Now that we have had a good amount of time to process the news, we thought it might be time to share with you dear friends and readers…
So many emotions run through me on a daily basis with this pregnancy. How can we in our human limitations manage another baby in the mix? Why us when I watch friends suffer from infertility or miscarriage? We wanted a big family, but this soon?! These are questions that I will toss around for months to come, but deeply rooted in our hearts we know without a doubt that God makes no mistakes, that He created this life knitted in my womb with great love, and He will provide the strength we need. And so, this is our baby that has already taught us to “leave room”….there is something much greater here than we could have dreamt of ourselves. We are anxiously await September!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring of love and support you continue to show this crazy caravan! We are so grateful for each of you.
Our family is headed to the beach next weekend to celebrate Gabriel’s birthday + Mother’s Day. My little ones have never been! I am counting down the minutes to see their faces as they see the endless miles of open sky and water.
I am super stingy about sticking to one suitcase per person these days (well, you kind of have to be conservative with space when you are traveling with four kiddos!). I have got my every day skin and hair care favorites down to a science but when it comes to warm and salty air, I swap out the regulars. These are a few products that are currently wooing me:
Vitruvi Recovery Oil – Okay this is more for muscle care than hair or skin, but had to include it in the round up, because it has provided lots of sore muscle relief in the last few weeks as I attempt to take a hiatus from the world of avoiding exercise. Packing it for post bike rides hauling two little ones behind me.
Votary Facial Oil – I think I will cry when this runs out. It has left me a baby butt in exchange for a face. I consider it more intensive repair for dry skin (which is basically me all the time now), so this is all I will be using at the end of a day in the sun.
Indie Lee Facial Oil – A more affordable daily facial oil that offers intense moisturizer, and you only need a few drops. I have a few facial oil regulars, and this is one of them. They just provide better results for me versus lotions, and especially in the summer when my skin is outdoors most of the time.
Klorane Mask with Mango Butter – As soon as I step a toe within a mile of the coast my hair assumes a different identity, and attempts to frizz its way up to heaven. Cue the leave in conditioner. You can leave this in for three minutes or for a few hours for a deep conditioning treatment. Once you rinse out, not only will you smell like a mango tree (which I am all about), your hair feels like it’s in a protective cocoon of soft and smooth goodness. I will probably use this up by the end of the weekend.
Mio Body Brush – Almost as good as those pedicure massage chairs. Almost. I have poor circulation so this is what I use not only for tension release in the shower, but as a good skin buffer. The little rubber massage nodules do the trick.
FACE Stockholm Jojoba Facial Scrub – Smells divine and buffs your skin new without leaving you red as a new chevy. I am packing this one to prevent the usual dry skin peel that results from the beach!
*Disclosure: Not a sponsored post. Some of these items were a Mother’s Day gift from Anthropologie, but only sharing which ones I’m really impressed with;)
A few years ago, I started the habit of wrapping up bouquets around Mother’s Day for some of my favorite women. Not just because it was Mother’s Day, but as an excuse to remind them that their lives and their motherhood should be celebrated. This year I plan on continuing the tradition for both mothers in waiting, and mothers in training (as I refer to myself!). I have witnessed some close friends walk a tough road this year. Loss, heartache, disappointment, and risk. However, in the process, these women were not defeated by their pain or their hardships, but rather, transformed into even stronger, intentional, and compassionate women. I am so grateful to learn from them as I discover the depth of what the word “mother” holds.
I am using these voluptuous and fragrant Teleflora bouquets as a detail to celebrate these women. I’m gathering some new and old friends over coffee and flowers throughout the week as a simple way of taking gratitude a step further. I love that all the Teleflora floral arrangements are professionally-arranged and hand-delivered by a local florist in your neighborhood and arrive fresh. They have been filling up my home with a very happy scent at the moment!
To love your children tirelessly through the highs and lows, the mundane, and the unknown requires a fierce love. To desire motherhood and seek it with hope requires one tough spirit. I hope next week is a reminder to mothers everywhere that the world wouldn’t be the same without them, and that the people they affect reaches beyond what the eye can see.
How do you all plan on celebrating Mother’s Day this year?
*Thank you Teleflora for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
I added many a sandals to my online shopping cart, and left many hanging. I thought through long and hard….what summer sandals would I actually wear versus ending up in the back of my closet? These were the result:
A few dressy, a few casual, but all very comfortable and versatile.
Favorite places to hunt for the perfect summer shoes? Nordstrom ASOS Sole Society Free People
Have you found your sole mate for the year?
*Luggage from Steamline. You can use code IHOD10 for 10% off!
I have actually never attempted to crack a coconut. They aren’t easy let me tell ya, but in some odd way, they are kind of stress relieving to break. I know, odd. The good thing is, they make all breakfast items new to little ones as they sit in awe over their makeshift bowls and ask fifty-two questions about where they come from, how they are grown, and if they are edible;) So here’s to another victory morning in conquering grains for a more energy driven breakfast.
Coconut Breakfast Bowls
Raw Cashews (Or unsalted)
Blueberries
Cottage Cheese
Coconut Halves (Save the juice!)
Super simple combos are what is working for us! Shoot over any additional ideas, and we will try them out! In case you missed, last week’s breakfast hack here.
I never started baby wearing until I had no choice. My third baby outnumbered us, and I needed the extra set of hands. I then wondered why I held out so long! It was a cool experience to have them nestled so close. Both Max and Rocco loved to fall asleep in their kanga pouch. Elle, who founded Solly Baby, asked us to take part of the spring shoot this year. 48 hours with my babe in California? Alright, I guess.
Taking the time to get dressed is one topic I have tackled, but what about taking the time to shop for yourself? Whether it is heading to brunch with my crew, heading to the park for the morning, or out for a date, a girl’s got to have something in her closet that makes her feel more than just a nose wiper or vacuum cleaner from time to time, you know what I mean?! I teamed up with Old Navy to talk about a few outfits I found in time for Mother’s Day that would fit into the category of both functional and stylish…
