Friday, March 31, 2017

Fri-Yay

Fri-Yay indeed! My mother-in-law sent us a text last night asking if we would like to go see Beauty and the Beast. She knows how bad I've wanted to see it and offered to watch the kiddos so Scott and I are going on a date tonight! Dinner and a movie....the perfect date if you ask me!
That's about all I've got for today. Sorry it's so short but sometimes I just literally can think of nothing to say! I hope you all have a great weekend and I'll see you back here on Monday. Look for some more outfit posts next week. I'm trying to get better about taking pics and doing outfit posts because it seems to be what a lot of you enjoy reading about the most. As always, if there's ever a topic you want me to write about (fashion/baby/home/pets/beauty etc) let me know!! I'm always up for ideas. Enjoy your weekend!

Thursday, March 30, 2017

blocks.

The boys are really starting to play together a lot lately and I think it's just about the sweetest thing in the world! Campbell has always been really sweet to Bennett but Bennett is beginning to get to where he can interact and play a little more now. Campbell is really enjoying his constant companion and I know they're just going to have more and more fun together as the days, weeks, months and years go by!
Campbell has always loved just plain ol' blocks and Bennett is starting to see how much fun they can be! If someone said we had to get rid of every toy we have and only keep one, I would keep this basket of blocks. I never in a million years would have thought Campbell would love blocks....they seemed so boring compared too all of the other toys. My neighbor gave us some that her kids had outgrown when Campbell was about Bennett's age and they instantly became a favorite. Eventually they became an obsession and I hope Bennett finds just as much joy out of them as Campbell has! I think blocks are such a great toy and I'm so thankful for my neighbor who gave us a bunch of her old blocks because they have been our go-to toy for over two years now! I wonder if Campbell will teach Bennett to be a master stacker like he was? Ha!

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Wordless Wednesday

Semi Wordless Wednesday. I have a few more photos from my phone I wanted to share from Campbell's 3rd birthday. 
Presents from Family
Special breakfast to start the big day. 
THREE!
Bennett took the longest morning nap he's ever taken. He pretty much missed the entire first half of the day! 
All Aboard! Party time!!
Loved these fun stickers to decorate the cups!
Sweet baby. 
Brothers in their choo choo attire! 

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

In-between

I love spring but how to dress for it can sometimes be challenging. It's freezing in the morning and at night but the sun comes out in the afternoon and it's nice and warm. There's always a few weeks where I struggle to know what to wear so I basically just wear the same thing over and over. Ha! Jeans, a basic white tee, and an oversized cardigan that I can throw on when it's chilly is pretty much my current uniform. It's easy, comfortable, no fuss and gets the job done until the temps get warmer.
Jeans-Gap HERE |  Tee-Old Navy HERE | Cardigan-Gap (similar) HERE

Monday, March 27, 2017

Campbell's Third Birthday

We had a wonderful day celebrating Campbell's birthday yesterday!! We started the day with sprinkled covered donuts then opened gifts from family. While Campbell spent the rest of his day playing with all of his fun new stuff, Scott and I got everything ready for Campbell's birthday party. I was so excited about Campbell's party this year. I rented a train. A real one. And we got to have his party on the train!! Campbell LOVES choo choo's and when I had the idea to rent out a train for his birthday, I had no idea if I would be able to pull it off. Thankfully the Arkansas Missouri Railroad allows private parties so we were able to make our train loving toddlers dreams come true by having his birthday on a train!
So many of Campbell's little friends were able to come to his party which made it so much fun. Apparently Campbell wasn't the only toddler excited about riding a choo choo. All of the parents told me their kiddos were sooooo excited about the train. We were able to board the cabin and take an hour long train ride, then once we came back to the station we continued the party with cake, squeals and lots of smiles.
Campbell had the absolute BEST time at his party. He completely got it this year and knew it was his special day and that everyone was there for him. I wish I had filmed him when everyone was singing 'happy birthday' to him. He had the sweetest look on his face. Part bashful, part loving the attention.
The party was at 4:00 so we just offered some light snacks, tea and lemonade. We got juice for the kids and Campbell loved playing host and passing out the juice to all of his friends. He loves being a helper and apparently enjoys throwing a party too! When people were first stepping onto the train, Campbell would say to them "all aboard!!" and it made us giggle, especially since we didn't coach him to say that at all.

I hope Campbell will always remember this day. He hasn't stopped talking about his "train party" all day today and has enjoyed reliving it over and over. I'm so glad we were able to do something really fun and special for his big day!!
Overall, we had the absolute best day celebrating our sweet Campbell. Scott and I were so excited about the party and, as always, I hoped everything would run smoothly and it did! All of the kids had such a fun time riding the train and Campbell was so happy the entire day but especially at his party!
Such a fun day that I'll remember forever. So many happy memories. I'm beyond thankful for these past three years with our sweet, train loving Campbell!

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Campbell | Three Years Old

Campbell is three years old today!!!
 
Weight: 30.4 Pounds
 
Height: 3 Feet exactly
Sleep: Campbell is in an inbetween stage where he doesn't really need a nap but occasionally he does. I offer him quiet time and sometimes he goes to sleep. If he doesn't go to sleep, he goes to bed at 7:30 but if he does take a nap he stays up until 8:00/8:15. He wakes up between 7:00-7:30 every morning. He sleeps in his big boy bed and never, ever gets out until we come and get him. He sleeps with his dog, bear and blanket and if they aren't in his bed, he makes sure they are before he falls asleep!
Eat: Meh. Not the best eater but not horrible either. His current favorite fruit is cantaloupe. He loves rice and we pretty much eat it as a side at dinner every single night. I make him a PB&J for school almost every time he goes. He has a smoothie for breakfast every morning. He wakes up asking for his "smooth" and it's made of Chobani Yogurt with a banana and a few strawberries. He loves it. Sometimes he requests cinnamon rolls for breakfast also. Campbell's favorite veggies are peas and carrots. He loves cheese but only if it's shredded. His favorite thing in the whole wide world is any and all snacks!!
 
Clothes: Size 2T clothes, 3T Kickee Pants pj's (almost...going to move him into them any day now) Size 7 shoes.
Likes: PAW PATROL!! Puzzles, trains, dinosaurs, stacking blocks, TV (his favs: Paw Patrol, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Mickey, Sheriff Callie, Little Einsteins) playing with his tools and fixing things that "break," reading books, playing outside, his brother and sisters, snuggling, helping with tasks.
 
Three Years Old: What a delight this year has been! Campbell is a pleaser so his toddler years haven't given us much trouble at all. He attends Mothers Day Out twice a week and absolutely loves going. He learned to sleep in a big boy bed and got potty trained all around the same time (about 8/9 months ago) and picked them both up instantly. Only a mom could appreciate this but he recently started going potty all on his own which is super exciting. He got pretty sick once this year with a little 24 hour bug in January but otherwise has remained really healthy. He still sucks his fingers and I have no idea how we're going to stop that....nor do I even care right now. Campbell became a big brother this year and he is the best big brother! He adjusted better than I ever could have imagined. He LOVES his baby brother and has since day one. Campbell is so, so sweet to Bennett and Bennett thinks Campbell hung the moon. Campbell grew up SO much this year. He went from still being a baby to seeming like such a big boy. I love his age right now. He makes us laugh daily and is so much fun.
All About Campbell: Campbell is so sweet. I know I say that all the time but that's because he is. It's mine and Scott's favorite characteristic about him. Campbell loves to read us books and does a great job because he has his favorites memorized page by page!! It's so cute and funny and he mimics exactly how I have always read them to him. He pronounces his name "Tampbell" and calls Bennett "Boo." He always has and came up with that all on his own. He knows his name is Bennett but will never, ever say Bennett--it's always Boo. Campbell loves to give out hugs. He is currently extremely obsessed with his Pops (my Dad) and talks about him allllllll the time. Campbell loves playing with his friends. He loves to spin in circles and get dizzy. Ha!! Campbell has a zest for life and loves to have fun--and you can always, always tell when he is having fun!! He calls me "Mommy" and Scott "Dad."

This sweet precious boy has blessed my life more than I could ever express. I adore being Campbell's mommy. I feel so lucky that I get to spend day in and day out with this amazing kiddo and watching him grow has been the best part of my life. He makes me so proud and brings me so much joy. Happy 3rd Birthday Campbell!! We love you more than you will ever know!!!!

Friday, March 24, 2017

Gap Joggers

I received so much feedback on my Instagram Stories last week about some clothes I was trying on in the Gap dressing room. I ended up walking away with a few items and these joggers were some of my favorites. I love them so much I got them in a few different colors. I've been asked how I would style them so I snapped a few photos earlier this week to share with all of you how I plan to wear them this spring/summer.
I like the style of these pants but I love the comfort even more. They are seriously the most comfortable pants I think I've ever worn!! This outfit is probably going to be my summer mom uniform so I'm all about being simple here. A basic tee and flip flops is all I need to pull this outfit together.
I had to size down in the pants....they run a little big. You could also pair them with sneakers or wedges but I love sliding my feet into flip flops in the summer so that's probably what I'll mostly wear them with. I've been debating getting a few more pair to add to my collection because that's how comfortable and easy they are!!
Shop the look!
Pants HERE & Similar HERE & HERE | Tee HERE

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Rodan + Fields Review

I recently had the opportunity to try out a few Rodan + Fields products. For those of you who haven't heard of Rodan + Fields, it is a skincare line founded by the same dermatologists that are the creators of Proactive. When I was asked what my biggest concern about my skin was, I said mostly to prevent the signs of aging. I'm already getting dark spots on my face (I blame my love of the sun) and I know I'm getting to the age where I need to start taking preventative measures to keep my skin looking bright, tight and youthful! Rodan + Fields has created an amazing skincare line that is clinically proven to visibly reverse the appearance of aging. Much of our skins aged appearance is caused from the sun, not the passage of time. Instead of visiting the dermatologist for these skin concerns, R+F has created a dermatology based skincare line giving everyone access to a clear, even-toned complexion.

Hands down my favorite product was the Redefine Night Renewing Serum. First of all, the packaging is so neat....not that that's supposed to matter but still! It comes in an individual capsule that you twist open and use nightly. The capsule helps shed dead skin cells to visibly improve skin texture. It feels so silky going on and I love that it's individually packaged so you a.) know exactly how much to use and b.) know exactly how many applications you will get per package. Some breastfeeding women are nervous to use this product due to the retinol in it but I reached out to my doctor and she not only gave me the clear but also said she used it herself while breastfeeding.
Another product I loved was the Redefine Overnight Restorative Cream. It replenishes skin's natural moisturizing factors while you sleep for visibly firmer, less-lined looking skin in the morning. I applied this after I used the night renewing serum and I loved how my skin felt after using it.
Finally, I also really loved the Redifine Multi-Function Eye Cream. Sleep deprivation, pollution, the sun's rays, putting in contact lenses, and taking off make-up, even smiling, frowning or blinking--everything seems to take a toll on our fragile eye area. I've learned from friends who are in the beauty industry that using an eye cream is so important and this cream is perfect to use to help brighten eyes and make them appear younger.  
Overall, I was really impressed with all of the products I tried. These three just happened to be my favorite but I loved many others. All four of their lines--Redefine, Reverse, Unblemish and Soothe--are clinically proven to work. You should google before and after photos--you will seriously be amazed!!!



Everyone who uses Rodan + Fields is very passionate about these products because they know how well it works. If any of you are interested in trying out this skincare line, simply click HERE. Also, you may want to consider becoming a Preferred Customer. You receive perks like 10% off all purchases, free shipping, reminder emails about product replenishment, exclusive offers and first access to specials.
"Decide Today How Tomorrow Looks"--Rodan and Fields

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Sunlight

Is there anybody out there who isn't enjoying all of the extra daylight? I looooove it. We have a great little routine in the spring/summer where we go outside after dinner (if we aren't already outside grilling) and play at the park, go for a walk, have fun with toys in the driveway and chat with neighbors. It's just SO much better than staying cooped up inside and after feeling like we've been hibernating all winter, it is a very welcomed new routine.
While Campbell was playing with the little boy who lives next door to us, I decided to snap some pictures of my littlest angel as the sun was setting.
I don't shoot sunset backlight often. It's hard to do it in the winter because it gets dark so early. I love the look of that warm light though and I think these photos turned out so sweet. I'll have to try to take more like it this summer. 
Bennett is feeling much better now. He has a pretty terrible sounding cough + congestion but I'm pretty positive it's just allergy related. He's in bed now with his Vicks plug-in's going. Do y'all use the Vicks plug-ins? I swear by them. I discovered them when Bennett was just a few months old after he got croup and I was trying to find things that would help him. We've always done Vicks on the feet but I know the smell of Vicks is what helps most so the Vicks plug-in's work great. I swear it seems like they've basically been on constant rotation since Bennett was an itty bitty baby and they really do wonders. Whenever Bennett is grown, the smell of Vicks will always remind me of him as a baby!! It's kind of sad but totally true. It will forever be my memory smell of baby Bennett.
This week is running away from me. I keep looking at Campbell thinking "he only has a few more days to be two." It's crazy to think he was in my belly just 3 years ago and now he's this little boy that I have conversations with. Exactly 3 years ago today I was 37 weeks pregnant with Campbell and if anyone cares to take a walk down memory lane, you can click HERE to read my 37 week bumpdate!