Thanksgiving #BEcap

I have really been looking forward to the holidays this year. Last year was really stressful for me - it was our first holiday season with a baby. I had no idea what to expect and I was so nervous about balancing breastfeeding, nap times, eating food for myself and enjoying family, plus we were living out of town and had to drive in crummy weather to get home to see our family. We totally made it home without a glitch, even in the snowy weather, but Kess totally had a bad case of "stranger danger" and hated all the people around her, but she napped great and I just ate while she slept. We survived.

This year was great! Kess is down to 1 nap, in the afternoon. We decided to put her down a little early. She took a shorter nap and we made it to dinner on time. I volunteered to make the stuffing this year. I saw a few recipes on Pinterest and gave this Crock Pot Stuffing recipe a try. It was really yummy, but I didn't love the texture of it. It was more mushy, than fluffy... bummer.

I also found these super cute Thanksgiving Photobooth Props on Pinterest, and just had to print them out. They ended up being a hit and were so fun to play with. Matt was also beyond thrilled about these, obviously. ;)

I hope you all got some steals on Black Friday. I am a "stay in my jammies and shop from home" kinda girl. I stocked Amazon all day. Half of my Christmas shopping is done! Whoop! Any fantastic Cyber Monday deals that you know of? Throw 'em at me!

We chopped down our christmas tree this morning. It was stinkin' cold, but we had a great time! Kess did really well for the temperature being well below freezing. She got to go sledding, play with the dogs and watch Frozen in the truck once it got too chilly for her. She even conked out for a bit in the car. I can't wait to see her little face light up once we get our tree up and decorated. Here's to hoping she keeps her sweet little hands away from the ornaments! #yarightmom

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for all of you and for the time you take to read my thoughts. So grateful for this community of mothers, family and friends!

Monday Must-Haves

My Friday got a little crazy, so #fridayfavorites turned into #mondaymusthaves... did I just make that up? I should probably trademark that hashtag! ;) 

I'm sharing some of my favorite facial products today. I am always on the lookout for great moisturizers, exfoliates and cleansers. Always. I'm pretty willing to try any product, but they can't break the bank. Let's get real here... I have better things to buy than a $100 jar of wrinkle cream. So, first and foremost... do little things to take care of your skin. 

Keep heavy sun-exposure to a minimum. I'm not saying never tan or go out in the sun, but take care of your skin, even if you want to get some color on those cheeks of yours,  use a light SPF to keep burning at bay. 

Wash your face at night... no falling asleep with your make-up on. No no!

Exfoliate. Help cell turnover rates by sloughing off dead skin to keep it glowing.

Moisturize. A lot of people panic about moisturizer. I get it, you feel like your face is oily, so why add more moisture. If you think drying out your face is going to help, I'm super sorry to say that it most likely isn't. When you "dry" out your face, your body thinks it's lacking moisture and overcompensates by producing more oil. Finding a good balance is key.

I've been looking for a few great "saving face" products and I think I've found them!

Lush Let the Good Times Roll: Best exfoliant everrr. This is actually a dry product that you add water to. I keep it in my shower and use it as my cleanser/exfoliant everyday (well the days that I have time to shower.) You don't have to use this daily, but I like the way it makes my skin look and feel. It's an all natural product that smells amazing!

Lush Ultrabland: I initially went into Lush to find a good cleanser and was sold on this and "Let the Good Times Roll" instantly. This is an oil-based cleanser, which is what I was really wanting, because I didn't want my face to produce too much oil. I was hoping that with something oil based, so my face would find a good balance! Bingo! Totally did! This stuff is amazing! By far, my most favorite cleanser I have ever used. 

Biore Charcoal Pour Strips: I've noticed a blackhead issue on my nose... blackheads are a total bummer. They are kind of a pain to get rid of too... no amount of scrubbing helps. So I grabbed a packet of these strips at Wal-mart and they worked like a charm! Plus, I totally loved seeing all that gunk come out of my pours - but I'm weird like that ;)

And last, but definitely not least doTERRA HD Clear Facial Lotion. While my Lush cleanser does double as a moisturizer, I love this product for acne help. I've always had a fairly clear complexion, but as I get older and dare I say, a little more hormonal, I've noticed some acne. I think this product helps keep it at bay. Nothing is fool-proof, but the essential oils in this product are super helpful at keeping my skin clear and bright - and it smells good. Win win! 

What are your favorite facial products? I would love to give them a try! Comment on instagram @beautifuleffort or share below! 

Passion Series: Fatherhood

I have been writing this post in my head for months now. As some of you know, I started the "Passion Series" to share some of the things that I've become more passionate about since starting this blog. We've talked about motherhood, but today is my husband's birthday, so I'm going to talk about Fatherhood.
I'll be completely honest, I knew very little about fatherhood, minus the fact that I have a wonderful dad who has helped me grow into the person I am now, but I only knew one side of fatherhood, and that was through the eyes of a child.

As I have watched the person I love turn into a father, I have realized the heavy dedication it takes to be a dad. In full disclosure, I didn't understand why Matt wasn't ready to have kids when I was ready. I was ready to have a baby about 1 year before we started trying for Kess. Matt was mid-MBA, mid-working full time & mid-exhaustion. Now, I'm not entirely selfish, the plan was the wait until Matt graduated, but I like to think about things way in advance and Matt is totally "in the moment"... I knew I had to start buzzing in Matt's ear about a baby well before I knew we would actually start trying, but the more he said that he wasn't quite ready, the more stubborn I became, even though I knew it wasn't time yet.

After Matt graduated with his MBA, we thought we would start trying for a baby. Then Matt asked if we could just wait for summer to be over. We could enjoy our last summer without kids with camping and hiking. While it was a great idea, I was still miffed. I remember selfishly saying, "Why does it even matter to you? I'm the one that will be pregnant. I'm the one who is going to be breastfeeding. I'm the one who is going to be staying home. I'm the one who is going to be getting up in the middle of the night. Having a baby hardly affects you." How arrogant (and rude) was I? That selfish comment has replayed in my mind over and over again as I watch my husband wake up in the middle of the night with our daughter, as he walks me out of her room because I'm exhausted and at the end of my rope, as I watch him hug and kiss Kess the second he walks through the door, or as we climb into bed at night, we check the baby monitor one more time and he says, "I love her more than anything."

I have two very clear images in my mind relating to Matt and Kess. The first is the moment she was born. They sat her on my chest and Matt touched her tiny hand and she wrapped her bitty fingers around Matt's. I will never forget that, ever. And, the very first night we brought Kess home, I was terrified and exhausted. I was so nervous for her to wake up in the middle of the night. I remember that first little cry that woke us up out of our sleep. Matt turned on his lamp, flashed me a huge smile and said, "I'll get her!"

So, I am constantly reminded about my selfish comment by the way he treats Kess and I. On top of that, I can't imagine the stress that comes with earning the primary income for our family.
Matt isn't a flawless dad, just like I'm not a flawless mom, but he works so hard to provide the life that we dreamed of for our family. We often talk about how important the motherhood role is, and I wholeheartedly think that fatherhood is just as important.

Happy Birthday Matthew, I cannot imagine my life without you. How incredibly lucky are we to know that we are each other's forever? You are the husband I dreamed of, the husband I prayed for. And now, you are the best father Kess and our future children could ask for. We can't wait to celebrate with you tonight! We love you more than you could ever comprehend!

Weekend Shenanigans & Date Night

Alright, I'm a day late, but I thought I would post about our busy little weekend. I was dying to take Kess to the pumpkin patch, mostly because I have never actually "picked" my own pumpkin. I only wanted one tiny one for Kess, so we decided to head out to a small pumpkin patch. I'll be totally honest with you - picking your own pumpkin isn't all its cracked up to be. I was waiting for this magically perfect Instagram world of hot cocoa, wagon rides, lush green wines with perfectly shaped pumpkins on them... not so much. But, nonetheless we had a great time. My momma joined us, so we got to pick a few pumpkins for her porch & we found Kess a tiny, cute pumpkin. Kess actually seemed to enjoy herself despite having tripped over pumpkin vines a few times.

Matt had some work to finish up, so my mom, Kess and I went to lunch. We have officially reached the age where Kess really isn't all that pleasant to take out to eat. She gets pretty restless and needs entertained a lot and most things don't keep her attention for long. Then I turn into that mom that's offering her iPhone to her toddler... dang, did I just admit that? Words eaten. So we inhaled our food & got Kesser back home for nap time #favoritetimeoftheday (after bedtime, that is)

Later that afternoon once Kess woke up, Matt's mom came over to watch Kess so Matt & I could get a date night in. Matt and I actually suck at dating each other. We go out quite a bit, we have our great moms and some awesome babysitters, but we rarely go out just the two of us. This was a treat. We basically picked the cheapest date ever since we had a Cheesecake Factory gift card from last Christmas (see, not so good at the dating) and we had 2 movie tickets. We hadn't seen a movie since I was pregnant with Kess. We were pretty dang pumped. We even bought popcorn and a drink, because we had so much room left in our stomachs after demolishing our Cheesecake Factor food. This is why I have a "mom-bod" ;) We saw the Martian, which was fantastic. Totally recommend it! I laughed, I got teary-eyed and I had a nervous feeling in my tummy because ti was so suspenseful. Go see it. We also got stuck in traffic on our way home due to an accident, but it was kinda nice to sit quietly next to each other. It's funny how the little things can make a date night so wonderful.

I think it's so important to date your spouse. It's honestly really hard to do, especially when you have kids. It ends up being our savings grace. This week we had a bad case of the "reeeers" at our house. We were tired, worn down and grumpy. A night away was just what we needed. It is tricky to balance your "love life", when you're also building careers, homes and families, not the mention figuring out what to cook for dinner and remembering that you've got wet clothes in the washer (since yesterday)... marriage is a ton of work and I'll admit it's easy to let it fall by the way side, because you know you love your spouse, but it's even more important for them to know that you love them. It's easy for that message to get lost in translation. So, put in a little extra effort & go on a date. ;) What is your favorite date night activity? I want to know! 

Have a great week, friends!

Friday Favorites

When starting this blog, I decided to put forth more effort to make Kess' day to day life more exciting. I know that she probably won't remember things for a while, nor does she probably appreciate the little things I do, but I will remember them forever. I want to know that I did little things in my children's live's to make their days magical. 

I'll be honest, I fall short pretty much every day, but someday's I totally pull it off & feel like

 "Mom of the Year!"

I saw these cute candy corn popsicles on Pinterest and I just so happen to have bought popsicle molds at IKEA when I was in Utah this summer. I had all the ingredients in my fridge (Score, that like never happens) I put vanilla Greek yogurt in the bottoms and let it freeze, then orange juice and let that layer freeze. Then for the finale, pour some pineapple juice in there & let it freeze. They look a tad bit un-perfect, but Kess woofed them down! 

I'm dying to try this White Chicken Chili recipe. I think it sounds amazing! I have never had chicken chili, so it will be fun to give it a go! Plus soups make me so happy when it starts to get chilly outside! 

My crazy talented friend Cortney, has a super fun Etsy shop called TreeHouseDesignz with the cutest stuff! She just helped me with a vinyl for this great sign that Matt built for our kitchen. She let me be super picky with the fonts, too! As soon as the sign is finished I'll be posting away. Go check out my new favorite Etsy shop! I dare you do not buy something! 

We are pretty boring around here. It's been a long week between teething, crazy work schedules and a house that never seems to stay clean. Matt & I are being selfish this weekend and going on 2 dates. On tonight & another Saturday night! Don't worry - we are taking Kesser to the pumpkin patch Saturday morning to pick out the perfect little pumpkin! 

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends! 

Friday Favorites & a simple fall treat

Happy Friday, my sweet friends! We are gearing up for our 1st annual Harvest Party! My sister & I decided to plan a little get together with a few friends for some homemade chili, yummy fall treats and a few games! We are super excited about it! We've been in party planning mode all week! Weeee!

I don't know what it is about having a child, but holidays are so much more exciting! I've been finding the cutest Halloween gear, so I thought I would share some of our favorites! In full disclosure, I don't purchase all of these things! We just don't budget for all sorts of frills, but it's fun to buy the occasional holiday goodies!

Of course, I love all the little kiddo Halloween clothes. I think this little kitty cardigan is to die for! And it can be worn past Halloween because it's plain and simple! I found these cutest little skeleton jammies at Burlington for under $8 - I just had to snag them. They even glow in the dark which is dang cute, but keep in mind that the glow is bright! ;) I totally caved when I saw this adorable "moewlloween" tee from Positively Oakes! It was on sale, so I went for it!

I've been thinking about this Halloween Chex Mix for weeks. I'll probably add popcorn in, instead of so much Chex mix! I love candy coated popcorn! 

I'm getting ready to make Chili for our 1st annual Harvest Party (as soon as Kess starts her nap this afternoon), I'm super excited to stuff my face with chili and too many fall treats! 

I figured this would make a super easy and yummy treat at our party tonight. It's also great for "Booing" if you do that with your family! We do it for a mutual/youth activity! This is the treat we will probably be sharing!

Sprinkled Donut Holes 

powered sugar and milk; mixed to a "frosting" consistency. 

dip donut hole partially into frosting mix,

then dip into sprinkles.

I love this little treat because it can be used for any occasion! 

Super easy to use whatever sprinkles you want! 

Ta-da!

Cheers to the weekend! ;)

Friday Favorites: Teething

Kess got her first tooth at 6 months and I'm happy to say that our teething experience with her hasn't been awful... until now. Poor thing has 3 teeth cutting through right now, 2 of which are molars. Once these 3 teeth cut through she will have 10 teeth! She's a champ, but I can tell she's miserable. She's normally a phenomenal sleeper and this last week or so, our nights have been doozies. I actually took her in to her pediatrician because she was tugging at her ears, too. She's never had an ear infection, and her ears ended up looking just fine, so those darn teeth are giving her a run for her money. 

Here are a few things that work for us as far as teething goes. We use a lot of essential oils - we are firm believers in using both modern and alternative medicine, so both get used in our home. 

White Fir: I rub a little bit of this on Kess' gums; wherever her new tooth is cutting through. This numbs her gums a little and does a great job and easing her pain. She will even open her mouth now, whenever I grab the bottle and rub a little on my finger. I figured that was a good sign :)

Clove: When I can tell that she's in so much pain that White Fir isn't cutting it anymore, I dilute (heavily) clove into Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO). (1T FCO:2-3drops clove.) Clove is great for numbing the gums. Kess woke up in the middle of the night just bawling, and I knew it was her poor gums, so I rubbed her gums with diluted clove and she conked back out. 

Roman Chamomile/Lavender/FCO Blend: In a 10ml roller bottle -10 drops of Roman Chamomile, 10 drops of Lavender, then filled the rest of the way with FCO. I roll this onto her cheeks and massage into her jaw line, I also massage it on the bottoms of her feet, this helps calm her jaw pain and also helps her sleep. 

Hyland's Baby Teething Tablets: Kess eats these like candy. I actually have to hide them because if she sees the bottle, she points and asks for them. They dissolve really quickly and easy teething pain with 4 homeopathic ingredients. We get ours at Wal-Mart or Target. During rough teething days/nights, we use these as much as directed. 

During lunch or snack times Kess has frozen yogurt pops. I just bought some individual yogurt squeezes and froze them. I cut them in half and Kess loves them. I'm sure the cold helps ease her gum pain and they taste good, too! 

And, like I said before, we are firm believers in modern and alternative medicine, so we aren't above giving Kess' Acetaminophen* or Ibuprofen. We typically give these to her at night, because with essential oils, consistence is key, so they get applied often, but at night we want her to get the rest she needs to recover, so we do essential oils and a dose of medicine, as well.  

*I've done the research on Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen and feel comfortable with giving my child the occasional dose.*

What teething remedies do you use in your home? I would love to hear them!