>
How I Found God..
I haven't always had a strong relationship with God. My entire life I've know the importance of having a relationship with him, I've known I should and I've known there were standards that I should live my life by. However, I haven't always done it and it most times it hasn't been an easy road to follow. Growing up I went to church with my family fairly often, I was baptized when I was eight and I was taught great morals. I sang primary songs, ...continue reading >>
