I’m sure you’ve all heard about the horribly sad death of the gorilla, Harambe at the Cincinnati Zoo this past weekend.
Yes, it’s horrible. Yes, it’s sad. I’m heartbroken thinking that this beautiful, already endangered animal had to die due to the preventable actions of others. Did the gorilla have to die? Maybe not. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about.
I’m here to talk about how awful everyone being to this poor boy’s Mother. Yes, I’m talking to all of you sitting in your bathrobes, hiding behind a keyboard, attacking the parenting of a woman you don’t know and who’s identity has not been revealed (thank goodness).
It’s been so long since I’ve done a Friday Favorites post! I’m so excited to share a few things with you guys today!
The past few months have been crazy. In April we were hardly home between traveling and housesitting for my parents. And May has been so crazy with lots of graduations and graduation parties and birthdays! Sawyer is going to be 1 in just a few weeks and we can’t believe it. This year is flying by!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PawsToSavor #CollectiveBias
Since we live in Colorado, summer is really Bennett’s time to shine! He’s all cooped up in the house most of the winter. We walk him around the neighborhood every day that it’s not snowing, but it’s too cold to go on hikes or to the local dog park as much. Last summer, I was 8 months pregnant and then we had a newborn, so this summer we really want to try to make up for it.
Bennett is a big part of our family and we love taking him along on our adventures!
5 Ways to Be an Awesome Pet Parent this Summer
1. Find local hiking trails!
We love taking Bennett hiking when the weather gets warm. You’ll definitely want to make sure that they’re dog friendly for your breed of dog. Bigger dogs might have trouble climbing through big rocks, and smaller dogs might get tired if the trail is too long. Definitely do a quick search about where you’re going before deciding if it’s a good trail for your pup. And be prepared! If you’re super hot, your dog probably is too! If you’re super thirsty, your dog probably is too! If you need a snack, your dog probably does too! We always pack a bag anyways with water bottles and snacks, so we make sure to throw in things for Bennett. Here’s what you should bring for your dog for a day in the heat:
We see a lot of hilarious pinterest fails on the internet. A lot of the things on pinterest are crazy cool and creative and fun, but also hard to achieve for the average Joe. So, I wanted to start sharing my Pinterest wins! I use a lot of recipes and ideas from Pinterest, and while some of them are fails, I often have success! So today, I’m sharing a fun crescent roll recipes, that I tried and loved!
This recipe is so easy and so yummy! I saw this recipe on Pinterest and knew I had to try it! Honestly, I saw the pin on Pinterest and didn’t even open it up, I figured I could figure it out based on the picture, it seemed simple enough, and it was! (original pin found here) To make this, you only need 4 ingredients.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EffortlessPies #CollectiveBias
You guys know I love a good clean treat. Today, I’m sharing the ultimate clean treat with you! These mini pies are so delicious! They have minimal sugar, and are low in calories. You’ll want to eat them all day long. This is a delicious, refreshing dessert you don’t have to feel guilty about!
I love summer. The days are longer, the air is warmer, and there’s so much more to do! I love to get together with friends or family for outdoor dinners and barbecues. There’s nothing like good food to bring people together. In the summer, I don’t want to spend tons of time in the kitchen. I want things that are quick, easy, and delicious so I can maximize my time with friends and family. I also want treats that aren’t going to undo all my hard work on my summer body!
When I look at Sawyer I see a little boy. Not a baby anymore. He’s grown so much just in the last month or two. You would never guess he used to have weight issues. He’s huge.
He’s standing and cruising, taking assisted steps, crawling, talking, and playing all day. He and Bennett have become best of friends, it’s so fun to watch them play.
Thank you to REEDS Jewelers for sponsoring this post! All content and opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.
Moms work harder and give up more than anyone else. The nights of no sleep, all the poopy diapers, the frustration, and the incredible moments all make up the whirlwind that is Motherhood. It’s hard.
So hard.
It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Some days, I feel defeated. Like there’s no way I’m giving him my best and I shouldn’t feel frustrated. I don’t want to let him down. The feeling of having to ensure that he has the best possible life is absolutely overwhelming. And yet, it’s still what I want most in this world.
I feel guilty when we go with a cheaper brand of diapers because we’re trying to save money. I feel guilty when I don’t have time to make him food from scratch and hand him a store bought pouch. I feel guilty when I leave him to go to a shift a work. I felt guilty when he self-weaned and I wasn’t producing enough while pumping and we had to switch to formula. I feel guilty when I miss bedtime. I feel guilty when I get frustrated.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Holidays don’t always have to cost you an arm and a leg! While I love to shop and buy gifts, sometimes Moms just want something sentimental. I know I do! And while I might be screwing myself by posting this (I hope my Mother and Mother-in-Law don’t read this post before Sunday), today I wanted to share my DIY gifts for my Mother and Mother-in-Law this year!
Disclosure: Thank you to Groupon for sponsoring this post! All opinions are mine alone.
Lately, Sawyer has been growing…a lot. Like a crazy amount! Hardly any of his clothes fit! Luckily, thanks to my baby shower and hand me downs, we had enough clothes to last us through 12 months, and I can count on one hand how many times we spent our own money on clothes for him. However, that 12 month mark is quickly approaching! And while we have some things, we needed Summer clothes! All the Summer clothes we have a newborn sized, and that definitely isn’t gonna fly anymore!
I always like to find the best deals and stay on budget. I’ve had the Groupon app on my phone forever. It’s my favorite place to shop. Life hack: Get all your Christmas presents on Groupon. Seriously. They have the best stuff, I’ve gotten my family’s Christmas gifts off Groupon for years and saved so much money! But I recently I discovered there was even more to Groupon.
They have a coupon section! It’s a total game changer. Now, before I go out, I hop on Groupon’s Coupons and see if there are any deals offered at the store I’m headed to, and there almost always is! Best part? It’s totally free!
So we obviously checked out Groupons Coupons before heading out to update Sawyer’s Summer wardrobe and we weren’t disappointed! We were headed to Carter’s and lucked out with tons of great coupons! There were plenty of promo codes for online shopping as well as in store offers you could print off. We were able to get an extra 20% off our whole order!
Motherhood is hard no matter what stage you’re in. Whether it be pregnancy, newborn, infant, toddler, elementary, or teenager, being a parent is incredibly difficult. As parents, we give everything we have. And as children, we are selfish.
I never realized just how much my mother did for me until I became a mother myself, and saw how much I was willing to do for Sawyer. As children we take and take, and as parents we give and give. As a daughter, I had no idea what my parents did for me. All they sacrificed. All the hard work they put in to ensure I was safe and fed and healthy.
