Easter Weekend #BEcap

These last few weekends have been what our little family needs. We have either been go-go-go or sick & exhausted. Is it Spring, yet? 

Last weekend, we had our open house for our home! It went so much better than we thought it would! Tons of people stopped by & Kess was chill the whole day! So relieved! 

Kess & daddy got to work on the truck, too! She was probably a little too helpful, but it was adorable! Matt was patient & incredibly pumped to make his truck fancy! ;) Boys!

Easter Weekend was a blast! First off, Kess loved painting eggs! If you follow us on Instagram (@beautifuleffort) then you already know about my dying eggs fail! But, I brushed it off like a champ & brought out some washable paints! Kess loved it so much we painted eggs twice!! Winner! 

Matt sent me off for some stress-relief & retail therapy with my momma on Saturday morning. I really don't think of myself as the mom who needs constant time away for her family to remain sane.!8 love being at home with Kess, relaxing with Matt & really look forward to weekends so we can all spend time as a family. But, it did feel nice to spend a few hours doing a little something for myself! 

Kess did her first Easter egg hunt at Matt's parents! She mostly wanted to follow cousin Conrad & boss him around, but eventually got the hang of it. Then she figured out that those eggs were filled with handy, which she promptly handed to me so I could open them for her! She ain't no dummy! ;)

Easter Sunday was pretty low key, which is always nice! Kess had a blast picking through her basket & loved her trinkets & candy, of course! We then went off to church where Kess ate snacks out of Easter eggs & begged to go out in the hall so she could get a drink out of he drinking fountain. And by that, I mean so she can play in the drinking fountain! ;) I can't believe this is the only shot I got of Kess is her adorable Easter dress! And I was only snapping a picture to document how calm & distracted she was during my Young Women's class! This never happens - we usually don't even make it at church this long! Nap time in the middle of church is killer! 

We made it home & our little bunny got a nap & then we ate Easter dinner with my side of the family! I love holidays just for the simple fact that you get to see family!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. I am grateful for our Savior & his Atonement. How lost we would be without it! He lives!

Easter Dresses

Guys, I don't know what it is, but the holidays seem to come up crazy fast! I always seem to be a little behind. For Easter, I managed to get my eggs together (see what I did there?) and get my list to the Easter bunny on time! ;) I can't wait to share what is in Kess' Easter basket - but for now, I'm sharing some of my favorite Easter dresses under $25. We don't like to drop too much into things like this, but it's fun to snag a few things that I know she will love plus, ya know - candy! ;)

Here are a few dresses that I totally loved, plus they're well priced.

Striped Shift Dress

Floral Sateen Dress

Lace Dress

Pink Gauze Dress 

 -This Pink Gauze Dress is the dress I bought for Kess & it says it's over $25 online, but I snagged it for $15 in-store! Score! I plan on pairing it with a light wash denim jacket & some cute sandals! 

Are you all ready for Easter? 

Sick Kid Survival Kit

Kess got one teeny cold during her first 18 months. Now she's had 2 awful colds in the last 6 weeks. I feel like I've been in survival mode for 6 weeks - part sickness, part laziness, part Winter weather. As we head into what will be a long week of runny noses, crummy coughs & less sleep than we would like, I've been rounding up a few of my "sickie" faves. 

We are doTERRA oil users.  Thyme & Lemon diluted with coconut oils are helpful in healing little bodies. Along with On Guard & Melaleuca! We really like Breathe to help clear congestion, as well. I feel like nothing is full-proof, but these aid a ton in a speedy recovery & helping her be more comfortable.

My newest favorite medicine brand is Zarbees. It's found at most drug stores. We used the Baby Cough & Mucus during Kess' first cold, so when the signs of the 2nd hit I knew we had to grab a few more bottles. They have a nighttime medicine available with Melatonin, but it can't be used until they're 2. So that leaves us out by a few months... but, after a few nights of less than dreamy sleep, I'm half tempted to give her a half dose. #momoftheyear

Another go-to has been honey & lemon. I put some local honey into a syringe & give it to her like medicine. It helps coat her throat & helps keep her cough at bay as well. We also snagged a few honey sticks from Winco & give them to her as a "treat"... only about 1/2 of it makes it to her mouth, but it has to help, right? *babies under the age of 12 months should NOT have honey.

Some of my friends know my love for the NoseFrida - yes, it sounds disgusting, but it works! Plain & simple. One of the best remedies for a cold is to keep the nose clear. Kess can't blow her nose yet, although I'm sure she wishes she could after I swaddle her in the big quilt, hold her down & suck her snot out. It's not a pretty sight, but I sure as heck can't sleep with a yucky nose, so I know she can't either. 

We started putting a pillow in Kess' crib to help prop her up & drain her sinuses. She ends up on the opposite side of the crib sometimes, but we usually sneak back in before we go to bed & lay her head on her pillow. After a few days, she figures out that it helps her. 

Vitamin gummies are a house favorite. Kess loves all things gummy, so we give her those & she's a happy camper. She even asks for them. It's so nice when kids think they're getting a treat, but it's actually helping them. Another thing we do is "OJ Popsicles." Kess is a Popsicle lover, so we grabbed some molds from ikea & we fill them with all sorts of yummy things. Lately, it's all things orange juice & vitamin C.

I typically let Kess have a few days of "anything goes" when she's sick. Whatever snacks, treats (popsicles) she wants; we break Paci rules, we watch tons of movies & anything else we need to survive. Once I can tell she's on the mend, we jump back into our daily routine. 

Another thing that I know will help us survive is an attitude adjustment. I'm writing this section for me. I have the worst attitude when dealing with sickness. I hate being sick, but I really hate when my loves are sick. I struggle when my routine being disrupted. Normally Kess cuddles with me for a bit before bedtime, then points to her crib & she falls asleep on her own, but when she's sick - all of that goes out the window. We were up for a few hours last night, just holding, rocking & humming songs to her. Normally I would LOVE that, but after a few nights of fitful sleep, I'm ready to lay my baby down & go to sleep on my own. See, attitude adjustment... My sweet husband slept with Kess on his chest last night, until she completely crashed out & we could move her to her crib. 

What are your favorite kiddo cold remedies? We are always looking for more! Happy thoughts to all my fellow momma's who are ready for more spring weather & less viruses. 

**I am just a momma who found things that helped my family. I am not a doctor, nor do I claim the things listed above to cure cold & flu viruses**