Monday Must Have

Once again my Friday Favorites have turned into Monday Must Have... you would think my Friday would be the least busiest day of my week, but lo & behold - Fridays turn into crunch time. Lots of laundry, house cleaning & errands so we can enjoy our weekend together. This weekend we got to feed the ducks & play at the park! It was so fun. Kess loved it, which means that we loved it.

 Hopefully this post finds you happy on a Monday! We are trying to get back into the swing of things over here! Here are a few things to brighten you Monday & start your week off right!

Ocean Spray PACT - Saw these are Winco & grabbed a few to try them. I will be going back today for like 25 more. No kidding. So good! All of the flavors are delicious! No green tea extract (I don't drink tea, unless it's herbal), no crappy sucralose or aspartame. 10 calories. You're so welcome. 

Kid Made Modern Wood Beads - during our little outing to Target (you can read about that on Instagram @beautifuleffort) I grabbed some wood beads that Kess can string on to pipe cleaners or ribbon. She likes hands on stuff and I figured it was a good church activity. Well, I thought it was until some beads went flying everywhere. Matt face-palmed mod-sacrament meeting, but I still stand by it! ;)

NuMe Wand - This is the wand I use to give my hair some beach waves. I use the 25mm & I love it! They're always on sale, too. Follow them on Instagram to get a heads up on deals!

Thai Chicken Salad - Lunch time is one of the times I get to eat in peace. I savor it. Big time. I usually eat right after I put Kess down for a nap & right before I get my chores done. I've been trying to eat hearty yet healthy lunches! This one is beyond delicious and fulfilling. I tweaked the recipe a little to lower the calorie count, but that peanut sauce is to die for! Yum!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!! 

Modesty Campaign

Do you guys get in a rut with your clothes? I totally do. I find an outfit I feel half decent in & run with it. forever. I have a really neutral style. I rarely branch out (surprised?) On top of rarely trying a new style, the outfit needs to be cute, trendy, flattering, modest. Honestly, that can be really tricky. So, I've dug (deep) into my (tiny) closet and reached out to some of my favorite shops for this series.

I'll be sharing with you some trendy, comfy and modest outfits, so if you're stuck in a clothing rut - maybe we can bust out of it together!!

Today I'm sharing my go-to outfit. This is what I feel comfortable in. It's simple & can be dressed up or down. I think it's a classic look, but it gets a little less classic when it's all I wear! ;) Hence the new series! Ta da!

I am in major love with boyfriend tees. Cute, comfy & flattering (covers up that momma belly of mine.) Whoever invented boyfriend tees should get an award. Or at least a hug! 

Old Navy has these cute linen boyfriend tees that are super light. They're inexpensive & come with multiple color options.

I have a few long sleeved ones and a few short sleeved ones. Are you sensing my problem here? I find something that works and it just doesn't quit! ;)

And, of course - any good series needs a hashtag. Let's put it to a vote, shall we?

#classicallymodest

or

#modestyisthebestpolicy

Help a girl out & tell me your favorite! Stay tuned for some fun collaborations!

Children's Book Day

Kess loves books. She loves to point things out, make noises & pretend read. Actually, it's one of the ways I can get her to settle down for a bum change. I hand her a book & tell her to read to me. Then I get to listen to her sweet jibber jabber. Love.

I have tried to find books that I know that Kess will love, but that I will actually enjoy reading to her... multiple times a night usually. You know the ones... It's not "nigh nigh" time until you read that favorite book 5 times! ;)

Here are our current favorite. They are adorable, clever and most of all unto read for parent & child.

I Would Tuck You In

- I tear up when I read this book. It's a sweet, mellow read for bedtime.

Muddle and Match

-We have the "Imagine" copy of this & it keeps Kess occupied at church. You can flip through a series of split up pages (which Kess loves) to "muddle" the story or you can "match" the story. They're super cute!

All Kinds of Kisses

- This book is adorable, it talks about all sorts of kisses that animals give & Kess really loves the "woof kisses."

That's not my kitten

- This book is so fun! It's a touchy-feely book. Kess really loves those & we actually have a few of these. "That's not my lamb, duck..." There is a whole super cute collection. Perfect for little babes who love different textures.

My Heart Is Like a Zoo

-This is a super fun read, even for adults. It's energetic and clever. We make it a little song.

The Going To Bed Book

-This is one of our newer faves. I can honestly say that we read it about 5+ times every night. It's darling. I really love reading it.

Each Peach Pear Plum

-One of Kess' faves. This has a few nursery rhyme characters in it and their stories are all tied together. Super cute and Kess loves to point out the little characters and the rhyming is fun to sing along to.

What are your favorite kids' books? We are always looking to add more to our collection! 

My friend Allie, of Usborne Books is doing a giveaway for you, my friends! Head on over to my Instagram (@beautifuleffort) for all the info! Also, Allie has a Facebook page full of great book info, new releases, promotions & deals. 

Challenge Yourself

Today I start a "be a happier person" challenge. And this ain't no April Fool's Joke! ;) My friend & I thought of things that we needed to work on. I decided on

•Follow a set meal plan. (I like to count calories; it works for me so it's my go-to diet clean up. I would like to lose 5+ pounds. I'm sitting at a weight that I'm not comfortable with, so I'm ready to fix that)

•Drink plenty of water (I'm shooting for 65oz. per day)

•No swearing

•No gossiping

•Work out (I can't do this everyday, so my goal is 3-4 times per week)

•Read scriptures, church-centered books, read/listen to General Conference talks (I find it so much easier to be a happier, kinder and more patient person when I'm Christ-centered)

•Say morning prayers

•Say evening prayers

I ended up with 9 possible points for each day. 9 points x 30 days = 270 total possible points. My goal is to reach 250 points by the end of the month, because let's be honest... I'm human. I'm a mother, a wife & I work part time. This goal isn't to make me feel guilty for missing the occasional workout, or for letting a curse slip. The point of this goal is to strive to be a better person. To be aware of how I think, act & speak. To take better care of my body & to be conscience of what I eat. To be more aware of how I treat people & my thoughts toward them. I struggle with self-discipline & tend to justify my actions. This month is about changing for the better.

I decided to take a "before" picture, mostly for myself, but every one loves a good "before" picture right? I know mine isn't the typical booty short & sports bra clad photo. The "after" shot won't be either. This may sound a little archaic, but I believe in modesty. I didn't always - like in high school & college. I kinda had the attitude of "if ya got it, flaunt it." Apparently, I thought I had it. A few years ago, that all changed. I had a desire to be a little classier and to strive for something more. For those who don't know me well, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I had my sights set on getting sealed in the temple to my husband. I had decided that whenever we were meant to be sealed in the temple - I would be ready, my heart would be ready and my wardrobe would be ready. I didn't want to have my alter my whole lifestyle once we were sealed, so I started preparing. I threw out clothes that weren't garment appropriate. I had made a silent promise that I would dress appropriately so show that I was truly ready for that step. Now, there are times that it's obviously not appropriate to wear garments; swimming, showering, being intimate with your spouse. Not wearing garments when working out seems to be a toss up. I know members that do and members that don't. It's the wearer's decision. But, I personally believe that whether you decide to wear them or not, you should still be modest in your active attire. Lately I've seen popular bloggers seemingly sacrifice their convenants in the name of fashion and fitness. I won't be. But that's me. I, in no way shape or form am judging someone if they don't remain modest during a workout. Not at all. This is just what I believe & how I feel.

I'm super excited for this challenge. I have a positive mind set, the motivation to change how I look, think, act & speak. Day 1 has started. Wish me luck! 

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**