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Jenna is amazing and such a doll. Ironically, last winter I had posted something about Andrew being home from work and we were so excited and she responded and said "Wait! Your husband just started at Discount Direct, huh?!" (that's the call center for Discount Tire) and he had!! So she had been a follower of mine and then recognized Andrew since he started working with her and we totally hit it off. I met her in person a month or so later at the company work party and she's so dang talented, she just had to shoot our family pictures!
We weren't even going to shoot family pictures this year since we had our Christmas cards done in September but I was so excited it all aligned to work out and get some updates ones to print and have around the house. These are JUST the sneak peeks she text me and I'm already dying. I had to share right away!
Similarly, let's talk through some tips for family pictures and how to coordinate without being matchy matchy, shall we?
Mix Patterns
You'll see here Andrew rocking buffalo check and I found this dress from PinkBlush and knew it would be a perfect fit to coordinate with him and then having all the kiddos in solids. Because the dress has the cranberries color, it went perfectly with Hollyn's tutu and the black in my dress and Andrew's shirt goes seamlessly with Emery's dress, too. Because I also have gray in my dress, it was a great fit having Drake in gray versus black or white, like the girls, so he stands out on his own, too.
Think Similar but Not Identical
The girls are both in whimsy styled outfits with Hollyn's little collared top and Emery's linen dress - similar, but not the same. Their Birks are coordinating with metallics and make for a great boho touch pairing with my dress, too.
Add Accessories
The girls both have Buffalo Check bows that coordinate with daddy and I'm in a gold necklace that ties with the girls metallic shoes. Win win! And Drake opted for my white converse instead of his black converse so he coordinated with Hollyn. Seamless pairing!
Think About Your Location
We knew we were going to be outside in the desert which is super boho and warm feeling so while it's not typically like me to go for a brighter dress like I have on, I knew it would pop so nicely against our Arizona background. Same with the cranberry tutu for Hollyn.
eye mask - Madly Wish | oils - Young Living | devotional - Jesus Calling | tray - At Home | diffuser - Young Living
When I ask people the area of life they're looking for support in from oils, 9/10 times the response is with sleep. It's pretty common in our world today sleep has taken a back burner and people don't make it a priority as much as they should. Evenings are spent dug into phones, TV's or tablets versus winding down without the blue lights stimulating their brains and in turn, keeping them up later or hindering their sleep altogether.
I've been time really figuring out which oils are best for Andrew and I plus our kiddos for really tailoring our sleep experiences to get as much as we can to be happy and healthy functioning humans so over the time doing that, I've found some favorites I wanted to share with you today!
Lavender //
The tried and true, the one everyone knows about for it's calming and grounding vibes but it's a great one for sleep. If there is one oil to get for sleep, Lavender is it. We diffuse this in every bedroom at night and other oils with it but we will never be without it!
Vetiver //
So great for supporting deeper and more restful sleep overall so this oil is one I use right on our feet at bedtime for extra love and we diffuse this with Lavender
Roman Chamomile //
Do you hear often how people tend to opt for a hot tea before bed, typically being chamomile? It's because it's a great resource and tool for aiding your sleep each and every night so this oil is a ticket right to that, as well. I got this oil originally as a promo and completely fell in love!
Dream Catcher //
Yes, this is pricey but honestly paired with Vetiver and Lavender, I don't think I could say we get good sleep regularly. The blend just mentioned is the go-to for our master bedroom and it's one I start about 20 minutes before I'm ready to head in there and when I do, it's so soothing, calming, relaxing and totally sets the night for restfulness.
Tranquil //
A roll-on blend with Cedarwood, Lavender, and Roman Chamomile so it's exactly what you need to apply directly on your wrists, and behind ears to dose off to sleep peacefully.
Raven //
Not sleep related but I love this oil each and every night for applying on my chest to support my breathing. It's similar to a vicks so it's icy/hot, invigorating feel opens airways so nicely and really has become a staple in my night.
Thieves //
Last thing I always use is Thieves for all the immune support. Again, not sleep related but I'll do all I can to avoid feeling "blah" so this goes down my spine and on the bottoms of my feet every morning and night.
Tips
Stay away from TV, phones, tablets... etc and opt for a book or devotional. I try to spend my evenings away from those things overstimulating my brain so I can promote better sleep. As a mom of three, working from home and needing to be "on" and a self starter, that always helps me be more productive and efficient the next day after sleeping well!
Do you have any oils you love for sleep or nightly routines you find helpful for catching those zzz's?
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How do you get yourself going with time management and being focused?
I block schedule my time and getting a babysitter was a huge deal for me. About a year ago, I was working a ton and didn't have Andrew home helping with the kids so I knew for myself to be productive and efficient with my current client work, I needed extra hands a couple days a week. We chose to have my cousin start watching the girls 2 days each week and that was valuable to me knowing I could schedule all my client calls, meetings, errands... etc during those 16 each week I had a sitter.
Similarly, while I had the extra hands, I made sure to use my time wisely. Scrolling IG can be such a time suck and to avoid that, I will Sunday night planning out my week and what needs to be accomplished in my planner and when it comes up during my days, I'll set a timer on my phone and focus only on one task at a time. For example, I'll start with emails so I'll do my timer for 30 minutes and only work on getting through my inbox during that time. Once it up, I'll break 2-3 minutes and set it for 20 minutes and work on scheduling social media posts. It proves to keep me on track and productive without getting side tracked!
Do you drink?
Alcohol? Yes! We aren't huge on drinking but will have the occasional one at dinner or events. I don't like beer but will do white wine or cocktails - typically a margarita of some sort.
How did you and Andrew meet?
I grew up dancing competitively so when I was 11 I met Andrew's sister, Alisha, who I was really close with all throughout my childhood and teen years. I met Andrew that way so it was a really easy transition to go from being friends to being lovers plus it gave us the opportunity to already be part of each other's lives as our teen years happened. I was in a bad relationship, he had a child at 18 so we already knew about all the extra and walk through it.
How often do you and Emery have "mommy and me" days?
Because Andrew works from home with me I typically plan my errands and grocery shopping midday when Hollyn is napping so I have the opportunity to take Emery with me to have some one on one time. It's not often we do additional things outside of those outings but we went to the movies last week, which she loved, and we've gone once or twice to get our nails down without her brother or sister in tow. Her love language is quality time so it means so much to her having me without fighting for attention.
Anymore babies? Your little girls are the cutest and I think you need another.
No more babies! We have sealed the deal on that one and won't be having another biological baby between us. We are really passionate about adoption and fostering so we're been praying and researching those avenues and what would be right for our home at this point. In our current season, we're feeling fulfilled and done but the future may change that!
How do you keep track of all your oil recipes?
I use the Notes app on my iPhone to track all my favorite, tried and true blends so I can duplicate and make it over and over again! I've also found cute notebooks, like this or this and will jot them down. I think that will be the better route to track them overall over time since it's something we're digging into and trying new things every day!
We are all set and ready to send our Christmas cards! Back in September we were working on a fun campaign with Hanna Andersson so it gave us an opportunity to shoot some family pictures all decked out in Christmas jammies and it was the perfect chance to jump on ordering our cards right then. We used Minted, which we have for a handful of years now, and couldn't be happier.
I used to stress and stress over if the card should have our whole family, if we should match, coordinate, only have the kids, include the dog, inside or outside... and then thinking about looking for a perfectly styled design was another thing to add to the bundle. Previous years, I spent days looking for the right card that eluded Christmas, our family, simple and classic, yet fun and unique and because we chose to jump on doing them early, I had no stress.
None.
I looked over Minted one night, picked 3 I liked on the first page of their Christmas card selections and popped our image in - BOOM - done. Picked it and ordered within 20 minutes. That's the way to do it. But all that said, I want to encourage you to enjoy the process of sending Christmas cards! Shouldn't it be a fun time being able to update family and friends with your year? Hopefully you can remind yourself that in the hustle and bustle this season brings.
Simple. Lovely. YOU.
christmas favorites
Giving the gift of wellness is one of the greatest gifts you can give someone. As we've transitioned our home to non-toxic and chemical free, it's been eye opening how much better we all feel and how we are able to take those tiny steps everyday being intentional about what we consume. It doesn't have to be big changes all at once, but small, mindful and smart choices so while oils and getting into them can be intimidating for some, here are some ideas for gifts using essential oils for you this holiday season!
Oil + Gift Combos
- lavender oil and eyelash curler
- lime vitality and a cocktail shaker
- peppermint vitality and a coffee mug
- gentle baby oil and swaddle blanket
- purification oil and wool dryer balls
- cinnamon bark and tea towel
- thieves and cozy socks
- rosemary vitality and measuring spoons
- lemon vitality and glass water bottle
- tea tree and a yoga mat
- stress away oil and a good book
- joy oil and piece of jewelry
- christmas spirit oil and an ornament
- valor and roller holder
- dream catcher and porcelain diffuser
We're opting for the last item here with a little coffee mug and Starbucks gift card included. We go simple but intentional and I think everyone wants to diffuse an oil smelling exactly like the holidays while sipping a coffee from a loved one! ;)
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Feeling //
Antsy for crisp air in Arizona. We're hanging onto the 80's and I'm crossing my fingers it'll be sweater weather very soon.
Loving //
These items from PinkBlush. They always have great pieces and these particularly are getting me excited for warm tones and cozy vibes.
Wanting //
An apple watch. Do you have one? Love it? Hate it? I'm so intrigued by these and am itching for it.
Appreciating //
All the time we've been having together as a family. It's so awesome having Andrew home with us. It's never an oversight because it's polar opposite of what we've had the last 9 years. All because of saying "yes" to one business venture that's blessed us abundantly.
We had such a fun time on Sunday celebrating both our little ladies! A few months back my grandparents were in town and Gam Gam is all into horses so her and Emery were watching Spirit on Netflix and it just clicked - we were having a "horsey birthday party" per Emery's request and Hollyn doesn't care so it stuck!
Gam Gam and G-Money (we call my grandpa this) got the girls these cute little outfits for their gifts, we scored the most darling invites from Minted, our friend Erin from Whip It Good Cookies did the best creations, Presh Party handled the cutest party hats and balloons, and Indy & Pippa sent us the coordinating bows to pull it all together. We felt so loved on by everyone who came out to celebrate them with us!
Because I was asked a few times on Instagram about our snacks, here are a couple items we made!
Puppy Chow Trail Mix
1 box Teddy Grahams
4 cups Chex cereal
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup M&M's
2 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions //
Melt the milk chocolate chips and peanut butter together and stir to combine, then add 4 cups Chex cereal and coat in a bowl. Transfer to a large ziploc bag with powered sugar and shake to coat creating the puppy chow base. Then add all ingredients to a large bowl, mix to combine and serve!
Birthday Cake Popcorn
- 1 bag Boom Chicka Pop
- 1 cup white chocolate
- Circus Animal Cookies
- Pretzel sticks
- Sprinkles
Instructions //
Melt the white chocolate to have ready and layer all your ingredients! We start with the kettle corn, add the white chocolate by drizzling it over the popcorn, crunch up the pretzels and circus animals, sprinkle with sprinkles and repeat - popcorn, white chocolate, pretzels, circus animals, sprinkles... etc until your bowl is full!
shop the celebration
this post is in collaboration with At Home
but you all know we love them and opinions are our own!
Since I'm dying to deck our halls, we decked Drake's bedroom which doubles as a guest room so I wanted to share a few ways we love creating a cozy space not only in the main common areas, but also bedrooms to make every room and all your home feel nice and festive!
add twinkle lights
We have become totally obsessed with twinkle lights for all the rooms, all the time, but having them strewn around bedrooms on headboards or mirrors are SO FESTIVE and we love it. All the kids sleep with them on, Andrew and I wind down each night with them and a diffuser going and it's just so cozy and gives me all the feels every time they're on.
small christmas trees
We started this last year for the girls with a small white one but I've been wanting to add a small flocked tree to the bunch for a couple years now. We found this one at At Home and pulled some neutral ornaments and ribbon to decorate it and it's perfect, quaint, simple, but festive for a bedroom! I'm planning on the white one for the girls again and a cluster of 3-4 in our master bedroom.
festive throw pillows and cozy blankets
Does this throw pillow not scream It's a Wonderful Life? I saw it and needed it and knew it would be a great addition for this bedroom. Also the spotted faux fur one?! I couldn't not get it - which also applied for the buffalo check throw blanket. We love getting an oversized basket for bedrooms and filling it to the brim with cozy blankets because nothing is better than some cold sheets, a cozy throw blanket and some hot cocoa. You feel me?
What would you add to make a space feel cozy and inviting for the holidays?!
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