Spring Bucket List 2023

 Anyone else super excited about springtime?  Here's my bucket list for the season...

Baby Girl's Bedside Nursery Nook

 I have to admit, I was pretty bummed when I came to the realization that baby girl wasn't going to have her own designated nursery right away.  Our house has 3 bedrooms - one for my husband & I, one for our toddler son, & the other is my husband's work from home office {not to mention our throw all the junk in room}.  It just wasn't feasible to try & move my husband's office right now {though we plan to in the future months (fingers crossed)}.  So, I did my best to make her little bedside nursery nook as cozy & cute as possible {& budget friendly, too, because that's just part of my DNA (hope she gets that gene, too)}.  Here's how it turned out...

Let me know if you have any questions about specific items & I'll do my best to tell you where they're from.  For a super quick rundown the thrifted items are: the peg rail on the wall, the birdhouse nightlight, the wooden alphabet blocks {I actually scored the whole set minus one or two}, the Princess Tales paperback book {the lamp is sitting on top of}, the little wooden pale blue house, the gray baby shoes, the bassinet, the Holly Hobby baby doll {sitting in the bassinet}, & the Cuddle + Kind Daisy Cat {that was scored on Poshmark}.  The small white framed piece was my 2 year old son's contribution to his little sister's space & a fun & simple way to make him feel even more a part of things.

Today was my last OB appointment, tomorrow is my due date, & an induction is scheduled for this Tuesday if this little lady doesn't make her appearance before then!  Prayers appreciated!

Much Love,

Laura

P.S.: If you haven't already seen my nursery mood board - for when baby girl actually gets her own room in the future - check it out here.

A Word for 2023

I've been seeking things like we all do.  (Did you realize the fact that we're all seeking?)  We're all seekers of something - typically always somethings plural.  But, what are you seeking first?  What are you seeking the most?  

Lately, this has been hitting me hard.  I feel like I've been seeking things - a tidy home, a better marriage, to be a better mama, to be more beautiful inside & out, to find the perfect wallpaper for baby girl's nursery, to find the peace amidst the crazy pain of this broken place called our world, to find the best pregnancy safe face serum for this now over 35 mama...  The list could go on pretty much into infinity.  But what about Jesus?

This verse is it for me right now.  "But seek first His kingdom & His righteousness, & all these things will be given to you as well." -Matthew 6:33 NIV.  The words that feel most important to me are first & His (His referring to the Lord).  Am I seeking Him first, or has His spot been jumbled somehow by the cares of this world & my own selfish sinfulness?  Am I seeking His kingdom, or trying to build one of my own design?  Honestly, I'm not happy with my answers, & honestly (again), it explains much of the anxiety I feel.  The desire to be in control, to be safe, to have what I want when I want it, to be what the world says is best.  I feel as if in this mess, I have lost my first Love (like the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2).  And, well, these other "loves" just don't compare & always end in disappointment, & yet I chase them.  Seek them.  

Lord, forgive me.  Lord, bring me back to You, my first & truest Love.  You are what I want to be seeking first & most & hardest.  You, & you alone, are the one to satisfy the longings of my heart.  May I fall deeper in love with you each & every day.  Help me, Lord, to seek You first & Your kingdom & Your righteousness.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

"You will seek Me & find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." -Jeremiah 29:13

Baby Girl Nursery Mood Board + Some Kinda Crazy Story Time

 So, this is how I am.  Years ago now, early on in our marriage, waaay before any baby ever blessed my belly, my husband & I found ourselves on a little date night in Cracker Barrel.  There, I happened upon what seemed like the cutest thing ever at the time - an expensive swan rocking toy.  Somehow my dear sweet husband let me leave the store with this big ole' pricey thing.  He knew I loved to save things for the one day maybe dreams.  Just like I had done with greeting cards I purchased for him, long before I knew who him was.  Does this sound crazy?  I'm thinking this sounds crazy.  Pretty sure now it probably was, but again, this is how I am.  So, we took this large toy home to our apartment, & literally had no place to store it.  It sat in our living room much of the time, & if anyone happened to stop by we'd hurriedly move it to our bedroom & shut the door.  After all, we didn't want anyone to think we were pregnant when we obviously weren't.  Fast forward to our sweet surprise of Reed.  We were sure he would be a girl & he would ride this fancy swan one day {which, full disclosure, he has ridden it some even though he's a boy}.  Surprise, God had a little boy in store for us first, & now we wouldn't have it any other way.  Honestly, I thought we might never have a little girl & that was okay because God knew best.  But, what would I do with this swan?  Fast forward some more, & guess what God blessed us with?  Another surprise baby for this PCOS mama, & this time a girl!  My mom has 6 grandsons, & this will be the 1st granddaughter, & I am truly so very shocked that we now have a reason to have this big fancy swan rocker I bought all those years ago.  All that to say, God is sooo good, & He has good plans!  Also, all that to say, I've been stumped on whether to go full on all Swan Lake nursery, or go where my heart is kind of pulling me now to some kind of mashed up enchanted secret garden theme where obviously magical crown wearing swans live, too.  Obviously.  Anywho, that is where I'm going to - this loose flowery theme with some whimsical creatures here & there, & maybe a Frances Hodgson Burnett quote sprinkled in for good measure.

Here's the mood board...

P.S.: Leave me a comment if you're interested in where something's from, & I'll be sure to get you the link!  Also, check out my full Pinterest baby girl nursery board here.

P.P.S.: This girl is coming soon, & this mama is going to have to keep dreaming her nursery dreams for awhile longer, because baby girl's nursery space is still her daddy's office {not to mention our throw-all-the-junk-in room}.  We'll work it out in time, & baby girl will be rooming with us for the first several months anyhow.  I did buy the rug shown above, though, so that's a start.

Our 2nd Baby's Gender Reveal

We are all so excited to meet this little one!

My Favorite Christ Centered Christmas Children's Books

 There's something simply magical about snuggling by the light of the Christmas tree in cozy Christmas PJs to read a story with your little{s}.  At least, I imagine there is.  My two year old toddler guy is typically struggling out of my lap & forever running wild, & honestly the best times I find to read to him are when he's confined to a high chair {just keeping it real here}.  I can roll the highchair out tree side at least, so there's that.  Anywho, there are so many Christmas books out there for kiddos - more secular than not most of the time, but there are still plenty that spread the message of the true meaning of Christmas if you know where to look.  Here's some of our favorites...  {Also, we thrifted almost all of these!}

1. My Merry Christmas by Sally Lloyd-Jones

2. God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren

3. The Christmas Baby by Marion Dane Bauer

4. Usborne Nativity Flap Book by Sam Taplin

5. The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg

6. The Story of Christmas by Patricia A. Pingry

7. Winter: Poems, Songs, Prayers by Concordia Publishing House

8. This is the Stable by Cynthia Cotton

Truly there are so many other children's book gems out there that still point to Jesus as the reason for the season - these are just the few that grace our collection.  Let me know in a comment if you have any recommendations to add to this category!

Much Merry Reading,

Laura

Keeping Christ in Christmas

 

There is a hubbub at Christmastime unlike any other.  Lights blare, a soundtrack booms of "Santa Baby" & "All I Want for Christmas is You," advertisements entice, hurry & stress seem permissible & downright necessary, overspending & debt are the norm, & the true meaning of the day gets lost in all the noise & flash.  It is the most important story for all of humanity, & yet it is not what this old world wants us to see or hear this time of year.

The enemy has done his best to take over this holy day & make it as worldly as possible.  So then, how do we keep the focus on the true meaning of the season in our hearts & homes, & in the hearts of our kids?  As mamas & homemakers, we have the power to take this day back for what it is - the birthday of our blessed Savior.  Here are a few simple ways we use special traditions to point our kiddos {& ourselves} back to Jesus amidst the crazy the world puts on display.

-Have a simple birthday party for Jesus.  Make cupcakes or a cake together, sing the birthday song to Jesus, & talk about ways to give "gifts" to Jesus in behavior, praise, prayer, & obedience.

-Find a child friendly nativity for your littles to play with.  We have a secondhand Little People one our son loves.

-Read scripture daily this December as a family.  Luke has 24 chapters; read one a day & you get through the entire book by December 24th, letting you then reread the passage of the birth of Christ on Christmas day.  There are also scripture advent calendar ideas via Pinterest or just plain old Google to explore.

-Place baby Jesus under the tree.  For our current season with a busy & curious toddler, we take a little plastic baby doll we literally found at the Dollar Tree, wrap him in cloth, & place him in a simple basket filled with "hay" {craft store raffia}.  This let's us have so many moments to talk about how Jesus is the true & best gift.  Also, the child friendly nativity option talked about above, could be placed under the tree, too, for little ones to engage in.  If you have older kiddos, you might place a whole fragile nativity set under the tree.

-Find Christmas children's books that point to Christ.  We have a LOT of Christmas books in our house, & while it's true that not every one is about the real reason for the season, the ones that are are by far my most favorite to read to my son.  I've created a whole post sharing my favorite faith filled Christmas books for kiddos you can find here.

-Give to others as a family this Christmas.  Find ways to serve, give, & love on others this season as a family, all because of Jesus.  This could mean visiting a nursing home or shut-ins from your church, giving Christmas goodies to your neighbors, filling a shoe box for Operation Christmas Child {note the deadline for collecting these is typically in November}, helping out at a food bank or shelter...  The possibilities really are endless.  Make sure you use these moments of serving, to remind your kiddos {& yourself} that "We love because He first loved us." -1 John 4:19, & the greatest way God shows us His love is in giving us Jesus.

-Place an importance on attending church this Christmas.  This December 25th {2022} actually falls on a Sunday.  I have been amazed to hear Christian families rationalize not attending church on this day because they were too busy with celebrating the holiday.  How crazy this seems to me, when the whole reason for this holy holiday is Jesus!  We don't take a vacation from church {literally, growing up & going on vacation, we always found a church to attend come Sunday & that left a great mark on me to the importance of our faith}.  Make a statement to your family, that Christ truly is the center of Christmas.  And, yes, we will be at the Christmas Eve service the night before, too. 😉

Bonus Ideas:

-Display special Christmas decor in your home that focuses on Jesus.

-Try the Elf on the Shelf alternative Shepherd on the Search.  I really want to look into this for next year when my little boy will be 3.  I'll be keeping my eye out for after Christmas sales on this!

-Teach your kiddos the old Christmas hymns & carols of the faith.

What are some ways you keep Christ at the center of Christmas?  I'd love to know, leave me a comment!

Merry {Christ}mas,

Laura

Well... Guess What?

 After my "return" to this little ole' blog in late April of this year, I quickly disappeared yet again with the busyness of life & a broken laptop.  And then, well, we had a sweet surprise!  We're expecting our 2nd little one in February 2023!  Can't wait to meet this newest little Valentine!

P.S.: I also got a new laptop, so I'm going to try & be "back" once again.  We shall see.  Fingers crossed.

P.P.S.: Hoping to get a gender reveal video up soon!

Mother's Day Read Alouds for Babies & Toddlers

Celebrate Mother's Day with the special little one{s} in your life & this mix of fun + sentimental read alouds perfect for babies & toddlers!

From left to right.

1. Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? by Eric Carle

2. Grandma Kisses by Laura Neutzling

3. I Love You Because You're You by Liza Baker

4. You Made Me a Mother by Laurenne Sala

5. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

6. Littles: And How They Grow by Kelly DiPucchio

Let me know if you have any Mother's Day book recommendations!

Introducing Our Son...

Um, yes, I know he's almost 2.

Maybe introducing him this late seems a bit much, but we'll just blame it on COVID & mama's tiredness & major absence from this little ole' blog.  Nevertheless, here he is our sweet little bundle, not quite so little anymore.

Reed Maverick

7 lbs. 7 oz.

21 in. long

June 20, 2020

And now here he is today...  Yes, all the quips are true.  They grow so fast, & the days are long & the years are short, but oh so sweet.

Long Time No See {I'm Back!}

 

You guys, if any of you are still out there, I have missed you!  And I have missed this space to write in, & share in, & be creative in so very very much.  Last time I was on here I was majorly a pregnant girl waddling about with such a grateful {& pretty nervous, let's be honest} heart.  Now, I'm a mama to our sweet boy about to celebrate my 2nd Mother's Day ever {with him outside the womb} at 35 years of age {& he's about to turn 2 in June!!!}.  So much has happened since that last post, & a lot of it feels like a blur, a true swirling whirling whirlwind of time.  We've got a lot to catch up on!  I realize that I've missed this outlet & special space, & I love using it to chronicle these days that I so don't want to forget.  I'm back, you guys!  I am  back!

Love,

Laura

P.S.: I promise to introduce you to my boy next!

Baby's Gender Reveal Video!

My Photo Pregnancy Diary // Weeks 17-21

// January 2020 //

// February 2020 //

Valentine's Wish List

I love Valentine's Day.  I always have.  Even when I was single - it's true!  Now that I'm married & preggo this year it just makes it even more special.  I can't believe this is going to be our last Valentine's Day just the two of us!  It's crazy, but my basketball smuggling tummy size keeps me grounded in the reality of it all.  

Here's some things I'd love to receive this February 14th...

1. chocolate - maybe a mix of milk & dark
2. mini rose potted plant - this way it won't be a wilted bouquet in a week {let's hope}
3. or 4. maternity dress - pick one {Dan, which one do you think I'd look best in?}

My Photo Pregnancy Diary // Weeks 12-16

The 1st trimester exhaustion + nausea + anxiety kept me from being very motivated to do much - much less take bump photos.  But starting at 12 weeks I've been trying to keep up with it.  Here's a look at my weeks 12-16.

// December 2019 //

// January 2020 //

1st Trimester Faves

These are the things I loved in my 1st 3 months of pregnancy...

1. Vitafusion PreNatal Multivitamin Gummies
Let me premise this by saying I am the worst pill taker ever.  There is some kind of weird phobia thing going on with me & I have a terrible {read: almost often impossible} time swallowing meds.  This being the case, I knew I wanted a gummy prenatal vitamin if at all possible.  This one by Vitafusion fits the bill!  It's got a great raspberry lemonade flavor + is gentle on the stomach.  I take 2 every day!

2. Warner's Easy Does It Wire-Free No Dig Bra
I had found a couple of these at Marshalls before I was even pregnant & snagged 'em because I've always loved Warner's + these looked extra comfy {which they did not disappoint}.  And when pregnancy hit & things started changing {& hurting} in that area, I found this bra was the only one I owned that felt good on.  Basically I've had only these 2 bras on constant rotation that I've lived in the last couple of months!

3. Hair Ties
Yep, good old fashioned hair ties!  Why, you may ask?  Well, they help extend your pants for just a little while longer & give you a little more confidence than just wearing your pants unbuttoned with a long top + hoping for the best.  I have done both, & wholeheartedly vote on the hair ties!

4. Love Beauty & Planet Murumuru Butter & Rose Oil Hand & Body Lotion
A few reasons why I love this: it's safe to use during pregnancy + dye-free, paraben-free, & plant-based!  It doesn't hurt that it smells great + really works on dry skin {which I experienced a lot at the start of my pregnancy}.  There are loads of other scents + products in this line to try & I just discovered this comes in a body butter, too!

5. Intermountain Moms Youtube Channel
I stumbled across this Youtube channel when looking up baby related videos one day, & it has been such a wealth of information.  If you are expecting, especially for the first time, I highly recommend taking a look at these videos.  I think they have some uploads from years & years ago which I have not looked at, but the newer ones specifically with Nurse Dani are awesome.

Things I Want To Do This January

1. Listen to 1 {or more} Revive Our Hearts podcasts daily.  These are around 25 minutes of solid Biblical teaching, wisdom, & hope designed for women by women.  These bless my soul & there are tons you can listen to for free or download for free on reviveourhearts.com.  You can also search lots of topics to find the podcast that speaks most to you in your current season.  I think my January 1st one will be this followed by this.

2. Read 1 book {at least}.

3. Clean + declutter our apartment.  It needs it.  Desperately.

4. Take a 15 minute walk daily {either outside, at a store/mall, or on the treadmill at our apartment's community gym}.

5. Journal more.  At least once a week.

These are the things I want to accomplish this January.  Some of them, like listening to Revive Our Hearts, reading, walking, journaling, etc. I may just want to carry through to other months or even the whole year, but this is my start.  There are also things I've been doing that I want to continue in 2020 {& do better with more intentionality}, like reading my Bible daily, drinking lots of water {#pregnancylife}, & others.  I can't wait to see how God works in this year & in my heart.

What are some of your goals for this new decade?

Finding Out We Are Pregnant!

It's funny, I remember that morning taking my prenatal vitamin like I had for what felt like forever {doctor advised it when I told her we were wanting to start trying over a year ago}, & I thought briefly to myself, "Why am I even taking this?"  That day at school I felt off & irritable & tired & I decided to take a pregnancy test when I got home.  But, I didn't have high hopes.  I had taken one a few days before & nothing, so I was pretty much certain it was a fluke.  In fact, when you have PCOS & your period is already late 9 times out of 10, you can find yourself taking a lot of pregnancy tests.  For some in the past I had been really hopeful, but this one not so much.  In fact, I dipped the pee stick, laid it on top of its wrapper on the counter, & jumped in the shower, not even bothering to look at the thing until I got out.  I did not think I was pregnant.  Of all the countless tests I had taken since our marriage began none felt less likely to be positive than this one - but I guess deep down I had enough smidgen of hope to check & see.  What's impossible for God, right?  Imagine my surprise when I got out & gazed down at the test.  Wait... Is that a faint line?!  I honestly remember saying out loud, something to the effect of, "That's not supposed to be there!" a couple times over before kneeling, praying, thanking, laughing, crying, praising, dizzy reeling from all the emotions & the wondering is this really real?

Day I Found Out: October 8, 2019
Day I Told Dan: I think it was after midnight, so technically October 9, 2019
Day We Saw Our Baby for the 1st Time: November 6, 2019
Due Date: June 18, 2020
God is Good: ALL the time

We Are Expecting!

Can you believe it?!  This is a shock, &, first & foremost, a praise.  More deets coming soon!

My Favorite {2 Ingredient!} Pumpkin Muffins

Easy recipes are pretty much the only recipes I do.  And this one is definitely that with only 2 ingredients!  I've made this tasty {& pretty healthy} fall treat with both chocolate cake mix & spice cake mix, & it's yummy either way!  If you like more chocolate-y flavors, than I suggest trying a chocolate or devil's food cake mix.  However, this go around I'm using a spice cake mix.  I found the pumpkin flavors come through even more when you use this mix as opposed to a chocolate one.

Here's what you need: a spice cake mix {or chocolate if you like} + a 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin {note: NOT pumpkin pie filling}.  That's legitimately it.

Preheat the oven to 325° F.  Add muffin liners to your muffin tin or simply spray your bare muffin tin well with a non-stick baking spray.  Add the cake mix powder & the pure canned pumpkin together in a large bowl & stir well {until you don't see any more cake mix powder}.  Scoop the mixture into your muffin tin & bake for about 20 minutes.  Insert a toothpick into the middle of some of your muffins to see if it comes out clean - if it does they should be done!

I hope you enjoy these easy-peasy pumpkin muffins with your family this season!

P.S.: The pumpkin makes them so moist!