Arizona Trip Recap + SwimZip

Disclosure: I received select products in exchange for review. All opinions are mine alone. This post may contain affiliate links.

We did it! We survived Sawyer’s first plane ride! And it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

The tough part was navigating the airport and getting through security with all our stuff. We did okay on the way there, the line at security was long but we kept him entertained until we got to the gate. Once we boarded I made him a bottle to drink during takeoff so his ears didn’t plug. It worked like a charm, he fell asleep, and slept the whole way there!

When we got there, the first thing we did was stop at In-N-Out and Sawyer had his first bite of cheese burger (it was a hit). Then, we went to our hotel and went to bed. The next day was my grandpa’s 90th birthday (the reason for the trip) so we packed up the car and headed for their house! It was about an hour from our hotel so I made sure to have lots of snacks, and shows loaded up on the ipad to keep him entertained. It was Sawyer’s first time meeting my grandma and grandpa on my dad’s side of the family, and they were so excited to see him!

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Style meets Comfort with Ruthie Grace Boutique

Disclaimer: I received these items in exchange for review. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

As a mom, being comfortable is so, so important. Now that Sawyer is mobile, I’m moving around a lot. And so I need to dress in a way that makes that possible.

When I challenged myself to start getting dressed every day, I knew that didn’t mean dressing to the nines on the regular. I knew on days I was home with Sawyer, it meant comfortable, but still cute. My favorite way to do that is with skirts and dresses!

Seriously, I find skirts and dresses to be so much more comfortable than pants (although, not quite as comfortable as leggings). And it requires hardly any thought. You can throw on a dress and some flats and boom, cute outfit. You don’t have to coordinate anything or spend a ton of time on accessories. And you look polished and put together.

I found the most adorable dresses from Ruthie Grace Boutique! I wanted everything I saw, they have an amazing selection of clothing for Women. Everything is unique and so adorable! And it fit all my criteria for mama style. Cute, comfortable, affordable, and modest. Today, I’ve styled two dresses to share with you.

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Nuby Bathtime Giveaway! 

Disclaimer: I received these items in exchange for review. All opinions are my own.

I’m blessed with a baby who loves the bath. I know parents who say their child can’t stand the water, and I can’t even imagine the struggle! However, bath time can be kind of stressful. It requires a whole separate set of supplies! A baby bath, baby body washes, shampoos, lotions, towels, and more!

Now that Sawyer is older, we don’t need as much. I found this great trick on Pinterest: the laundry basket bath! When your baby outgrows the baby bath, put a plastic laundry basket into the tub to help contain them and keep them from slipping around. It works like a charm!

We also like to use fun bath toys now that he’s old enough to play. We found these amazing ones from Nuby! We got these fun bath squirters that Sawyer adores. Or dog Bennett, is convinced they are for him so Sawyer always hands him a couple while he’s in the bath. It’s too cute. Kurtis and I squirt him with these and he just cracks up! They came in a pack of 10 with a bunch of different fun animals. And they are easy to pack up and take with us too! We’ve recently gone on 2 different overnight trips and both times I brought 2 squirters along for bath time. They’re small enough to easily pack and take along. They make fun pool toys too!

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Operation: Get Dressed- ThredUP!

Disclaimer: I received these products in exchange for review, all opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

As promised, I styled all my ThredUP pieces! I’m still waiting to exchange the one dress that didn’t fit. Once I have the replacement, I’ll be sure to show you all what I got!

For those of you that missed my video last week (you can watch it here), ThredUP is an online consignment store I’m currently loving! ThredUP has tons of gently used clothes for less, even designer brands! It is a really great way to expand your wardrobe for less. Most items are more than 50% off retail price! I’m currently obsessed. We all want to have an extensive and adorable wardrobe, but often, my wallet doesn’t allow it. ThredUP is a great solution to that problem.

I got 4 pieces from ThredUP and I styled 3 of them to show you today!

H&M Casual Dress

I love this dress from H&M. It’s so simple and summery. I didn’t want to dress it up too much because I wanted to keep it a casual summer look. I simply paired it with Jana Thong Sandals from Target, my gold chain initial necklace from Lemon Sweet Jewelry. and silver druzzy earrings from One Delightful Button

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4 Ways to Survive a Road Trip with a Baby!

This post may contain affiliate links.

This past weekend we traveled up to Pagosa Springs for my sister in law’s wedding. It was about a 5 hour drive, made longer with stops. We were nervous about Sawyer being in the car that long and knew we had to be prepared. I researched lots of ways to keep him busy in the car, and brainstormed some of my own. All together, the trip was a success with only a few screaming sessions (give him a break, he’s 9 months old). Here are my top 4 tips for surviving a day on the road with an infant!

Food is your Friend

Pack the diaper bag accordingly! Not only do snacks, keep them full, and therefore, less fussy. But once they can feed themselves, food is also an activity! We love puffs, yogurt melts, and teething biscuits. They’re easy and keep Sawyer busy! Be sure if you’re baby is eating that you are sitting in the back with them to monitor! Also, make sure to have pumped breast milk or formula on hand! Although I’m no longer nursing/pumping, but when I was, I invested in an awesome battery operated pump so I could pump anywhere! You can find it here. It made life a lot easier! Or you can get a hand pump for cheaper for on the go expression. Be sure to pack a good cooler to keep your milk from going bad! I like this one! If you’re formula feeding, be sure to pack enough to last you the trip and then some! We use these easy formula dispensers by Munchkin and they make life so much easier! It’s always in my diaper bag!

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Month 9

What.

Just..what.


How can this be happening? I can’t believe 9 months have already come and gone. Every day he looks less and less like a baby and more and more like a toddler. We’re starting to think about his first birthday and have to start baby-proofing the house!

Last time we checked, Sawyer weighed 15lbs. We haven’t had his 9 month check up yet, so I don’t know specifics, but he seems to really be growing. I would say he’s at least 17 lbs now. We’ll see. The doctor’s were still concerned with his weight gain at his last check up, but I think when we go back in, we won’t have any more problems. I just have this weird feeling like he’s grown so much in the last month. All the formula and solids probably have something to do with it…

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Operation: Get Dressed

Hello all!

Today, I’m talking about something near and dear to my heart…getting dressed.

I know, that sounds odd. But there are so many moms out there who don’t get dressed anymore! And I mean really get dressed. And you should! You are beautiful and you deserve to put on cute clothes and feel good about yourself!

I was inspired to write this post when I overheard something at a party a few weeks ago. We were talking about fashion and I brought up my cousin’s new LuLaRoe business and how she had the cutest skirts, dresses, etc. and I was lusting over all of it! A woman spoke up and said “Yeah, I would love to wear cute skirts and dresses, but I have 2 kids, where would I wear a skirt?”

And it broke my heart.

Because the answer to that questions is this: wherever the heck you want.

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Beautiful Breakfasts- Banana Bread Muffins with Strawberry chunks

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Bananamazing #CollectiveBias

#shop

You all know I love breakfast. In our house, we sit down to a proper breakfast together more often than we sit down to a proper dinner. I always make dinner, but sometimes we eat it at different times, or we eat it quickly while watching The Tonight Show before heading to bed. I close 3 days per week at work which means late night, out of the crock pot dinners, and Kurtis’ schedule is all over the place!

But, we often have mornings together and I cherish that so much. That’s why I started my Beautiful Breakfasts series! To encourage you all to sit down with your families and have breakfast together. It is the most important meal of the day after all, it is so often skipped, and it shouldn’t be!

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Fri-yay Favorites (Calm-a-Mama)

Happy Friday and Happy Easter weekend! I’m getting so excited for Sawyer’s first Easter! Although, slacker mom over here hasn’t gotten him an outfit or put together his Easter basket yet. Oops. Oh, well! That’s what Saturdays are for, right?

It was a long, long week. I have a lot going on in the blogging and social media world right now, plus work has been hectic, I’ve been trying to fit in 3-4 Orangetheroy classes, I was supposed to get my hair done, we’re still paleo, oh, and there was a blizzard. Yeah. A full on blizzard on Wednesday. Sawyer and I had plans to go to storytime at the library (riveting, I know) with a Mom’s group but got snowed out. But, Kurtis got to come home from work way early (after being there for 5 minutes, to be exact), and we got to be lazy all day. So lazy that at 10:00pm I realized I had gotten nothing done and I had work the next morning and my house was a mess. Oops, again.

I was supposed to get my hair done yesterday, but my car got stuck in my parking space and I had to call and reschedule. Boo. But it’s probably okay because I still hadn’t decided what I wanted, ha.

Back to my Friday Favorites, here’s what I’m loving this week!

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I’m “Just a Mom.”

I am just a mom.

I didn’t finish college.

I put my career on hold to be home more.

I got married at 21. Pregnant by 22.

I haven’t seen the world.

I’ve never even lived by myself.

But I am accomplished. And I want my son to know, that I have nothing to be ashamed of. There’s nothing I wish for  more than I wished for him. I have no regrets.

If…

If I never go back to school

If I never travel the world

If I never advance in my career

If I change diapers everyday for the rest of my life

If I spend the next 15 years driving you to baseball games, birthday parties, and play dates

If I never lose the last 5 lbs of baby weight

I am complete. I am happy. I accomplished everything I wanted to in life, because I had you.

That doesn’t mean I don’t have goals and aspirations. I hope one day your father and I travel. I hope one day to do what I love to do and have a successful career. I hope to go back to school.

But if I don’t. If for whatever reason those things don’t happen for me. Know this, the joy of being your mother is all I’ll ever need. You and any future siblings we may give you, are my biggest accomplishment.

You are the best thing I ever did.

If being your mother is the only thing I ever “amount” to, know that I am the happiest, most fulfilled woman on the Earth. I truly know joy. Because I have you.

If “just a mom” is all I ever am, I’ll take it. As long as I’m your mom.

Xoxo.