My Baby Must Haves

As we start to (finally) get ready for baby Gavin to get here in April, I am quickly remembering all of the little things that I used so frequently with Knox and that I need to replace/get more of before April! I figured while I was at it, I'd share them. You know, for anyone who cares, since I'm an expert mom.

When I was pregnant with Knox and trying to figure out what I needed I, like most people, scoured google looking for the best advice. I felt like most of what I found was advice from earthy, breastfeeding in public, cloth diapering, granola momma's. Not that there is anything wrong with that (more power to you!), it's just not me.

So here is advice from a barely kept it together, breastfeeding, show me the easiest way to get the most sleep at night, fly by the seat of your pants mom. As for the expert mom thing, let's face it: I was lucky to keep my first kid alive through his infant years. So take my tips for what you will, friends!

1. Okay so this is a cheat #1 because it's three different things. But I figured it was worth bundling them together. So, we'll do it like this:
1a: Medela Spare Parts Kit. I pumped a lot when I was breastfeeding Knox because I was working. I found out very quickly that since I was only functioning at about 50% 30% at that point, it was rare that I remembered to wash my pump parts the night before. These were a saving grace for me to have on hand! 
(side note: I learned a little later that you can rinse your pump parts, put them in a ziploc and put them in the refrigerator. This is good for about 24 hours.)
1b: Lanolin. I used the heck out of this stuff in the beginning of my breastfeeding adventures because, let's face it, it hurts sometimes. It's safe for you and for baby, so it's a win win.
(side note: It will stain your clothes. My trick was to always have on a bra/nursing pad BEFORE I used the lanolin so that all it touched was the nursing pad. Problem solved.)
1c: Medela Quick Clean Bags. These were SO great when we were traveling. I'll be honest with you, I'm not much of a stickler for sanitizing. And I'll be honest again, everything goes through the dishwasher in our house. But anytime we had to stay in a hotel, I'd take one of these to clean pump parts, bottles, whatever I would have run through the dishwasher at home.

2. A swing. We have this one. Man, oh man. I can't say enough good things about this nifty little invention. Knox LOVED his swing. It would soothe him when he was upset and as he got a little older he loved to watch the birds spin around and see himself in the mirror. When he was about six weeks old he got a nasty viral infection and was super congested. His doctor told us to elevate his head while he was sleeping to help with the congestion. I wasn't quite ready to put him in his own room yet, but there was no way to elevate his bassinet. Solution: we moved the swing into our room and he slept in it for a few weeks.
(disclaimer for all of you who are freaking out at the thought of my kid swinging a mile high in the middle of the night: we turned it off when he went to sleep. And yes, we buckled him in.)

3. Chicco Keyfit 30. When Knox was born, this was the best of the best in terms of safety and it was what everyone was using. So, it's what we got. I feel like now there are a lot more fancy carriers out there, but this one served every purpose we could have ever imagined and didn't break the bank. It will most definitely be used again for Gavin.

4. Up&Up Diapers. Y'all, diapers will cause you to file for bankruptcy. And I just don't have it in me to cloth diaper. Props to those of you who do, but I just can't do it. I discovered the Target brand diapers when Knox was probably 3 or 4 months old and never looked back. We had used Pampers up to that point because Huggies didn't fit him right. We are still using them to this day and will be using them for Gavin too! I would love to know how much money this saved us so far.
Up&Up Size 1 Diapers, 112 count: $16.99 vs. Pampers Size 1 Diapers, 100 count: $24.99
Even better? If you use the Cartwheel app, there is almost always at least 10% off Up&Up diapers and wipes!

5. Medela Freestyle Breast Pump. This thing was a life-saver. I am not a nurse in public type girl, even if I'm covered. I have nothing against those who do, I just choose not to. I was also working full-time when I had Knox. So I pumped a LOT. This pump is small and compact and uses a rechargeable battery, so it's very easily transported from place to place. I could usually carry it in my diaper bag if I needed to! It has a hands free gizmo, but it always reminded me of dominatrix type things and I was never able to figure out how to make it work. (If you've ever seen it, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Or maybe I'm just crazy. Could be that.)

6. Puj Tub. I LOVED this for bath time! It is one of the best baby inventions ever in my opinion. We don't have much any storage space in our house, so I didn't want one of those big bulky tubs that I was going to have to hide somewhere when we had company over. This fit perfectly in our kitchen sink and I could use the sprayer to wash Knox and stick the tub in a cabinet when we were done!

So, there you have it. The things that I need to go dig out of a box so that I'll have them when Gavin gets here come April!

Pantone Color of the Year: Radiant Orchid

Let's just talk about my love for the fabulous people at Pantone for a minute. Ever since I was in school I have been totally and completely obsessed with all things Pantone. I feel like they have little tiny workers who live inside my heart and every year they pick the very perfect color to be the color of the year. In my FIDM days, I would sit in the library between classes and pour over the Pantone books. Oh, what I would give to have a personal library full of Pantone resources. For real. I'm sure some of you are thinking, "wow, you are really weird." I know. It's okay.

At the end of 2012 I was really digging all things green. And then, voila, January hit and Emerald was the color of the year (probably, I'm psychic). My mom created what was soon to be my very favorite paint color of all time (you know, for a few months), Iguana Hold Your Hand, and I painted endless amounts of things green. Not just any green, the perfect green. As 2013 came to an end, I decided it was time to move on to a new color to love. I am typically drawn to cooler colors, so I started eyeing blues. One of my mom's colors, Jaded Love Birds (Mom, why is my very favorite paint color not listed in your shop?!), is an all time fave. It's a nice grayish blue-green. But that wasn't anything new. I needed something else.

Is it obvious yet that color consumes my life?

So, 2014 began and Pantone announced this beauty as the color of the year. And now I have a new obsession. Everything about this color is just perfectly perfect. I shared a few of my favorite radiant orchid hued finds below, but you can see everything I'm loving via my Radiant Orchid pin board!

I love all of the home decor inspiration I've come across on Pinterest lately. If I were to add it to my home, I would do it sparingly. The big beautiful orchid colored walls are beautiful in a picture, but can you imagine your friends coming over? "Wow. That's a big.purple.wall." Realistically, most people aren't going to run to the paint store to snag a five gallon bucket and go to town. I would add in an unexpected pop with a piece of painted furniture or maybe even a vintage find that's already upholstered in your shade of choice. What it boils down to: I personally wouldn't drop a lot of dinero on a orchid themed room because in a year, Pantone will have a new color for me to pine over.

I think this color is an absolute beaut for events. I do love to throw a good party, and I can't wait to incorporate a few shades in my next decor scheme. It's eye catching and you can use it in a soft way or make it bold. There are so many options!

 

Feathered Fashion via // Orchid Hued Paint via // Striped Ceiling via // Tablescape via // Orchid Drinks via // Ice Cream Scoop via

So yes, this cool colored girl now has a fascination with this warm hue! It doesn't match my house. Not even close. But I'm DYING to get it on something, so stay tuned for what that may be! In the meantime, here are a few of my picks for color palettes that incorporate this fun new color.

 

29 Week Bumpdate.

I won't lie, I had to catch my breath when I typed 29 weeks. Twenty nine?! Really? You mean to tell me that there are only ELEVEN weeks left in this pregnancy? I'm pretty sure by this point I had Knox's nursery done and I had most definitely updated my blog with more than one pregnancy post. Oops? It really is true that the second child gets the shaft. Sorry, Gavin. Oh- I guess I haven't mentioned that Baby P is a boy and his name is Gavin. Again, oops.

Clayton and I decided to have a garage sale this weekend. I've been saying for two years "We have got to have a garage sale. We have so much junk." So I finally set a deadline for us. We've got to get rid of some stuff! I need to go through baby stuff and I can't even get to it. So that should be fun. Clayton is thrilled. But I'm hoping after that I can start getting a little more organized and ready for baby time.

Our poor neglected second child isn't really going to get much of a nursery. His crib is going in the guest room and he's getting to reuse big brothers bedding. I'm ready to change Knox's room and he's never even going to remember what his "first" room looked like. So I decided I'm not even going to bother. I know, mom of the year.

How far along? 29 weeks.
Maternity clothes? I am in my own version of maternity clothes. I bought clothes to fit when I was pregnant with Knox and I am most definitely wearing those!
Sleep: I finally got to a point where I was sleeping pretty good, but my insomnia is back. I should probably buy stock in Benadryl.
Missing anything? I would still give anything for a frozen margarita. With salt. Yum.
Food Cravings: I have had random cravings here and there, but nothing constant.
Gender: BOY! Gavin Reece.

Movement? This kid has dance parties every single night. Knox was not this active. I'm hoping that's not a sign of what's to come!
Mood: I feel like I've been in a pretty good mood, but Clayton may tell you otherwise!
Looking forward to: sorting through baby stuff and getting a little more prepared for Gavin's arrival!

And here are a couple of terrible pictures for your viewing pleasure. I shattered my phone last week and I think my camera took the brunt of the damage. 

It's Not Me, It's You.

One of the leaders in R+F shared with us recently that she does not have the Facebook app on her phone because of the huge distraction that it can be. At first I just sort of blew it off and didn't think much of it because, of course, I don't waste much time on Facebook. HA! Wrong.

Last week I decided to give deleting the app a shot just to see how it went. Y'all- I'm almost embarrassed to say that I felt like a recovering addict going through withdrawals. 

We have become so reliant on social media that it's almost scary. I was NEEDING to see what people had posted and what was going on in their lives. And of course, share with them what was going on in my ever so exciting life.

It's been a week and I feel like a new woman. I can't tell you how much extra time I have during the day to actually be productive! It's amazing. Of course Facebook is an important tool in my business, but I've decided to discipline myself into only doing business related things on there when I am "working" and then letting myself scroll through and read the days events at the end of the day. 

You'd be amazed and how much you can accomplish by simply getting rid of silly little distractions. Like Facebook. Who would have thought?! Now, instead of playing on Facebook, I have time to update my blog which is something I constantly tell myself I want to do. Not because I care if anyone reads it, but because it is something I can share with my kids when they are older. I've tried so many times to keep a journal or a little notebook...I've tried it all and I fail miserably every single time. This is something that is actually manageable for me and I can keep up with. It's a great creative outlet, too! It has allowed me to be more disciplined in my R+F business and my love for design. But very most importantly? It has allowed me to be a better mom. I am not that mom who believes that technology takes away from our families (because if we're being honest, I am more than happy to hand Knox an iPad or an iPhone and let him go to town so I can get some things done) but I HAVE noticed that I'm not saying "hang on just a second, baby" nearly as often as when I was scrolling through my phone and needing to get to where I left off.

Basically, it's just nice to not have the constant distraction of Facebook always right there at my fingertips! So, I'm sorry Facebook. It's not you, it's me. Okay, maybe it's you. But this momma needs a break!

Thank God for grace.

Isn't that what it all boils down to at the end of the day? As Christians, I feel like we get so bogged down by all of the "church stuff." Essentially, everything goes back to having a relationship with Jesus. That's it. Plain and simple. Why is that so hard for us? For me, I think it's because it seems too easy. There's got to be more to it, right? How could such a big God want NOTHING more from us than a personal relationship? Surely there is more to it. Yes? No.

You're going to have to bear with me, because this may be a scattered post. These are things that we have discussed a lot lately in church, things that have been my constant prayers over the last few months, struggles I've had, and so on.

My eyes have really been opened lately to how, as a Christian culture, we have strayed so far from what Christianity truly means. I think what really hit home for me was all of the controversy over Phil Robertson. Social media has given us this huge platform for sharing anything and everything that pops into our minds. GQ asked an old school, southern Christian man about his beliefs and it blows my mind that people were surprised by his response. I think my very favorite part of the whole thing was the quote that came out after. Whether or not Phil actually said it, I have no idea. But there is more truth in this statement than any I've heard in such a long time.

"Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything the believe or do."

It doesn't get much more simple than that. Love God and love people. No matter what. I had to stop looking at my Facebook feed during the whole Duck Dynasty debacle because I just almost couldn't stand it. But I think what bothered me the very most were the posts that came straight out of the Christian community. Whether or not you agree with a homosexual lifestyle doesn't matter at the end of the day. Yes, I just said that. It. Does. Not. Matter. Do you think that posting your disgust for the gay community and your support for Phil Robertson is going to bring anyone to Christ? Probably not. 

We have somehow gotten sucked into this "holier than thou" mentality because we think we know best. Because, I mean, after all, we ARE Christians. No. Just no. I fall short every.single.day. But you know what? Jesus loves me regardless. No less than he did yesterday when maybe my sins weren't quite as bad. (hint: My sins are always equally as bad. Every single day.) I feel like we push people away from Christ with our actions rather than bring them to him. Just because we don't agree with their actions, their lifestyle, their choices, their words...whatever it may be...does not make them any less worthy. Because guess what? WE aren't worthy. Our actions, lifestyle, choices, words are no better than the next person. The difference is that we have a relationship with Jesus and he forgives every single one of our sins every single day. So who are we to decide that someone else isn't worthy of the same forgiveness? 

We take the bible and we twist it and turn it to fit whatever makes us feel the best about what we are doing at any given time. Do you know what the bible boils down to? Love God, love people. I am absolutely no bible expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I am slowly but surely figuring that part out. I had planned on sharing more with you on my thoughts about this particular subject, but since this has gotten crazy long, I think I'll save it for another day!

Yesterday at church our pastor said something that really stood out to me. He simply said, "thank God for grace." What a simple statement that means more than we can even fathom. So yes, thank you God for your unending, unwavering, unfailing grace. Over and over again.

My Creative Outlet.

Most of you probably don't know that I have a little Etsy shop, Free & Found Design Company. I set it up in 2013 mostly as a way to give myself something creative to do. Sometimes I have these random ideas for a cute print or set of note cards. Sometimes a friend asks me to design a birthday invitation for them. I figured, why not share them with other people?! It's a fun little hobby that I've really come to enjoy!

Here are a few of my latest creations.

Personalized Texas Note Cards

Love Notes Note Cards (Set of 4)

I have been obsessed with black and white prints lately, so I created a whole collection of them. I love the simplicity! These are my favs.

Choose Joy. Always.

 She Believed. This one hangs next to my desk as a constant reminder to simply believe and work hard.

I'll Eat You Up. Because who doesn't love Where The Wild Things Are?

You can see the rest of the Black+White Collection here. So there you go. Now it's out there for the whole wide world! Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Merry Christmas and a Snowy New Year

First and foremost, here are a few pictures from Christmas. Mostly because I just came across them and realized I had never posted them. We had a great Christmas! It was so fun with Knox this year because he really kind of gets the whole Christmas thing now. He, of course, loved opening presents. But what was the very best was listening to him talk about baby Jesus. He would tell us all about how much he loved him and how he lives in his heart. Talk about melt my heart moments!

Knox got a "choo choo train table," a "bicycle" (tricycle) and "mine own John Deere tractor" for Christmas and he is equally obsessed with all three! Clayton surprised me with a new Kindle because mine broke a few months ago. He definitely knows the way to my heart!

It was a great Christmas and we are looking forward to Christmas with two sweet boys this year.

 

This is possibly my favorite family photo ever. It sums us up perfectly.

Right after Christmas we ventured to Taos, NM with Clayton's family for a little getaway. I won't lie, I was a little concerned about traveling 15 hours in the car at almost six months pregnant. But I survived!

Clayton has been dying to go on a ski trip as long as we've been together and we've just never made it happen. He and his brothers spent a few days skiing and for the most part we all just relaxed, which was a much welcomed break from reality.

Knox had such a great time in the snow (or the "no" as he calls it) and loves to tell everyone about how he went "kiing" like Daddy. (He went tubing, but we just go with it.)

I really enjoyed visiting the actual town of Taos. It is such a quaint little place and the people are all so nice. It may just be because I'm pregnant, but I swear to you the food was exceptionally delicious! I loved all the little art galleries with work from local artists. I got an original print by Allegra Sleep that I am totally obsessed with!

Here are a few pictures from our vacation. Enjoy!

 

Clayton got all dressed up for the new year.

We had such a great time and it was so nice to get away for a week. Reality definitely hit hard when we got back!

Dreaming of a Remodel.

Clayton and I have talked a lot lately about moving (houses, not towns). We've talked about a million different options...building, fixer upper, move-in ready, etc etc etc. We have varying opinions on what is the best option. Clayton dreams of a move-in ready house that needs, at most, a coat of paint here and there. I, on the other hand, spend hours upon days dreaming of a house that needs a complete overhaul. It's in my blood. I can't help it. We have yet to come to a conclusion, but here are a few things I'm currently pining over.

First and foremost, I DREAM of having a ginormous playroom. Knox's toys have completely taken over our living room AND his bedroom. I want it to have big giant sliding barn doors so that I can close it off when we have company over. These are a few of my favorites:

 

via Pinterest (original source unknown.)

 

via Pinterest (original source unknown.)

via

I want cute bathrooms. Priorities, right? Seriously though, I could spend hours looking at bathrooms on Pinterest. I'm obsessed with pocket doors, and I love the thought of painting them a bright color. I want stripes in one bathroom. I don't know why, but I love the thought of big stripes in a bathroom! A couple of my favorite bathroom ideas:

 

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I want a homey, cozy living room that feels inviting and like you can actually sit on the furniture. I'm not really one for formal, well, anything.  I love color and comfy furniture and big fireplaces. Some of my favorites:

 

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I want a house that I can go into and tear down walls, take out counter tops, redo floors and paint EVERYTHING. I'm sure you're asking yourself why I sound like a crazy person and why we don't just build. I have this crazy need to make old things new again. (Mirror mirror on the wall, I am my mother after all.) I love refurbishing furniture and I get such a thrill out of transforming something old into something new of my own. I have super eclectic taste and I enjoy the challenge of mixing old things with new. I'm sure to most of you I sound like a total nut job. Clayton would agree. 

One of my very favorite elements of design is paint. Most people have no idea how much a coat of paint can transform a room. As I'm sure most of you know, my sweet momma has her own line of vintage finish paint (find it here). I love it for painting furniture and I'm obsessed with her color palette (which I'm sure has nothing to do that most of the colors were hand picked by yours truly). I have always gravitated toward cooler wall colors, so these are my current color obsessions:

 

I guess that's all I've got for today! So now I'll go back to feeding my house remodel Pinterest addiction...

Knox Turns TWO!

My, oh my. Where has the time gone? Is my precious boy really TWO? I really can't believe it. It seems like yesterday and a lifetime ago that he changed our lives. He is hard headed, stubborn, strong willed and the lovingest boy I've ever met. Reality is starting to sink in that he won't be my "baby" anymore (even though secretly he will ALWAYS be my baby) and that he will be a big brother in just a few short months. EEK! But that's for another day. Today, I can't wait to share his second birthday party with you!

This boy is obsessed with cowboys, tractors, heavy machinery and all things man. One of his very first words was "excavator." (No, I'm not kidding.)We talked for a couple of months about his birthday party and every time I asked him what kind of party he wanted he said very matter of factly, "John Deere tractor party." Unfortunately for my child, he will probably never have your basic good ol' John Deere green birthday party. So we settled for a more vintagey theme with tractors/farm animals.

For his first birthday I went ALL out. I always swore I wouldn't. But, of course, I did. I just couldn't help myself. I promised myself (and Clayton's wallet) that I would reign it in a little bit a lot for his second birthday.  Clayton's parents have a barn on their property, so I thought that would be the perfect setting for his party. Pretty much everything was DIY, so I Clayton was pretty thrilled with how little $$ I ended up spending.

I always do his invitations myself, but this year they ended up going out via text and email because, well, let's face it, I just couldn't get my act together with Christmas and his birthday being four days apart.

We had his party all planned out for Saturday December 21st since his actual birthday fell on a Saturday this year. We had talked all about it and he was SO excited. And then the weather decided it didn't care so much about my plans and we were told to prepare for the worst. And it was pretty terrible. Outdoor birthday party+terrible horrible no good very bad weather....well yeah, that just doesn't work out so well. So, like the fly by the seat of your pants parents that we are, we rescheduled for Sunday. It was still chilly, but it worked out for the best. We had snacks, a bonfire, a hayride, quite a few tractor rides and a "watering hole" to keep the adults sane.

So there you have it, the easy peasy details of Knox's second birthday party. He loved every second of it and I loved that it didn't take me six months to plan! And here are a few more pictures of the day for your viewing pleasure!