OUR PERFECTLY SUNNY DAY

OUR PERFECTLY SUNNY DAY


Today was such a beautiful day here (finally!) and we definitely took advantage of it right after Everly woke up from her morning nap. The previous day we went to the zoo which was a busy day filled with throwing her off her schedule and a lot of car seat/stroller time for her. So today I wanted to enjoy the warm air and have Everly be able to squirm around and stretch those chunky legs. We went out to Home Depot and got some flowers, soil, and wood to build a swing set and came home and set up shop! My mom gifted us an outdoor playpen with a sun shade so I finally was able to open it up and have Everly in there as a safe space for her to roll around and play. 

While she was enjoying her toys in the fresh air, I tested out my green thumb and planted some flowers in our garden. One of our summer goals is to improve our curb appeal so this year we are really looking for ideas and creating an outdoor space perfect or our family to enjoy, thank you Pinterest for your ever evolving list of ideas.

All in all it was such a lovely day, it really makes me excited for the warmer weather and be able to do more things with Everly and have her out experiencing the world around her. I hope everyone enjoyed the weather where they are (hopefully it was as nice as it was here!) As we finish up our garden and yard area I will probably share some photos of the finished product, we want it looking good for Everly's first birthday at the end of the summer (which I have also started planning so be on the lookout for some DIYs!)

Before we left for the day I snapped a few photos of Everly's outfit because it was way too cute not to document. Her headband was a Christmas present from Gam Gam (my mom), her romper was a hand me down from her cousin and her moccs were purchased from the etsy shop Great Scott's Baby Moccs which can be purchased here. 





As I finish typing this, a thunder storm is rolling through :( 

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SATURDAY SMALL SHOP LOVE

SATURDAY SMALL SHOP LOVE


The Donut Shop

I am a firm believer in shopping small, ever since I went to a local children's boutique where my parents live and saw some amazing local makers I was a goner. I love supporting mama businesses whether it is local or through Etsy. On Saturday's I want to make an effort to share a small shop I love or have just recently discovered. I love knowing my money is going towards a family rather than a big cooperation. 

First one I would like to share is a shop that I share on the regular which is The Donut Shop. Pictured above is Everly wearing one of their Christmas bows for our family photos. When I bought my first blanket I was hooked, the quality is absolutely amazing and I have been in love ever since. They also make loveys, bibs, and bows , and Everly has ended up with a little of everything they sell. I am also proud to say that I have gotten a few others hooked on them as well! Kyle may have cut me off for blankets but I keep coming back to purchase blankets for family members and friends who are expecting. We use them almost everyday! Traveling is perfect with them because they are a great size for the stroller or carseat but we have used them for photo backdrops, tummy time, playmats outside, even a cart cover when I have forgotten mine at home.

The first one I bought for Everly was the Woodland Buddies blanket pictured below (also, HOW SMALL WAS MY BABY!) They have a couple of this print left because it was one of their best sellers, and they also have it in bow form (which Everly has), and lovey form (which Everly also has, it's a serious problem I'll admit it). I love their vintage prints for us personally, and I love that they update their stock all the time (it's blessing and a curse). 

If you are in the market for a baby shower gift I seriously recommend them and Courtney is wonderful to work with! If there is a print you like but would like to customize the minky underneath she is more than happy to work with you! 

The link to their Etsy shop is here but if there is something you would like and would like to skip the shipping fee let me know! I can pick it up when I visit my parents and deliver it right to you!




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TUESDAY TRUTHS

TUESDAY TRUTHS



forgiveness.

Writing has always been an outlet for me and it always will be, whether if what I write gets read or not. I love documenting my life and being able to look back at different points to see what was going on, what hardships was I faced with? What was I celebrating? There is something to be said about authenticity and social media, much of my life is shown in different outlets whether it is Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat. In most of my posts I'm smiling or I'm showing the good, but my life isn't always like that. So, in an attempt to try and lessen the white picket fence filter, once a week I will try to talk about the things that are hard in my life. This week: forgiveness. 

I am stubborn by nature and strong willed, that will never change, I believe in standing up for what you believe in and being confident in the choices you make. Sometimes I act out of anger before anything else, and I let myself make choices based on that emotion and it gets the best of me. Lately I have been thinking a lot about this and how these actions have gotten in the way of relationships. Sometimes I am too in my head and I overthink a situation which leads me to not think rationally. I think understanding what fuels your choices helps in determining what you can do to change in the future, I know I am an overthinker, I can be bitter, and I hold onto the things that have hurt me longer than I should. How does that help me to forgive? It doesn't.

A couple months ago I was faced with a choice to forgive someone in my life who I thought would never be part of it again. This was a test of how I view the relationships in my life and how I proceeded would set the tone of the relationship my child had with this person as well. The old me probably would have been hard headed and stubborn, but for the first time in a long time I took a different approach and really thought hard about my decision and what was best for not only myself but for my family too. Ultimately I made the choice to forgive and to accept that maybe I won't hear the things I want to from this person, but that's okay because I will hopefully see other forms of genuine behaviour going forward.  

Do I feel embarrassed that I let this person back into my life when I swore up and down to people that they would never be part of it again? No. Do I regret the choice to forgive and move forward? No. Are things better and does it feel like nothing ever happened? No - a relationship takes work on both ends, but this time I feel confident that things will get better because there is a better understanding between both parties. I can accept that we are both flawed and have made mistakes and bad judgement calls, knowing this has made the forgiveness process easier. 

No matter what the situation is you can never go into it with the mindset that you did nothing wrong because you probably did. That was my first mistake, to think that this person wronged me and that they needed to feel the backlash of their actions. However, when I sat and thought about the situation without the anger and the bitter emotions, I can see that there were times where I acted unfairly and rushed to a conclusion that was uncalled for. We both made mistakes in the relationship, and the moment I accepted that was the first step in moving forward for myself. 

Forgiveness has and always will be one of the hardest things for me to face and I think it is that way for a lot of people. However, under the right circumstances it is necessary to help lead a healthy life. I thought forgiving would just add more chaos into my life but ever since I have accepted and moved forward I feel better mentally. I don't feel like less of a person, I feel like I have grown and I can show my daughter that forgiveness is a good thing if it is done the right way. 
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SEVEN MONTHS WITH EVERLY

SEVEN MONTHS WITH EVERLY


On April 11, 2017 Everly turned 7 months old and it was quite an eventful month for our little lady! 

She cut two teeth back to back which was both exciting and exhausting. They haven't fully made their way up yet but sometimes when she smiles you can kind of see them poking out. She is also starting to get her third tooth too! She also experienced her first sick trip to the doctor, she got an ear infection which was not fun for her either. Her teeth coming in and getting her ear infection all happened at the same time :/ 

She said "dada" this month (of course) and she has started saying it functionally when he comes home after work! I think seeing her face light up when he gets home every night, it's so cool to see that she knows who he is and gets excited when she sees him. We have been reading lots of books and she loves touch and feel ones where she can experience the story a little better. She also has started really playing with toys, we got her a couple Fisher Price educational toys and we have been loving playing and also putting them in her mouth ha. Everly also received a little garden house for Easter and she LOVES exploring all the different things in there. She also loves to move, she rolls everywhere but recently has started getting onto her knees so I think this month she will start crawling! 

In terms of growth, she weighs 23lbs (not sure of her height), wears 12 month clothing, and is in size 4 diapers. 

I say this every month but she completely fits into our crazy little family and has made such an impact on our lives. It truly is bittersweet to see her grow up, I miss her being so small but she has developed such a crazy little personality and I love watching her bloom. 


I love you more than I can bear 
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