Living on Love

Help a Blogger Out

2012-01-31T06:00:00.002-06:00

One thing I love about the blogging community is how supportive everyone is. I would say that 90% of my readers are other bloggers and that is pretty awesome! So, I thought it would be fun to make a list of all the things you can do to support your fellow bloggers. Really, this is an essential part of being a successful blogger, as well. You've got to immerse yourself in all the bloggety goodness...

Read other blogs. Duh. There is someting wonderful about catching up with your "friends" from far away. It's also a great place to get inspirtation. And stating the obvious - if you want people to read your blog, you've got to be a blog reader too.
Comment. This is a great place to get to know your bloggers. Commenting can take time, but it's something that is necessary for building community. Best of all - commenting usually means you can leave your blog link on their site, which might earn more readers for you!
Participate in projects, contests, and giveaways. We've all been there. 6 lousy entries on a giveaway you were totally stoked about. One great thing you can do is to participate! Enter the giveaways, link up, and participate in the projects. There are so many wonderful ways to engage, and most of them give you the chance to write your own blog post! Everyone struggles to come up with content from time to time, so this can be a great way to support your blogger friends while adding to your own blog while you're at it.
Connect with them elsewhere. Find them on twitter, facebook, etc. Twitter is essential for bloggers, seriously. Find their etsy shop. Follow them on pinterest. Do whatever you can do get to know them. (In a non-creepy, blogging way!)
Promote them when they deserve it. If you read an exquisite post, tweet it or post it on your facebook wall. When they have a great photograph or a really cool craft idea, pin them! All bloggers need people promoting them. That's just the truth.
Give your readers the opportunity to see which blogs you stalk. How did you find all of the blogs you currently read? Chances are, you found them from another blog. This is a great way to support each other. All you need is to provide a tiny link list so your readers can see what blogs are catching your eye.
Sponsor them. Again, a win-win. When you sponsor another blog, you are helping them out. You are providing income. You are making their dreams happen. And in turn, you get ad space! This means more traffic to your site, so that you, too, can make your dreams happen.

So, how do you support your fellow bloggers? Anything I'm leaving out? I'd love to hear!

Addie's First Haircut

2012-01-30T06:00:00.009-06:00

Welp, I did it. I finally cut Addie's hair. We've been going back and forth about cutting it for some time now and I finally decided to do it. I was totally surprised by how simple it was - only 2 steps!

Step 1: Wet hair and comb forward!

Step 2: Cut across!

What do ya think?

From this...

To this...

I should tell you, Addie now knows how old she is! How old is Addie? ONE! :)

She's looking pretty hip, that's for sure! My, what a growing up girl we've got. Phil ~~might have~~ cried. Just sayin'. What's the deal with Daddy's and their daughter's hair? :)

Happy Monday!

P.S. - Don't forget that TODAY is the last day to enter the Living on Love Monthly Challenge! Click here to enter and see the rest! :)

Bossypants (or Adair, Lately...)

2012-01-27T06:00:00.060-06:00

Little miss Adair Lynden is 15 months old today! Where, oh WHERE has the time gone?

   What can I say about Baby Boops at 15 months old? Well, she has "discovered her voice." Yes. We'll say that. She finally realizes that she kinda has a say in things - like what she will wear, eat, or do. Where she'll go, what she'll say, and what she'll decide to ignore. We are in this weird stage with her. It's hard. It's hard to know when to be firm and say "no" vs. when to ignore. She's still so young that reasoning with her, or even punishing her for something like not eating her dinner seems inappropriate. We're learning though. And best of all, we're not giving in.
     She has become super attached to her dadlum. For some time, I was okay with it. Now, it makes me a little sad. I thought maybe it was good, what with Baby #2 coming and all, but now I'm afraid it'll get even worse when her little sister arrives. She follows him everywhere and almost always prefers him over me. The only time she really wants me instead is at bedtime, when it's time to rock and snuggle. (Sweet, I know.) I think it started because he drops her off and picks her up each day. Also, I just can't hold her for very long anymore. Her tiny body just puts too much pressure on my pregnant belly.
     We have a new favorite thing - Planet Earth! Several nights a week, once she's in her jammies, we'll all snuggle up in bed and put on an episode of Planet Earth. I don't really consider it like normal TV, since it's so educational. In fact, I think most kids would be bored watching. Addie though - she loves it. She "oohs" and "ahhs" at everything she sees. Sometimes, the show gets a little bit "mature". Like a wolverine attacking an animal, squirrels getting it on, etc. Maybe someday we'll have to explain all that. For now, we watch and learn.
     Her hair is getting out of control. It's growing at a rapid speed, and is now covering her eyes, almost to the end of her nose. I keep going back and forth about cutting it. On one hand, I don't want to do it. For some reason it seems as equal to piercing her ears or some other thing she's too young for. On the other hand, it's in her face. All the time. So something should probably be done. I'm scared to cut it myself but I really don't want to pay someone to do it either. Any advice here? I'd take it!
     She's getting better and better at her words. We now know words like "shoes," "hair," "ball," and "nose" in addition to the other words she's known for sometime. She's getting good at animal sounds too. She knows all the sound effects for cows, sheep, dogs, bears, and elephants. We need to do a better job about teaching her words and practicing them often. I think next we're going to learn numbers and words that might help our day-to-day interactions like "milk," "more," "yes," and "no." Knowing these might help eliminate a fit now and then. She knows what they all mean, now she just needs to use them herself!
     Last but not least, she's about to be a big sister. And still, we aren't super sure she realizes it. I've been worried about how she'd "take it" when Baby#2 finally arrives, but I'm finally feeling more at ease. Addie has been fantastic (seriously, folks!) at every single transition in her life thus far. Granted, this is probably the biggest one yet, I know she'll be great.

We are a proud momma and dada, that's for sure! Happy 15 months, big girl!

Last Call!

2012-01-26T06:00:00.001-06:00

Last call to sign up for a February sponsorship! Please contact me ASAP if you are interested! I've still got a couple of each size available, ranging from $5 - $25! If you are a new blogger or shop, this is a great way to grow your traffic! Visit my sponsorship page for more information.

If you would like to sign up for a spot, or if you have any questions, email me HERE.

Thanks, friends!

Check out my new gig!

2012-01-25T06:00:00.013-06:00

Remember when I told you I had a new, (volunteer) side job? Well, I can make it official now! I am writing a biweekly post for our local newspaper's Family Life Blog.
Go check out my first post, and let me know what you think! I'd love your feedback!

Thanks, friends!

January's Challenge - Our Trip to the Capitol

2012-01-24T06:00:00.020-06:00

Excited to share with you today our version of tackling this month's challenge. For the year 2012, I am going to challege you to ONE thing each month - something new to try, a tradition to create with your family, a way to simplify your life, an outing to take, a project to work on, a sweet memory to make, etc. All of the challenges will fit our theme of Living on Love - really living in a way that makes life meaningful, day in and day out. (By the way, it is NOT too late to enter the January challenge! You've still got a week to complete your challenge and share it here!) Oh, and if you do not have your own blog, don't fret! I'd still love to hear about your outing. Just comment on the page and tell us what you did!

For our challenge, we ventured to the state capitol building. It's something we've been wanting to do for a while, as it's only 30 minutes from us. One Sunday afternoon, we ate fried chicken and then headed out for our free family outing. I was stunned at just how beautiful the capitol is. I mean, I've been there before (like 10 years ago) but it really did take my breath away. From the cool sculptures outside to the amazing paintings on the inside dome, it was exquisite. Addie LOVED her first trip there, as we were one of the only families around. She pretty much had free-reign of the entire place. She was loving the freedom to walk around and look at what interested her most. Here are some pictures of our trip...

All in all, it was a great time. I plan on going back sometime again soon so we can explore even more. If you live close to your state capitol - go see it! A neat and FREE outing to enjoy!

DIY: Candy Heart Wreath

2012-01-23T06:00:00.020-06:00

I'm super excited to share with you today the project I worked on this weekend...

Supplies Needed:

Wreath
5 bags of large candy hearts
Glue gun & glue sticks
Clear acrylic spray

Step 1: Make your wreath. Instead of buying a foam or straw one from the craft store, grab a piece of foam tubing from your hardware store. (Got the idea from Pinterest!) Mine was 6 ft. long and only cost $.97! I just cut it and duct taped it to hold.

Step 2: Start gluing on the hearts. It takes some time. You can try to do a pattern if you want. I just made sure no same colors were touching. FYI - you won't use all of the candy hearts. It took me about 5 bags just because I tried to even out the colors. Some bags had no white, or tons of pink, etc.

Step 3: Pull off all the glue cobwebs. You know, the stringy leftovers from the glue gun. Get rid of all of that so your wreath looks nice and clean.

Step 4: Hang your wreath someplace where you can spray it. I hung mine from a tree with some leftover yarn. Spray it with a clear acrylic. This helps to seal it. Since ours is going on the front door, I wanted to make sure it was a little bit wind/water resistant. If you're hanging it inside, you could probably skip this step.

Step 5: Hang it! You'll probably need a wreath hanger and not just a nail. It's pretty heavy from the candy. Add a pretty bow to the top, and wah-lah! You've got yourself a super cute Valentine's wreath!

Have questions? Let me know! If you make one, I'd love to see it!

Our Dreams, Coming True...

2012-01-20T06:00:00.005-06:00

I've been waiting on publishing this post for a long time. It's something so wonderful, yet so bittersweet. Remember all my ranting about how I long to stay home with my babies? Well, I made a decision. We made a decision. Once I give birth to Baby #2, I will be leaving my job and the classroom for some time. Yep, I'm going to be a stay-at-home mom. Well, really a work-from-home mom because I've still got to chip in to help make ends meet. I could tell you all of the practical and logical reasons this makes sense for our family, but to be honest, it's where my heart is. It's what I want to be doing. It's what I long for. I love teaching, I do. But this is a new season in life. A season for birthing, nursing, loving, nuturing, and raising my children. I know I'll go back to work someday, once my kids are in school. But this time, this time is for them.

I can't begin to tell you how difficult it was for me to make this official. Scarier than marriage, childbirth, a job interview, Fear Factor... I mean, seriously. (Okay, maybe not Fear Factor.) Telling my boss that I plan to resign had me sick to my stomach for days. Yes, I knew 100% that it was what I wanted, but the telling - the making it official, that was risky. I have several ideas of how I can contribute to our family's income once I'm not working full-time - watch another babe, tutor, teach online, do more with my Etsy shop, blog for $$, etc. But honestly, nothing is nailed down quite yet. Scary? Absolutely. But there's nothing like knowing it's all about to happen. My dreams really are coming true. My mom has always had a little mantra along the lines of "everything will work out" or "we'll figure out a way." While some might say this is foolish, I know she's right. We will figure out a way. We'll make it work. And it will be wonderful!

I often dream about what life will be like when I don't have to be away from my family for 8-12 hours a day. Things like breakfast. I am so excited to make my family breakfast. It might seem small or trivial, but I can't wait. The things we'll do. The books we'll read. The projects we'll tackle. The places we'll go. I feel like I can finally be the mom I want to be. I can't wait. I CAN'T WAIT!

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in this decision. Support is really all you need. You need people to believe in you. Thank you, Phil, for making my dreams come true and giving me two beautiful babies to raise. Working mommas - my heart goes out to you and always will. I know it's hard. I do know. It's the hardest job in the world.

Image via

I found this print on Pinterest. Don't you love it? I feel like this is the exact state of my life, our lives, right now. And this is just the beginning...

The Perfect Take-Home Outfit

2012-01-19T06:00:00.011-06:00

AH! Why, oh WHY has it been so hard to pick out the perfect take-home outfit for Baby #2? I do not know. After much searching, here are a few of my top picks. (Although, some are a bit out of my price range.) I'm going cozy, sweet, and soft. What do you think?

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7

Interested in Sponsoring Living on Love?

2012-01-18T06:00:00.001-06:00

We would LOVE for you to sponsor us!

Here are our stats:

We're now getting about 5000 views a week, and we're in the top 80 out of 1200+ on Top Baby Blogs. This blog has also been featured on Design Mom, Oh Dear Drea, and Early Mama. It's a perfect way for you to gain readers/customers/etc. (I especially love Etsy shops, fyi!) Here are the requirements:

1.Your blog/shop needs to fit the style of our blog.
2.Local and/or handmade shops will receive 10% off!
3.If you refer another sponsor, you will also receive a discount!
4.Booking and payment for 2 or months results in 20% off!
5.You will get an ad space for the entire month PLUS inclusion in a monthly sponsorship post, in which I will rave about you and what you have to offer my sweet, sweet readers. :)
6.I have a few sizing options - small, medium, and large. See detailed info below:

$5 Small Ad
200 x 75 pixels
Listed at bottom of sponsors in right sidebar
Only links included in monthly sponsor post

$15 Medium Ad
200 x 150 pixels
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Links + description included in monthly sponsor post

$25 Large Ad
200 X 200 pixels
Listed at top of sponsors in right sidebar
Links + narrative description in LARGE ONLY monthly sponsor post

All sponsors have the opportunity to give shop discounts or host a giveaway on Living on Love.
For shop discounts, discount must be 10% or greater.
For giveaways, item must be of $20 value or more.
Giveaways do receive an individual post which results in MANY new visitors to your site.
I am also available for product reviews. Contact me for more information.

Let me know if you have any questions! Email me HERE for more info!

Before 's arrival

2012-01-17T06:00:00.015-06:00

How do you prep for your second baby? How do you prep for your second baby when your first one is just 15 months old? How do you prep for childbirth when you have no time to think about it? First time around, labor and delivery and baby stuff consumed my mind. Now, I don't even know what to think. All I know is that in a few short weeks it'll be time and I'll have to be ready. I'm not sure if I feel less anxious this time around because "I've done it all" before or if that alone makes me MORE worried about it all. Honestly, right now, in this moment, I feel anxious. Last time, although a long labor with consuming pain, things were peachy. After 18 hours, my healthy baby girl was in my arms. What if something goes wrong this time around? In this moment, I'm anxious. But most of the time I just throw my hands up and breathe. I remind myself that women have been giving birth for thousands of years. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes it doesn't. The best I can do is all I can do. Lots of people ask if Adair has any idea she's about to become a big sister. I'd like to think so, but I don't know for sure. She knows the word "baby" and has an extra crib in her room now. We tell her about her little sister all the time, but most of the time she ignores. :) We got her a baby doll for Christmas, hoping that would "prep" her in some way. Sometimes she rocks her and holds her tight. Other times, she chucks her onto the floor in determination for some other toy across the room. Sometimes I start to sob because I'm afraid Addie will feel betrayed, like she wasn't enough so we had to have another baby. But then I remember how wonderful she is and how wonderful our new baby will be. I know she might have a hard time at first, but she'll get used to it and she'll grow to love and take care of her new best friend. I just know it. Right?

I keep thinking of everything that I'd like to get done before Baby #2 comes. (Oh, and I can't WAIT to tell you her name. It's beautiful!) That's the problem, though. I just keep thinking about it all, instead of actually doing it. Here's my list so far:

Figure out the crib
Buy the fabric (I finally picked it out!)
Have my momma finish the crib skirt
Frame the new prints
Hang them
Make the garland
Buy newborn diapers
Buy a couple more cloth diaps
Bring up & sort all the newborn clothes
Get an extra crib sheet or 2
Frame the huge woodland print
Clean the craft room
Redo the dresser in our bedroom
Go on a real, nice date (or 2) with my love
Finish the playroom
Rearrange the living room
Print photos
Find that darn tiny bulb for the nightlight
Make 2+ weeks of freezer meals
Have a garage sale
Buy a new breast pump
Decide about labor/delivery photos
Schedule newborn photos
Get a massage
~~And a pedicure~~ Got one yesterday!
Pack my hospital bag
Finish the antler project
Schedule all the guest posts
Figure out a plan for Adair when we go to the hospital
Wash the carseat
Bring the cradle in from the garage
Pick out a take-home outfit (more on this later)
Finish making my L&D playlist

I'm sure there are about 4 million other things that I haven't thought of. And I'm sure that about half of this won't get done before she comes. And honestly, sometimes it's nicer to hoist myself into a hot bath or go to bed early. And let's be honest - if she came tomorrow, everything would be lovely and I'd just have to get done what I can when I can. The world will not end if the nursery is not completely together. The world will not end if the house is a mess. The world will not end if I don't get all of this done in time.

Ok, now time for a nap. :)

P.S. I'd love to hear how you prepped for another baby! Any tips you have - send them my way! :)

An update, of sorts...

2012-01-16T06:00:00.001-06:00

Man, I feel like I haven't even had time to breathe lately. Or maybe that's the baby girl inside me shoving her feet and bum into my ribs. Anyway, I feel like I've had a lot on my mind lately. Feel free to pick through my brain...

I've been thinking about spending money. Not actually doing it, but just the thought of consuming. I've read some great ideas about taking a spending hiatus and so we'll see where it takes me.
Seemingly related to that, I've successfully sold a few things on good ole Craigslist. We made enough money to buy a new crib mattress and we still have some leftover. Now I'm saving for a new breast pump. Holy $300.
I think I'm going to make a 30 by 30 list. You know, the list of 30 goals you'll complete before you turn into an old woman. I have less than 5 years left, so I better get started on it.
I got a new job. Well, a side-job. And it's volunteer. But it's still really exciting. Starting this month, I'll be contributing to our local newspaper's Family Life Blog. I'm really excited about it! When I start, I'll be sure to share it with you.
Pinterest is incredible. It really is. Especially if you use it. I've actually done several DIY projects and have tried several recipes. So far, so good. Follow me?
I'm ready to not be pregnant for a while. I feel like I've been pregnant for 2 years straight. I want to ride a bike. I want to ride a jet ski. I want to drink a freaking beer. Shoot, I just want to get out of bed without feeling like I have to wind-up ahead of time. Baby #3, we want you. But not yet. Mama needs rest.
Addie has been super attached to Phil lately. It's cute until she starts sobbing any time he puts her down or walks out of the room. I might be just a little bit jealous.
You what sucks about being a parent? Poop. Seeing it every day. Breathing it in. Getting it on your hands and under your fingernails. But it makes you stronger. Like when you're at a restaurant and there's a hair in your food, it's no big deal.
We've been swimming a lot lately, about twice a week. We got passes to our local rec center for Christmas so we've been hitting the lazy river quite a bit.
I know I've said this before, but I really love brunch. Like, LOVE it. There is nothing like eating a glorious breakfast at a reasonable hour at a (usually) fine dining establishment. Phil and I had brunch on Saturday before we headed to the Mizzou game. It was to die for.
I want to get better at photography. We've had our "good" camera for quite some time. I need to know how to use it!
Have you joined the challenge yet? Make sure you do! It's not too late.

Happy Monday!

January Sponsors...

2012-01-13T06:00:00.049-06:00

We have fabulous sponsors this month! Check these guys out:

Our featured large sponsor:

Hannah Pratt is a mommy on a mission. Okay, not really. She is just trying to keep from drowning with her chin held high, barely above WATER level. On the regular, she is found at The Oh So Unusual Housewife hoping to blog her way to safety. However, on occasion she is also found here, alongside her family Supporting Sam Pratt's Law only hoping someone will take a listen to her quiet voice. So go on, listen awhile you might actually be able to hear her. Blog // Twitter

Medium sponsors:

Shoshana created eyebrows + lipstick when she moved away to Texas with her (now) husband. Her blog serves as a creative outlet for her unabashed girlyness to thrive. eyebrows + lipstick features lipstick recommendations, advice on picking the perfect perfume, book recommendations, and a never-ending list of wants to behold. Find her here: Blog // Twitter // Facebook

Adair Designs is the Etsy shop of Living on Love. Adair Designs specializes in custom and graphic art prints, especially for baby. Check out the shop and see what cuteness awaits...

Small sponsors:

Interested in sponsoring?

See more info here.

Looking for Guest Bloggers

2012-01-12T06:00:00.001-06:00

As my due date approaches, I am looking for guest bloggers to contribute to my blog while I'm away doing the whole labor/delivery/figure-out-how-to-be-a-mom-of-2 thing. I'm looking for posts about motherhood - it can be anything and everything, but I'd like it to be positive. This might be a neat memoir of your first few moments as a mother, what motherhood has taught you, some of your favorite moments from motherhood, the best things about your babies, etc. Really, I am open to anything, as long as it's sweet and wonderful and all of that jazz. :)

If you're interested, please let me know. I'd like to have all of the posts by the end of February so that I can post them at anytime. (Which will depend on when I go into labor, etc.) Of course, you can include images, links to your blog and social networking sites. It'll be great.

Contact me asap if you'd like to contribute!

Living on Love: Groceries

2012-01-11T06:00:00.013-06:00

Many people have asked how we save $$ on groceries but still make yummy, healthy meals. I am no expert and I'm not even a couponer, but here are a few tips that helps us stay in our $250 budget each month...

Aldi. We are very blessed and live a pretty close distance to an Aldi store. Please don't be better than Aldi. You're not. You should know that Aldi is owned by the same company as Trader Joe's. Now are you listening? We regularly shop at Aldi. It's the perfect place for staple food items. Some things (like veggies and cheese) are nearly HALF as much as they are at mainstream stores. It's the best place to grab baking supplies, too. Every now and then they have special items like whole wheat pasta, good quality European chocolate, artisan take and bake breads, even fancy cheeses. Every time we go we are amazed at our savings and ask ourselves why we don't ALWAYS go there. Check it out and see for yourself!

Gerbes. Aka Kroger. For our "normal" shopping, we go to Gerbes. They have a shopper's plus card that really helps save money. And, if you use it online, you can load extra coupons and discounts to it. Then, when you shop they are automatically applied. We love Gerbes for their meat selection, dairy, and getting ingredients that Aldi doesn't carry. We are often displeased with their produce, so we tend to get our fruits and veggies elsewhere.

Sam's Club. For Christmas, my parents got us a Sam's membership. We've already been twice! They key to shopping at Sam's is not losing your mind like you are Cosmo Kramer and buying gallons of mayonnaise and ketchup and a 48-pack of hot dog buns. But, there are a few great deals that you can make work for your family. They have great deals on milk. If you're ok with not buying local, go for it. It's nearly a dollar cheaper per gallon. Also, they have great deals on veggies, fruits, and cheese. We eat a lot of these. (Actually, ADDIE eats a lot of these.) We also found some steals on meat. Just the other day I bought a big pack of bacon, a huge thing of chicken breasts, and a bunch of lean hamburger meat. We divvied (don't you love that word?) up the meat into meal-sized portions and threw them in the freezer for later. Bottom line - you have to eat what you buy. If you do, you'll save money. If not, well then...

Trader Joe's. Sadly, we don't have a Trader Joe's. The closest one is a couple hours away, in St. Louis. But, since we're in St. Louis about once a month, we'll try to stop and grab a few things. I LOVE their staple items because they are made with quality ingredients and are good for our girl. Things like peanut butter, applesauce, multi-grain pancake mix, tomato sauce, pasta, etc. They also have a tri-tip asada roast that is TO DIE FOR. Trader's is like going on a field trip. I love it and wish SO MUCH that we had one closer to us.

{Occasionaly we'll visit Hy-Vee. But honestly, every time I go there I'd like to stab myself because it's just so dang expensive and I know I could find the same exact products for less money at other stores. I NEVER shop at Wal-Mart. In fact, I haven't since Addie was born. But that's because Wal-Mart is the devil and that's for another post. :) }

Make a menu. We've finally gotten in a heathy habit of making a menu each week. Usually on Sundays we sit down together with our cookbooks and decide what we'd like to eat for the week. We usually plan on making at least 4 meals a week and try to use ingredients we still have in the fridge or the pantry.

image via

Make a list. This is something we've learned the hard way. When you make a list (and when that list follows the sections of the grocery store!) your shopping trip is much quicker! Especially when you're sending your husband alone. But seriously, make a list and know what you're going to buy. Stick to the rule that you can only buy what's on the list. Then, you won't be spending money on all of the extra things you see while you're shopping. AND, hopefully you'll only have to make one trip to the store!

Buy generic. Rarely do we buy name-brand stuff. I think this probably saves us the most. We buy generic pasta, canned foods, cereal, soup, beef stock, spices, everything... Plus, when we do this I feel like I can splurge a bit and get Addie her good organic foods. :)

Lunch = Leftovers. Another way we save money is not buying food specifically for lunch. We never buy lunch meat or microwave meals, simply because we don't need them. We take leftovers every single day. Most dinner meals we make leave us with at least 2 or 3 lunches. So we're always set for the next day.

In the summer, we shop the farmer's market each week. We also grow some of our own veggies and herbs and such. We're looking to purchase more food locally, but still haven't gotten in the best habit of it. We've also talked about getting our own chickens because we go through so many eggs and because it would be awesome. :)

So there you have it - a few tips and tricks on how to save money on groceries. I'm curious - how do you save? Do you coupon? How do you make healthy meals for your family on a budget? Chime in!

Living on Love Monthly Challenge: January!

2012-01-10T06:00:00.014-06:00

I am amazed at the feedback I got from you all about our new project! I am so excited for the Living on Love Monthly Challenge and I hope you are too! Just to recap, for the year 2012, I am going to challege you to ONE thing each month - something new to try, a tradition to create with your family, a way to simplify your life, an outing to take, a project to work on, a sweet memory to make, etc. All of the challenges will fit our theme of Living on Love - really living in a way that makes life meaningful, day in and day out.

Will you join me?

The January Challenge: Enjoy a FREE family outing!

Why? January is one of those months when everyone starts feeling the winter blues. We tend to stay cooped up inside. This month, I challenge you to get OUT OF THE HOUSE with your family and enjoy something together that will not cost you any money at all. Going to the mall doesn't count, even if you don't buy anything. :) Depending on where you live and what you have available, find something that your family will enjoy together. This might be a trip to your local library, a free museum or kid-friendly gallery, a festival or some free live music, a trail walk or a trip to the park if the weather permits, a sunset drive in the country, a visit to a local farm. You pick! Get creative and choose something that fits you! Most of all, make sure you are living on LOVE!

The Deets: Sometime between now and January 30, enjoy your outing. Soak up every minute of its goodness with your family. Take a few photos while you're at it. If you blog, write about it and link up here. Broadcast it on facebook, tweet about it (#livingonlove), spread the word! During the first week of February, I'll post about the January Challenge, featuring my favorites! Of course, I'll include links to all participants!

I cannot WAIT to see your posts! I am just so excited about this project and I'm glad you're a part of it. Please pass it on to your friends, family, and fellow bloggers! In fact, grab the monthly challenge button and paste it on your site! Let's get as many people as possible involved!

Link up and share your entries here!

Living on Love: Monthly Challenge!!!

2012-01-09T06:00:00.001-06:00

Oooh, baby! I have news for you today! I'm really excited to introduce a new project to you:

The Living on Love Monthly Challenge!

For the year 2012, I am going to challege you to ONE thing each month - something new to try, a tradition to create with your family, a way to simplify your life, an outing to take, a project to work on, a sweet memory to make, etc. All of the challenges will fit our theme of Living on Love - really living in a way that makes life meaningful, day in and day out.

Will you join me?

Tomorrow, I will post the first challenge. Until then, tell your friends, tweet about it (#livingonlove), post it on facebook. Let's get everyone involved and do this together! Can't wait!

Sabbatical {in photos}

2012-01-06T06:00:00.037-06:00

I like to think of winter break as a sort of mini-sabbatical. A time for newness and rest. A hiatus from the chaos. A time for family. A time to sleep more and eat foods you normally don't have the time to make. Our break was wonderful. Even though I do love the snow and would have welcomed it with open arms, the weather was delightful. A few days, the temperature made its way past 60 degrees. This meant we could garden, go on walks, enjoy the park, etc. Addie lovingly crawled around the garden and learned to use a hand digger. She got her first grass stains! GRASS STAINS! I was ecstatic to wash her first grass stains out of her overalls. (Yes, a gardening girl needs overalls!) She also received a boost of bravery and walked an entire field and half a lap around the lake at our favorite local park. It's really wonderful to see her grow and to see the changes she makes, even in her confidence. Here are some of my favorite pictures from our days off...

Happy Friday!

-L

Keep in Touch via Facebook!

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hello friends! First off, I want to thank you for reading. Whether you are finding this blog for the first time today or if you've been reading for the past year, I appreciate it greatly. Living on Love was a blog I started long ago. At first, it was meant for me and sometimes my family. Since then, it has grown and for that, I am grateful. Writing is something I absolutely love, so thank you for allowing me to do it for an audience! This year, I have several goals for this blog. Growth? Absolutely! Depth? You betcha! Income? Yes, please! In trying to figure out the best way to "advertise" (ugh, hate that word) my blog, I've come to find that Facebook is one of the best places. While my friends probably get sick of seeing my updates in their newsfeed, I try to only update about new blog posts once or twice a day. All that being said, I will fully admit that this post is nothing more than a request for you to find my facebook page! If you "like" Living on Love on Facebook, you will get daily updates and occasional info about giveaways and contests. It's a party, folks. Don't miss out! Just click the image below :)

Again, thanks for reading! You guys are the best!

A New Year, A Promise to Life!

2012-01-02T06:00:00.003-06:00

Something feels strangely different about this new year. I'm not sure if it's because I'm now older and wiser at a whopping 25 years old (I hope you're laughing) or if it has something to do with the fact that I'm having my second baby soon and I've got all kinds of weird thoughts and emotions running through my veins. Either way, 2012 seems weird. Doesn't it sound so futuristic? I'm having a baby in 2012. So weird. And let's all pray that the Mayans weren't right. Pretty big claim they made. Anyhow, it's a new year. As I think back on my past and look forward to newness, I am keenly aware that life really is dependent on the decisions we make. Every year, millions of people make resolutions. They want newness and change. They want to be better. While I don't have many regrets in life, there are things I think about - even decisions that were good at the time - that I wish I would have tried something differently, gone with another path. More on that in a later post.

My point is that if we are going to make goals and resolutions, they need to carry meaning. They need to be measurable. Sure, I'd like to "be a better mom" and "love my spouse more." I'd like to "take more risks" and "see more of the world." But none of that will happen if I don't set realistic, attainable, and measurable goals. My 2011 resolutions were to finish the dining room, paint Addie's toy chest, join a gym, write and record a lullaby for Adair, and go on a big vacation. Pathetically, I accomplished 2 of these things. Clearly, I need to rethink my goals for the coming year to avoid the same problem next year. This year, I have 5 goals. They are important, necessary, measurable and difficult, but hopefully attainable.

Clean and organize the craft room before Baby #2 arrives.
Successfully plant and grow an herb garden.
Go a third year in a row without using paper towels.
Write good music. Like Mumford/Civil Wars-good.
To make money blogging.

In 2011 I grew. I learned more about myself and my desires for this life. I loved more. I gave more. I found new interests. I realized that marriage is all about the oneness. Not just about the love-making of two people, but really being one in heart and mind. Phil and I are very different. For a late night snack, I'd always prefer dessert and he'd always prefer something salty. With my Mad Money we get every Christmas, I bought a nice robe, some shoes, and rollers for my hair. Phil bought expensive meat and whiskey. My point is, that though we have quirky differences, we are one in the same when it comes to our dreams. We both long to see the world. We both desire change. We both envision a life where we "live off the fatta the lan" (Please tell me you've read Mice & Men). Chickens. We both want them. We want to sell our cars and only have one. We want to get rid of our TV. We want our government to meet the needs of all its people. We want to help. We want our family to be the focal point of our lives. We want to spend our twenties making babies and our thirties watching them grow. In fact, we do want to live on love, even more than we already do.

2011 was about discovery. Really thinking, talking, praying, processing, debating, and deciding what we want for this life. This life that we are creating every day, based on the decisions we make. I'm not positive, but I think 2012 will be a step in making our dreams happen. The "doing". The creation. The risks. All of it. 2012 will be about making it all happen. A promise to life, indeed!

(If you are interested in a copy of the above print, please email me at philandlacy at gmail dot com.)

2011: Our Year in Photographs

2012-01-01T06:00:00.002-06:00

2011 was fantastic. Maybe the best year yet. Here's our year, in photographs...

January was a warm month (metaphorically, speaking). We stayed indoors and away from the crazy snow, thought seriously about moving to Portland, and soaked up more and more time with our new baby daughter...

February was cozy too. We had even more snow, like an extended maternity leave. We watched our girl grow and change and knew even more in our hearts and minds that life was just beginning...

March was great. Phil turned 25, we went on our first family getaway, Phil learned to multi-task (see above), and I won an incredible bet in which I won a 10-minute back rub for every night in April...

April... Well, I don't remember much about April. Addie turned 6 months old. I remember I got pink eye and had to wear my glasses for 3 weeks straight, even on Easter. I had a beautiful new dress to wear and my glasses were just too "collegiate" to match. Is it pathetic that's all I remember?

In May, Phil and I celebrated 3 beautiful years of marriage, I had a memorable first Mother's Day, and we decided to start trying for baby #2. We're crazy and yes, we know it...

June was fabulous. School ended so I was able to spend every single day with my sweetums. We ventured to the pool and the park quite often. It was a bittersweet time as I finally stopped nursing my girl. Oh, and we got pregnant with Baby #2! :)

July was hot. Phil coached his little-league team and Boops and I stayed inside. I was happily not noticing the early signs of pregnancy. Instead, soaking up every moment of my temporary stay-at-home-mom life!

In August we went on a "real" family vacation. We enjoyed a few days in Denver, then headed to the mountains. Nothing like it in the world, especially when you have your baby daughter with you. Someday, this will be our background...

In September, I turned 25. We spent my birthday weekend riding bikes, picking apples, and eating fabulous foods. We told the world we were having another baby, too!

October was Addie's month. A whole year old, we still can't believe it. Every weekend we did something amazing together - the zoo, the pumpkin fest, her birthday. We found out we were expecting another baby GIRL and I managed to break my foot. Nonetheless, it was a great month.

November came and went quickly. We spent a lot of time outdoors. I was finally starting to show. Addie started walking, too! Pretty much the cutest thing ever.

December came and went in a flash as well. I dealt with my pelvic problems while finishing up the semester. We decorated our home for Christmas and spent much time with family, soaking up love and joy...

Here's to 2012!

New Print in the Shop!

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

I found this sweet print for the babies' room via Pinterest. To my surprise, it was listed at $250! Instantly, I knew I could make it and would HAVE to make it for the girls' room.

Here's the cute print I created. I wanted something light blue/turquoise and thought it'd be cute to include some doily art as well. You can purchase it from my shop for a whopping $10! :)

Make sure to check out my Etsy shop by clicking the banner below! Also, I've got a 20% discount going. Just enter the code "Livingonlove2012" at checkout!

Our Christmas, in Photographs

2011-12-30T06:00:00.001-06:00

We had a very merry Christmas! I'll let the photos do the talking...

Hope you have a great weekend!

-L

Last Call!!!

2011-12-29T06:00:00.007-06:00

Last call for January sponsors! We'd love to have you!!! Living on Love is really starting to grow, it's an exciting time! There are only a few spots left, so book yours asap!

$5 Small Ad

200 x 75 pixels

Listed at bottom of sponsors in right sidebar

Only links included in monthly sponsor post

$15 Medium Ad

200 x 150 pixels

Listed in middle of sponsors in right sidebar

Links + description included in monthly sponsor post

$25 Large Ad

200 X 300 pixels

Listed at top of sponsors in right sidebar

Links + narrative description in LARGE ONLY monthly sponsor post

All sponsors have the opportunity to give shop discounts or host a giveaway on Living on Love.

For shop discounts, discount must be 10% or greater.

For giveaways, item must be of $20 value or more.

Giveaways do receive an individual post which results in MANY new visitors to your site.

I am also available for product reviews. Contact me for more information.

Let me know if you have any questions! Email me at philandlacy at gmail dot com for more info!

-Lacy

Adair, Lately...

2011-12-27T06:00:00.032-06:00

Little miss Adair Lynden is 14 months old today. Like every new month, I can't believe it. Some days she seems like she's still my tiny baby, while other days she seems so old and tall and like a little girl. She's walking now, which is adorable. One night, (about a month ago) Phil and I went on a dinner date while his parents watched her. When we came home, she was walking. It was like she just decided she was ready. She got her confidence and was off. It's pretty stinking cute.

She's a bit bipolar when it comes to eating. Some meals, she gobbles things up, while other times she plain refuses every single thing she is offered. It's frustrating, for sure. When she was eating all the good homemade baby food I was making her, she ate everything. Beets, asparagus, green beans, cauliflower, mango, rice... You name it, she'd eat it. Now, she has an opinion about it all. And a very strong one at times. One night she just hollered for a good twenty minutes in her highchair because she was so mad about what we had offered her. (Which, that night it was beef, sweet potatoes, peas, and beans.) Phil and I just ignored her as she wailed on. She soon figured out we weren't going to give in to her temper-tantrum and quit. Never ate, but quit throwing a fit.

In other news, she's quite a little organizer. Her stacking skills are kind of incredible. (Did I really just type that sentence?) She can stack 5 blocks tall without knocking them down. Doesn't that seem impressive for a babe her age? She's always organizing and reorganizing everything - slamming cabinet doors, interchanging her sock and shoe bins, putting her bath toys where they belong. What's funny is that she never looks like she's having fun when she does any of it - she always looks so focused, like it's her job. She's got a mission and she's gotta get it done. :) Pretty funny stuff.

One thing that makes me sad is that she's over the whole "cuddle, rock, and sing with mommy" thing. That used to be my favorite time of day. Before her bedtime, we'd go into her lamp-lit room and sing and snuggle for a good 10 or 15 minutes. Then I'd lay her down in her crib and she'd happily go to sleep. Now when I try to hold her close in the rocking chair, she pushes away and throws her head back. She just wants sleep. I give in and put her in her crib and she looks at me and says with her eyes, "Hallelujah! I'm in bed! Now let me sleep, woman!" I guess I shouldn't complain because she really is a fantastic sleeper 95% of the time.

Happy 14 months, Baby Boop! I love you so much!

-Momma

DIY: Refurbished Baby Doll Cradle

2011-12-26T06:00:00.050-06:00

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas weekend, snuggled and surrounded by loved ones. We're still off celebrating Christmas with family, so I thought I'd share with you a fun little DIY project I've been working on. Remember our 3-gift rule this year? We each got something to read, something to wear, and something to play with! Well, Adair's "something to play with" Christmas gift was a baby doll and a baby doll bed. I bought a Corolle baby doll after doing much research. It was sweet, soft, small, simple, and had a good weight. Not to mention it was not freakishly scary like most of the dolls on the shelves! :) For the bed, well I got a little crafty. When Addie was about a month old, Phil and I went to a church rummage sale and found this awesome little antique cradle for $10. I knew the moment I saw it that I could make it so cute with a little TLC. It's been in our craft room for the past year, awaiting it's revamp!

Here's what the cradle looked like before...

{plain wood, ugly and smelly mattress and pillow}

And here it is after my hard work...

Isn't it adorable? I just love it! I found the vintage-inspired fabric from Jo-Ann's, along with the pink minky fabric for the blanket. I made a new mattress out of thick batting and used my extra fabric for a baby blanket. It only took a couple of coats of white paint, and soon looked super cute! We had it out in front of the tree for Addie on Christmas morning. More pictures to come! :) It was such an easy and fun project to complete. I think it'd be a great gift for a girl of any age - 1 year to 8!

Happy Monday!

-L

Stillness...

2011-12-23T06:00:00.035-06:00

It's Friday. Christmas Eve is tomorrow. Sunday is Christmas. You're probably thinking about all of the things you need to do: presents that need wrapping, ingredients that need to be bought, food that needs to be made, etc. Instead of dwelling on these things, I urge you to get inside your head and your heart and give yourself a good 10 minutes of stillness. Silence, quiet, calm, like snow coming down before the world is awake. Breathe deep, pray, meditate. Do whatever you need to do to feel Christmas in your soul on this day and on the days to come. So many times we let this season pass by without a moment of stillness to call our own. We get caught up and trapped by other good things, but we often forget about taking the time to be still.

In our wedding ceremony and on our wedding invitation we included one of my favorite poems. I think it is particularly fitting for this Advent season as we consider the love that has been given to us through the birth of our maker...

Love is
the perfect stillness
and the greatest excitement, and most profound act,
and the word almost as complete
at His name.

Image via

Merry Christmas to all of you!
May you find the love of your maker in the joy your friends and family bring you this weekend...
-L

Family Traditions

2011-12-22T06:00:00.006-06:00

Guess what? Today is my first day of break! Hoorah! To celebrate, we're continuing several holiday traditions. Every year Phil and I seem to add on to our list of traditions - some of which we started as newlyweds. Some of them come from traditions we celebrated in our families growing up, while others are things we created as our family started to grow. Every year, the advent season is a special time. It's a time to reflect on love and joy in our lives, while we remember the birth of our savior. What I love most about this season is the warmth that everyone feels. Whether they celebrate the birth of Jesus or not, it seems that most people enjoy the holiday season. It's a time of togetherness and fond memories. Traditions are often things that keep us alive. Here are some of the things we love to do during the advent season...

throw the pumpkins in the river (check)
pick out and chop down our tree (check)
decorate it together (check)
put lights on the house (check)
visit the Magic Tree at least 3 hundred times (check)
drink as much peppermint coffee and hot chocolate as we can handle (check)
host the annual ladies-only Christmas goodie exchange (check)
read our favorite Christmas storybooks (check)
read Jesus' birth story
watch our favorite holiday movies like Elf, Christmas Vacation, and White Christmas (still have to get our hands on that last one!)
drive through Greektown and look at all the pretty lights (check)
make oreo shakes with RED holiday oreos (makes a huge difference!)
enjoy our new pajamas that Santa brings each year
enjoy a Christmas Eve service
get Reggae her annual collar (although I have neglected this task this year! ACK!)
enjoy the first snowfall
wrap the presents and put them beneath the tree
stuff the stockings (check)
decorate Christmas cookies (check)

What are your favorite traditions? Why are traditions so important? Chime in, I'd love to hear!
-L

You Know You're Pregnant When...

2011-12-21T06:00:00.010-06:00

Have you ever seen that show, I Didn't Know I was Pregnant? Every time I've watched an episode, I think those women must be idiots. How did you not know? Did you not feel the baby digging into your ribs? Did you not notice your hair falling out? Did you not notice that the acne you had as a 14 year-old was coming back? Did you not notice you could no longer tie your shoes or paint your toes? Did you not notice that you had to drink gallons of milk to make the heartburn go away? Did you not realize you gained 30+ pounds? Oh, and did you not notice there was a basketball growing under your boobs? :) Anyway, I decided to poll all kinds of women on facebook and twitter to get their help in finishing this sentence: You know you're pregnant when...

Thanks to everyone who contributed! If anything, this will make you laugh... (and maybe gross you out or scare you from ever getting pregnant again!) :)

You know you're pregnant when...

...your teacher bladder fails you and you have to decide which is worse: leaving 30 freshmen unattended or wetting your pants in front of them.
...you notice you need to clean the toilet
...your husband can find no reason to justify asking for a back rub for himself.
...you pee a little every time you laugh, cough, or sneeze.
...you actually consider eating at Taco Bell.
...you gain two inches...in your cheeks...and your feet...and your thighs.
...you gag every morning while brushing your teeth.
...you cry because you measured the flour wrong for cookies.
...scrambled eggs sound good morning, noon, or night.
...you justify going to be before the clock has reached 8 pm.
...you locate the bathroom first every time you're in a new place.
...you start balling in the middle of the children's section of the bookstore because the stories are just so wonderful.
...commercials either make you go insane for some type of food or make you vomit.
...the smell of any type of poultry makes you RUN the other way.
...you go to bed with B cups and wake up with DDs.
...your husband is waging a silent war against your body pillow.
...you tip over when putting your underwear on.
...you start burping, all the time.
...you have to keep a puke bag in the car in case morning sickness hits on your way home from work.
...you feel like you came down with a case of mono, because even your hair is exhausted.
...you eat liver and onions by the plateful.
...you actually consider putting some Golden Grahams into your macaroni and cheese.
...you can smell a dirty diaper from 2 states away.
...you can no longer landscape your nether regions without it looking like you are covered in tiny fu manchus.
...you can exist on a rack of ribs, pizza, chicken wings, and ding dongs.
...you forget ~~some~~everything all the time.
...every woman you see tells you some horror story about delivering a baby.
...everything makes you cry.
...strangers at the fabric store ask to touch your belly.
...you can quite literally feel a little foot, head, or bum right through a few layers of skin.

Ha, I could include SEVERAL more, but you get the gist. Here's another little bit of inspiration for you:

Happy Wednesday!

-L

Sponsor Living on Love in January

2011-12-20T06:00:00.001-06:00

We would LOVE for you to sponsor us next month!

The Deets:

Your blog/shop needs to fit the style of our blog.
Local and/or handmade shops will receive 10% off! (medium/large sponsors only)
If you refer another sponsor, you will also receive a discount!
Booking and payment for 2 or months results in 20% off!
You will get an ad space for the entire month PLUS inclusion in a monthly sponsorship post, in which I will rave about you and what you have to offer my sweet, sweet readers. :)
I have a few sizing options - small, medium, and large. See detailed info below:

$5 Small Ad

200 x 75 pixels

Listed at bottom of sponsors in right sidebar

Only links included in monthly sponsor post

$15 Medium Ad

200 x 150 pixels

Listed in middle of sponsors in right sidebar

Links + description included in monthly sponsor post

$25 Large Ad

200 X 300 pixels

Listed at top of sponsors in right sidebar

Links + narrative description in LARGE ONLY monthly sponsor post

All sponsors have the opportunity to give shop discounts or host a giveaway on Living on Love.

For shop discounts, discount must be 10% or greater.

For giveaways, item must be of $20 value or more.

Giveaways do receive an individual post which results in MANY new visitors to your site.

I am also available for product reviews. Contact me for more information.

Let me know if you have any questions! Email me at philandlacy at gmail dot com for more info!

-Lacy

Our Weekend, in Photographs...

2011-12-19T06:00:00.025-06:00

Good morning! This weekend might have been the best one we've had in a while. It was simple. Laid-back. Warm. Full of love. We had no plans, we spent no money, but somehow this one will go down in the books. More proof that you really can live on love. I'll let the pictures do the talking...

buckethead

pigtails

independent

domesticisty

crawling

happiness

discovering

warm december

swinging

explorer

decorating

devouring

our creations

clean bean

I hope you had a marvelous weekend as well! Happy Monday!

-L

P.S. - If you wouldn't mind, we'd really appreciate your vote over at Top Baby Blogs. Gracias! All you have to do is click the banner below:

Cloth Diapering: Over a Year Into It & Prepping for More

2011-12-16T06:00:00.048-06:00

Many people have asked that I blog again about cloth diapering, now that we are more than a year into it. If you're new to cloth diapering, find my other posts about it HERE and HERE.

I think most people thought that we'd give up before now, but we're still going strong! We love cloth diapering. Seriously, let me count thy ways. (Cuteness, affordability, saving the planet, etc.) But, we have also run into our fair share of issues while going cloth. More on that later.

all the cute colors!!!

First off, you should know that our diapers are still in GREAT shape. We use the BumGenius One-Size 4.0. Some of our diapers still look brand new. If anything, a few of our diaps have stains. Once it's hot & sunny out again, I'll lay those out and the stains will be gone in no time. I think the snaps have really helped keep our diapers nice. Baby #2 will be here in 3 months and we are positive Addie's diapers will work for her, too!

We've really only had 2 main issues with our diapers - smelliness and rash. The smells are most likely because we don't always wash them every other day like we should. Addie just doesn't use that many diapers so it seems silly to wash just 6 or 7 at a time. Sometimes they stay in the bag too long and it ends up smelling like the monkey house. Lucky for us, there's an easy solution for that - washing! And sersiouly, I am amazed every single time we put those diaps in the wash. They go in looking like they have suffered a serious battle and come out looking and smelling fresh and clean. It's a miracle, without a doubt. (I will say, Phil does the diaper laundry 95% of the time. I'm lucky for that.)

The other issue we've had is diaper rash. I will say that we never had an issue with diaper rash until Adair was about 9 months old. Cloth diapers are known to be better on the bum! But, since she's started eating real people food, the rash has occurred a few times. She's also gotten 2 yeast infections. When this happens, we sadly have to switch to disposables, simply so we can use some ointment or cream. Usually, this lasts just a day or so and we are back to cloth! (I do know there are methods for treating rash & infection while using cloth, we have yet to try them though. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!)

At night, our girl has to wear a night time diaper. She likes to save it all up and go all out in the middle of the night, so the extra absorbency is a must. What's nice is that with these big diapers, we've recently figured out a little prevention method for rash. Every night when we put her in her nighttime diaper, we put some A&D ointment on her lady parts. So far - no rash! I think we have a nice little methodology going here! :)

Lastly, many people have asked if we're going to do cloth diapers once baby #2 arrives. Um, yes. :) Why wouldn't we? We need to stock up on a few more diapers, but we are most certainly going to continue saving the planet and saving money. I did order 3 "seconds" from BumGenuis. They are diapers that have some sewing mishap, but still are completely effective in doing their diapering job. Honestly, when these came in the mail, I thought they sent brand new ones by accident. I keep trying to find the defects, but no luck just yet! I've also got my eye on the brand new BumGenius Elemental. They have no inserts! But, they are a tad more expensive. We'll have to see...

Anyway, there's an update. If you're an expectant mother or have a baby still in diaps, I really think you should consider going cloth! It's the new thang, apparently. :)
-L

(And just so you know, BumGenius does not pay me to blog about their diapers. They should though! I'm just a huge fan!)

A Guest Post from Elissa Ritson

2011-12-15T06:00:00.013-06:00

Here's a lovely post from one of our fantastic sponsors, Elissa! She blogs about her sweet family and other wonderful things over at Mum in the Woods. Be sure to check out her blog and say hello!

Traditions, especially holiday ones, have always been rife in my family. Each year we had to pick out the tree with Dad, we had to fight over whose turn it was to hang the star, we had to go to Carols by Candlelight, we had to spend Christmas Eve driving around admiring the decorated houses, and when we returned home we simply must lay out treats for Santa (fruit mince pies and port) before tumbling into our beds full of anticipation. I do remember my mother occasionally wringing her hands in exasperation and declaring that, just because we’ve done something once, doesn’t mean we have to do it that way every year! More often than not though, she was starting or embracing new family traditions with us. Maybe we are boring, but I like to think of it as having a sense of ceremony and ritual.

Now I have a family of my own. My husband and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary this year, and our son celebrated his first birthday. We’re still young as a family and, naturally, are starting to build traditions of our own. I think (I hope) that this will become easier as my son, whom the internet knows as Wildcat, begins to vocally express his preferences, and ideas as to how we should celebrate Christmas. For now though, I find myself often feeling torn between my new family and my old, not to mention my own (sometimes selfish) needs and desires.

I’m not at all religious now but, growing up, we were a church going family. We celebrated advent with a candle wreath, and went to church on Christmas morning. The only presents we were allowed to open before church were our Christmas stockings, left, stuffed and full, at the feet of our beds. It was no free-for-all after the service either! We returned home and began lunch preparations. We were allowed to open one small gift each before sitting down at the table (laden with crackers, and candles and gravy boats); leaving all other gifts tempting us from under the tree until the last mouthful was consumed. Extended family came and went, but at the core were Mum, Dad, my two sisters, and me. That group later expanded to include my beautiful grandmother, who moved in with us after my pop passed away. The season was long, with a steady but measured build up, and the day itself was gentle of pacing, and full of a sense of importance.

And then we (my sisters and I) grew up…

We stopped believing in Santa Claus and started being him instead. We moved away. We got boyfriends, and houses, and pets, and jobs. We didn’t go to church anymore. Even my parents, though still considering themselves Christians, moved away from the church. We changed.

Some traditions became impossible to maintain, due to distance, or busy lives. Some lost their relevance or, sadly, their magic. Others though, stretched and expanded to include new family members. Others still, bent and changed to accommodate new circumstances, and older participants. Christmas was still going to happen each year, and we had to accept that growing up meant that the way we celebrated it would change.

I would still have my moments of Peter Pan-like defiance; in which I wanted to look at Christmas lights strung all over houses and be in awe of the magic, instead of raising my eyebrows at the lack of taste and, frankly, lack of consideration of electricity use. I wished that I could once again go to Carols by Candlelight and feel a sense of oneness with the park full of people, singing by the glow of hand-held candles. Instead, I saw the commercialisation of the whole affair. I wanted to wake up at stupid o’clock on Christmas morning, completely unable to contain the excitement any longer! So, I crafted, and baked, and put thought and care into choosing, making, and wrapping presents. I constructed gingerbread houses, and treasure hunt advent calendars, handmade Christmas decorations, and hand-drawn Christmas cards. I sang carols to myself while stringing up paper decorations, and counting down the days. I did everything I could to recapture, or to re-imagine, the wonder of Christmas!

Last year was different. Last year, for the first time, I had Wildcat in my life. I saw Christmas through his eyes. I saw Christmas for the first time again! I still craft, and bake, and sew, and draw, and sing, and count, and wrap, and all the rest of it. I do it with vigour and vim, but I do it with new eyes, and a new attitude. Thanks to Wildcat I can feel the magic again, and I have a reason to keep it burning alive! I’m not sure which traditions will stick as he gets older, but I know that I’m ready to embrace them.

Thanks for sharing with us today, Elissa!
-L

A Guest Post from Lisa Allen

2011-12-14T06:00:00.018-06:00

This is a great post from Lisa Allen about the importance of tradition and celebration in a family, no matter how larfe or small. Be sure to read it. Stop by Lisa's blog and say hello!

There's nothing wrong with the word "just". Not usually, anyway. Typically it implies a sense of balance, a leveling of the playing field, even an urgency of sorts. And, I'll admit, I use it far too often when I write. It's easy and gives emphasis when I'm too lazy to search for another, more exciting word.

Except when it's used in the statement 'but it's just you and the kids.' I've heard that at various times, but it's most frustrating to me when it's in reference to the holidays. 'Why are you making such a big Thanksgiving dinner, when it's just you and the kids?'

Just. As if celebrating together as a family--OUR family--isn't enough to warrant a turkey or the table full of sides that make it special. As if traditions don't matter to kids if they live with one parent instead of two. As if we have any less than other families to be thankful for.

I might sound like I'm being overly sensitive, and perhaps I am. I've been asked quite often what it's like to be a single mom. If those inquiries had anything to do with the logistics of juggling everything without the help of a partner or spouse, I'd be less sensitive. But they usually don't; they have to do with a deeper question: how can you be a good mother when you're a single mother? Can the two actually be one in the same?

Don't get me wrong...I wouldn't tell anyone that divorce is good, or easy or enviable. It's horrible, even when it's 'amicable'. Kids are affected and lives are changed. That much is true. The rest, though, is really up to us and the choices we make.

I'm a firm believer that my kids will follow my lead. So if I act like I'm second class because I'm a single mom, they'll embrace that philosophy and live in that way. If I am always brooding or angry or bitter because of my circumstance, that's what they will learn, and that's probably how they'll live their lives.

But if I embrace being an intentional mom, regardless of my marital status, my kids will more likely flourish. If I create experiences and memories for them to treasure, share stories that they will pass along to their own kids someday, and treat our little family as a real, worthy family then they will embrace our reality for what it is: not perfect, but real. Honest. Loving.

So regardless of how many gather around my table at Thanksgiving, there will always be turkey and the fixings. As long as they will play with me there will be Blokus and Bananagrams. And as long as they'll cuddle on the couch and giggle with me, there will be Elf on the TV after the dishes are done and the dessert is devoured. Because those are our traditions, and they matter just as much as the excitement in each of their faces as they pile their plates with their favorite foods.

Because, in the end, it doesn't matter if I'm single or coupled, young or old. I'm just a mom.

********************************************************

Lisa is a divorced mom of three amazing kids. She spends her days juggling requests for cookies and hugs with her work as a writer, life and business coach, and speaker. She tells her kids (almost) every day that she's lucky to be their mom , misses the sleep she didn't know she got before she became a mom and lives for Cupcake Sundays. You can read more about her at her website, visit her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter at @backtoallen.

Thank you for sharing today, Lisa!

-L

December Sponsor Love: Shops!

2011-12-13T14:00:00.001-06:00

Woo-ee! We are so excited to partner with some amazing shops this month. Make sure you check these guys out... Many of them are offering some great deals to Living on Love readers!

Hoot is a boutique design shop located in the North Village Art’s District in Columbia, Mo. Specializing in baby decor, and fun and unique custom art work. Kristen Brown, Proprietor/Chief Doodler, found her unique style while working as an art director for an advertising firm in Chicago. Hoot Design Co. was founded in 2010, with the mission of creating custom prints that will knock you and your baby’s socks off. Please check out our site to see all the fun things we’re up to. Hoot Design Co is giving EVERY Living on Love reader a discount! Hoot Design Co. is happy to offer a 10% discount for any CUSTOM prints ordered before December 15th, just use the code SANTA. Hope to see you soon! SHOP // TWITTER // FACEBOOK

Mustard Seed Fair Trade is celebrating its third year of business and fourth holiday season with the launch of a new online store. Like their brick and mortar home, the store features exclusively fair trade products, specializing in contemporary, beautiful, and creative selections. Here you can discover a variety of scarves, jewelry, and children?s items as well as sandals from Sseko Designs. The holiday shopping season is a great time to reflect on the power of our consumer buying decisions. Transform your buying power this season with the opportunity to help some of the world?s most skilled craftsmen rightfully earn a living wage in safe and healthy working conditions. Now, with two great ways to shop, it is easy for consumers to purchase with a purpose at the Seed locally and nationally. The Mustard Seed is giving a 10% discount to all Living on Love readers, both online and in store through December 31st. . Please use the code LivingonLove11. Items must be ordered by Dec. 19th for Christmas delivery. SHOP // TWITTER // FACEBOOK

At Poppy we are committed to supporting local as well as national artists and designers. We feature one of a kind, handmade baby gifts, imaginative toys, modern children's books and playful clothing for baby. For grown ups we offer the very best in handcrafted jewelry, accessories, greeting cards, wall art, ceramics, wood, fiber and glass."Handmade for you, handpicked baby and kids for the little ones in your life." Poppy will be giving away an eco-friendly Plan Toy canvas bag with each Plan Toy purchase. Brick and mortar store only. While supplies last. SHOP // TWITTER // FACEBOOK

I'm a PhD student at the University of Texas, Austin working toward a degree in Marine Science. My shop offers High quality stitching for all of your crochet (and some knitting) needs. Lots of warm winter items, ecofriendly cleaning and gift ideas available! I gladly accept custom orders as well as wholesale orders of 10 or more items. Discount coupon for 10% OFF is available for all purchases for the month of December only. Discount is taken before shipping. Enter code LIVINGONLOVE10 at checkout to get your discount. Christmas Deadline: December 15. SHOP

Interested in sponsoring Living on Love? Email Lacy at philandlacy at gmail dot com for info!

December Sponsor Love: Blogs!

2011-12-13T06:00:00.020-06:00

This month, we've got a great group of sponsors. Here are our blogger sponsors! Make sure you check them out and give them some love! Check back later today to see our shop sponsors!

Constantly evolving, Gomming is about the struggle to stay creative & inspired while being super busy. Follow along as Jennifer wishes, shops, & creates. Connect with Jennifer from Gomming via her Blog // Twitter // Pinterest.

Hi! My name is Lydia. I’m a young mom with an old soul, trying to figure my way through motherhood and becoming the type of woman I long to be. I came up with the name of this blog after reading Anne Lamott’s book Imperfect Birds. In it she quotes Rumi who said: “Each has to enter the nest made by the other imperfect bird”. I feel that is both the story and the call of my life…and it ain’t easy for an imperfect bird like me! This blog is a record of our days together…a place for me to spill my overflowing thoughts that would otherwise just swirl in my head…a sounding board for my dreams and wishes for myself, my children, and our family’s life…and occasionally a spot to share a story from the past. So come…enter my nest and enjoy the journey. Blog // Twitter

Mum in the Woods is home for the some what erratic musings of a new(ish) mum, navigating her way into family life and trying to find the perfect balance (she hasn't yet). She lives with The Mister, the baby Wildcat, and their cat, Bender, in a little house all of their own. If you go for a walk in the woods you will find honest ramblings about motherhood, art, music, friends, freak outs, crafty fun, baking, and boobs. Lots of boobs. In short, it's not very thematically coherent but then, neither is family life. I'd love to meet you! Blog // Twitter // Pinterest

Shoshana created eyebrows + lipstick when she moved away to Texas with her fiance. Her blog serves as a creative outlet for her unabashed girlyness to thrive. eyebrows + lipstick features lipstick recommendations, advice on picking the perfect perfume, book recommendations, and a never-ending list of wants to behold. Find her here: Blog // Twitter // Facebook

I have always dreamed of being a writer, little did I know that in my late thirties I would get the chance. The more I wrote random thoughts and snapshots about life, the more I heard from complete strangers that they could relate to my writings. Basic observations about what was going on in my life resonated with so many. This is all I needed to hear and A Closet Writer was born! Find me here: Blog // Twitter // Facebook

Mr. meets Ms. who happens to have a Little Miss of her own (yup! In this love story the Ms. came with a bonus!). They fall in love. Breakup. Makeup. Breakup. And Makeup again before ultimately deciding that 3 is in fact better than 1…or 2 and that life is sweeter together. They get a dog, buy a house, get married and joyfully continue their journey as His Mrs. and Her Mr. His Mrs. Her Mr. is a place where we (although mostly the Mrs. these days due to the Mr. being busy with school) share the things we like, the things we love and our journey as individuals and as a family. We'd love for you to connect with us! Blog // Twitter // Pinterest

Continue the Conversation is a blog that highlights all things "creative." Whether that's music, politics, faith, or the creative process, Continue the Conversation is discussing it. We believe that creativity is inescapable, and works to cultivate and transform culture on many fronts. Check us out and help continue the conversation... BLOG // TWITTER

Interested in sponsoring us for the month of January? Email us at philandlacy at gmail dot com for more info!

-L

Creating a Room for Two

2011-12-12T06:00:00.002-06:00

As delivery day draws near, I sense the urge to get the nursery put together. Right now, all of my ideas are either in my head or on Pinterest. Although Adair's nursery is adorable the way it is, we've got to make some changes before Baby #2 arrives. For Addie, our theme was a combo of old and new, yellow and gray, with several owl accessories. Here's what it turned out like:

{My favorite things are the reupholstered antique rocker, the antique wardrobe, and the gray ruffle curtains.}

I want to keep much of it the same, but I want to add a few more colors (namely red and blue) as well as some more accessories, making it more of a woodland wonderland theme. We have a few amazing prints (see that huge one behind the lamp?) that need to be framed and hung. Also we have to make room for another crib. I've got the rearrangement of furniture worked out in my head. Anyway, here is my inspiration thus far:

See more and get the links here.

Isn't it all so cute?! I need to get started. Even though I've got about 3 months left, I know she'll be here before we know it!
-L

Happy Friday! Links to Love...

2011-12-09T06:00:00.004-06:00

I have rarely done a "Links to Love" post, but I thought it'd be a great idea this week. Here's what I've been checking out this week. Make sure you do too!

This Wal-Mart infographic is pretty neat. (If you know me, you know I hate Wally-World. Haven't been since Adair was born.)

Did you get your FREE DIY Printable Advent Calendar I created? It's not too late!

New to Fair Trade? This lovely gift-guide from our favorite local shop (and one of our sponsors) is ooober helpful.

Make sure you enter the giveaway from one of my awesome sponsors, Hoot Design Co. Only a few more days to enter!

Check out The Human Nest. What a cool way to camp! It'd make an awesome tree house too!

Like lasagna but want soup? Make this. It'll rock your world.

Do you need some good, Indie Christmas music? Check out my perfect Christmas playlist!

This blog will always bring a smile to my face. What's better than a baby? 3!

One year ago, one of my favorite photos...

You all have a fabulous weekend! Do something you love. Spend time with those you love most.

-L

The Perfect Christmas Playlist

2011-12-07T06:00:00.003-06:00

Do you love the holidays? Do you love music? Are you getting sick of the same radio renditions that are played over and over and over again? Then this post is for you! Phil and I have a Christmas playlist that has about 200 songs on it. Of course we have classics like Mariah Carey and Feliz Navidad, but our favorites are the nice little indie versions of songs we've always loved. Here's a list of some of our favorites! Be sure to check them out...

If you can't afford to buy the songs, check out places like 8 Tracks, Spotify, and Pandora. There are some GREAT playlists out there. Here's one of my favs.

What are your favorite holiday songs? I'd love to hear!
-L

Make sure you enter this week's giveaway!

Guest Post from Leslie Sholly

2011-12-06T06:00:00.030-06:00

Good morning! This is a post that you really don't want to miss. Thank you, Leslie, for sharing today!

Traditions. We all have them. Children demand them—“We did that last year—we have to do it again!” I was fortunate to grow up in a home where holiday traditions were carved in stone. For 25 years I knew exactly where I would beand when and with whom on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Life intervened—divorce, marriages, kids, estrangements, death. Even as my husband, five children, and I began to develop our own traditions, we always had to be a little more flexible—never knowing for sure who would host the Christmas dinner, or where we would gather with extended family to open presents.

When my oldest was only a baby I started a treasured Christmas Eve tradition of giving each child a Christmas book to unwrap and have read to them before bedtime. Our collection of Christmas classics grew and grew, leading to additional Christmas story evenings, reading to the kids’ classes at school, even a Christmas bedtime story party for my youngest two and their classmates the last several years.

Other favorite traditions centered around the decorations we collected over twenty-two years of marriage: the nutcrackers which covered the piano, part of a collection originally started for my husband by my grandmother and continued in later years by my mother; my less-planned collections of Santas, including my favorite of Santa kneeling by the manger; the crèche that belonged to my grandmother and then to my mother, still in its original box from a long defunct department store.

Tragedy struck on Labor Day. Our house burned nearly to the ground.

The books are ashes. The piano is reduced to its metal innards. Here and there among the ruins you can spot a piece of some treasure, beyond repair. Fire doesn’t just destroy, it consumes.

Several years ago our Christmas tree fell over right after we decorated it, crushing several irreplaceable ornaments, many of them heirlooms from my husband’s German grandfather. The children and I stood around the fallen tree and cried. Every year since as we hung the remaining and replacement ornaments we have remembered and missed the ones that were broken.

This loss is so much more immense that we haven’t even shed tears over it. To lose everything you own is indescribable. What will it be like this year, putting out new decorations in an unfamiliar house? How will it feel not to hang any ornaments commemorating “our first Christmas together”—we had FIVE! or any “Baby’s First Christmas” balls or handmade (childmade) decorations that their makers looked sheepish about but continued to hang all the same?

We believe in celebrating Advent before we move on to Christmas, so we haven’t had to deal with decorating yet. We cling to the traditions we can, so we started the season by attending the Advent Workshop sponsored by our church, where we made an Advent wreath that we will light each evening as we listen to a special reading for the day. We’ve begun to attend the holiday celebrations—the downtown tree lighting, the Fantasy of Trees—that we have gone to every year since we’ve had children. The Christmas Parade, the Living Christmas Tree, the Nativity Pageant, and the Walk through Bethlehem will provide continuity with other Christmases.

At home we will put up new decorations. We’ve already collected quite a few –some from a Christmas thrift store, some from Target, many from family and friends. The question of whether to try to replace missing items or do something altogether new is something we still don’t have an answer for—and that applies to other lost belongings, not just Christmas decorations. So far, it seems we know what we need to replace when the time comes. The nutcrackers, for example—they seem to be important to everyone and we’ve already bought a few, including two big ones to guard the front door.

We don’t really need decorations to remind us of the true spirit of Christmas this year anyway—we are surrounded by the proof that there really are people who “honor Christmas in (their) hearts and try to keep it all the year.” If Christmas is about love and giving, we’ve been experiencing it since the day our house burned, when the offers of assistance started pouring in, shortly followed by donations, clothing, toys, gift cards, and enough furniture to completely fill our new home.

We are planning a holiday open house the weekend before Christmas, so that all our family, friends, and even strangers who shared what they had with us can come celebrate with us and see how their generosity helped us make it through the past few months. Who knows? Maybe it will become a tradition.

Make sure you stop by and say hello to Leslie!

Don't forget to enter this week's GIVEAWAY!
-L

A Giveaway from Hoot Design Company!

2011-12-05T12:00:00.007-06:00

I'm really excited for today's giveaway and I know you will be too! This giveaway comes from Hoot Design Company, one of our fabulous sponsors! What's more? They are located RIGHT here in Columbia, MO. So, if you're a local reader and you're looking for a local place to get a Christmas gift or two, be sure to check them out!

Hoot is a boutique design shop located in the North Village Art’s District in Columbia, Mo. Specializing in baby decor, and fun and unique custom art work. Kristen Brown, Proprietor/Chief Doodler, found her unique style while working as an art director for an advertising firm in Chicago. Hoot Design Co. was founded in 2010, with the mission of creating custom prints that will knock you and your baby’s socks off. Please check out our site to see all the fun things we’re up to. Hope to see you soon!

Shop // Etsy // Facebook

The prize? A stock reproduction of our large Simply Baby Print, in an 16 x 20 size. It is printed on high quality, matte cover stock paper. It arrives in a cardboard tube. Perfect for those 16 x 20 frames! Available in all three color palettes...

To enter, visit their shop and comment on this post with your favorite item they have available.

For a second chance to win, become a Hoot facebook fan!

Giveaway rules: Shipping in the US only, otherwise international shipping rates will apply. The giveaway closes Sunday, December 11 at midnight (CST). The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced on Monday, December 12!

Good luck!

In addition to this awesome giveaway, Hoot Design Co is giving EVERY Living on Love reader a discount! Hoot Design Co. is happy to offer a 10% discount for any CUSTOM prints ordered before December 15th, just use the code SANTA.

Our Weekend, in Photographs...

2011-12-05T06:00:00.047-06:00

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. First up, make sure you stop by The Paper Mama today. She's featuring a really cute DIY Printable Advent Calendar from ME! You heard right! :) But you can only get the calendar at her site, so make sure you check it out! Here's a sneak peek:

We had a nice weekend, but I could have enjoyed an extra day or two. :) We partook is several Advent activities - Living Windows, my 3rd Annual Ladies Only Christmas Goodie Exchange, a nice drive in the country, cooking yummy foods, and regular ole' soaking up each other's love. Here's our weekend, in photos...

giant nutcracker

overall adorableness

happy wreath

regretting decisions made in 2010

cookie exchange

homemade oreos

cauliflower macaroni

tis the season

always dancing

reflection

mr. santa

trying to get a picture of reggae

love

Happy Monday! Check back around noon for an awesome giveaway from one of our fabulous sponsors!

-L

Gift Giving: Your Baby

2011-12-02T06:00:00.031-06:00

How much fun is it to pick out gifts for your little one? So much fun! No matter if they are 2 months old or a close to a year, it's a blast to find neat and creative things you know they'll love. Make sure you check out my gift-giving rules to live by. Here are some cute ideas for your little one this year...

1. Handmade tent. We made one for Adair for her first birthday. She LOVES it. I mean, LOVES it. Now, she loves to crawl under it and I know it'll be a favorite reading spot in a year or two. Cost us about $40 to make it, including the cute vintage fabric I bought on Etsy.
2. Local. How cute are these name trains? This company is in Missouri. Adair got hers last year. We'll need to get one for her baby sister, too! (First, we should decide on a name though!)
3. Etsy. You could literally spend hours on this site looking at all the adorable goodies they have for kids. Some of my favorites are the handmade plushies and dolls.
4. Fair Trade. As always, try to support our global community when you can. If you don't have a local fair trade shop, there are many options available online. We bought Addie this pair of mittens.
5. Toms. Ok, not really fair trade but they support a good cause. How cute are they?
6. Just for fun. I think we might have to get Adair one of these for her "something to play with" gift. I love the little bee, but I know she'd love the...
7. Sound of Music record too. She's a dancing, bopping, music-loving machine!

What gifts do you have in mind for your little guy or gal this year? I'd love to hear!
-L

P.S. - Be sure to check back around noon on Monday for an awesome giveaway! It's a perfect Christmas gift for your little one! :)

A Year Ago...

2011-12-01T06:00:00.036-06:00

Can you believe it's December 1st? I cannot. This year I feel all warm and snuggly inside though, and I think it's because of my sweet, sweet memories from just one year ago. While Addie's birthday was the most miraculous day of my life, a year ago might be my favorite chunk of time. One year ago, I had a tiny newborn babe who was just a few weeks old. She was crinkly and warm, still grunting and making puppy sounds. She would still sleep anywhere - my arms, the car, the floor, with the vacuum going, wherever. We spent our days together, warm and close. I read her books that made me tear up. I sang her songs that made me ball. I was falling so hard in love with this new person that somehow Phil and I created. I was cherishing my last few days of maternity leave and enjoying the view of perfectly fallen snow from our big living room windows. I had candles on, Christmas music blaring, and a heart so full of love it could have burst. I was getting back into my body, now laden with stretchy marks and saggy skin. I was getting used to my breasts, incredible devices that could somehow give my baby exactly what she needed every two hours. I was understanding my role as a mother and I was loving every minute, even the wake up calls that were still happening every few hours in the black night. There was a certain happy stillness in the air, in my mind, in my soul. I can still feel it. I can taste it like it was yesterday. Each morning as I awake this season, I expect there to be a covering of snow on the ground. I long for the same stillness, the same newness as last year. My tiny baby is now a babbling, playing, going-girl who gazes at the Christmas tree each day like it's the most wonderful thing she's ever seen. As I dance in the living room with Adair each night, we feel our new baby kick and roll inside of me. She's a sign of new life, a steady rhythm that will carry our family until her arrival in March. While the memories from just one year ago are so vivid and favored in my heart, I look forward to the newness that awaits us this year. I am eager for another winter, filled with a new energy, a new song. I am hopeful for a springtime that brings new life, and with it the most wonderful memories a mother could have.
-L

Gift Giving: Your Teacher

2011-11-30T06:00:00.007-06:00

Ah, what a lovely subject today! As a teacher, I know what the good gifts are. :) Actually, until I became a teacher, I assumed gifts were given only to elementary school teachers. Once kids get old, they stop giving their teachers stuff, right? Wrong! Over the past few years, I have gotten a few lovely things from my high school students. Here are a few ideas...

teacher nutcracker from target

If you have little to no budget - write a nice card, make some Christmas goodies, etc. You'd be surprised how much a small gesture like this means to a teacher. Last week I got a sweet note and a Thanksgiving cupcake in my mailbox. Made my day!

If you have a little bit of moo-lah - get your teacher a plant kit (like an Amaryllis or something) or a gift card to their favorite morning stop (Panera, Starbucks, a local bakery, etc.) This might be my favorite kind of gift because it lasts a little while AND because stopping for good coffee or a breakfast treat always makes me feel guilty. Having a nice little card to pay for it is a wonderful treat. :)

If you really want to go all out - get your teacher a certificate to a nice salon or a nice restaurant. Everyone likes to be treated special. Nothing says "thank you" quite like a pedicure or a nice steak. Last year, I got a gift card to one of the nicest steak places in town. I'll never forget it! Another idea - last year, a student gave me a big, nice tote bag (like the kind from LL Bean) embroidered with the school letters on it. It was filled to the brim with school supplies! (A teacher's dream, don't you know!?)

The bottom line - If you like your teacher (or your kid's teacher) and want to say thanks, get them a little something. It really does mean a lot. And don't assume that because you're in high school, you're too old or too cool. Belive me, your teachers still appreciate it!
-L

Gift Giving: Good Rules to Live By

2011-11-29T06:00:00.028-06:00

So excited to share with you some gift-giving ideas all week long! If you didn't see our gift-giving plan for this Christmas, make sure to check it out. For today, I'll start with some good gift-giving rules to live by.

The thought counts most. Duh. Don't just buy something, but make it count!
Give it a proper wrap job! Check out pinterest for some awesome ideas.

image

Handmade (by you or someone else) is lovely. Pinterest has some lovely DIY ideas.

image

Local is wonderful too. It supports small business! Do it! If not local, try Etsy! You support handmade AND small business!
Fair Trade is even better! It's always great to support our global community. Check out Mustard Seed Fair Trade!

image

Give simply. The overabundance of presents is not the goal. The goal is to gift your loved ones because you love and appreciate them. You want to surprise them with something meaningful, something special just for them.

Lastly, I want you to think about what you got last Christmas. Do you remember? Do you remember what you gave? Studies show that most people can't remember what they gave or received the previous year. So what does that say about our gift-giving??? All the more reason to give with purpose...
-L

Last Call for December Sponsors!!!

2011-11-28T12:00:00.000-06:00

First up, you NEED to check out my gorgeous friend's blog, Gomming. It is awesome and I know you'll love it. A little bit about her blog...

Gomming.com is a side project of Jennifer Laber. The blog features inspirations, crafts, and reviews of products, though content varies with each post.

Be sure to visit her on TWITTER & PINTEREST too!

Next, I just wanted to tell you that I have only 2 sponsor spots left for December! That's right, only 2! So please let me know asap if you are interested. Don't forget - my small ad space is only $5 this month. That's a deal that's hard to pass up. Sponsoring is a great way to grow your blog traffic and to get customer to your store. Email me at philandlacy at gmail dot com to get your spot. I need to know by Wednesday! (2 DAYS LEFT!!!)

Can you believe it's almost December?!

-L

Our Weekend, in Photographs...

2011-11-28T06:00:00.001-06:00

Ok, I apologize. This is a little photo-heavy. I didn't even include pictures from Thanksgiving! We had a lovely weekend, indeed. We enjoyed lots of time with family and ate way too much food. We cheered on our Mizzou Tigers as they beat Kansas, and little Adair had her very first donut hole! Her Poppy would be proud! We continued our tradition of throwing our pumpkins in the river, followed by chopping down our tree and decorating it. Even Addie helped. She learned to say "thank you" during the process. Enjoy!

Have a great Monday!

-L

Gift Giving: Our Plan this Christmas

2011-11-25T06:00:00.001-06:00

Phil and I decided our family would have a simple Christmas this year. Simple, in terms of gifts, that is. While we make a big deal of the holiday all season long with advent activities and such, gift giving can sometimes take out the meaning of the Christmas season. We don't want our kids growing up expecting a HUGE Christmas each year, so why not start our simple traditions now?! This year we are giving each other 3 simple gifts, an idea I got from Design Mom.

Each of us will receive 3 gifts this year... something to read, something to wear, and something to play with. I love it. I love the simplicity of it and the challenge of finding the perfect thing. We'll do stockings, of course, but this little rule will be a fun thing for us. For Adair, these come easy. For us, it's a bit harder. We decided our "something to play with" gift could be a bit more broad - something to use in the kitchen, a dvd, a record, etc. Next week I'll be sharing some gift-giving tips and tricks with you guys! Stay tuned!

image

I'd love to hear how you gift! Do you have any special rules to live by? What's your philosophy?
-L

Choosing Your Baby's Name

2011-11-23T06:00:00.001-06:00

One of the hardest and neatest things about having a baby is choosing their name! We all know that a name means a lot. It's who you are, it's what defines you. In a way, giving a baby their name is deciding for them who they will be. Will they be traditional? Girly? Unique? Artistic? A hippy? :)

With Adair, choosing her name came easy. Adair is my middle name and it's a name Phil and I had planned on using for our first girl. Now that we are expecting our second baby girl, things have gotten tough. We had a name picked out. One that we've loved since before we got married. We were super sure about it but now... Eeek! I just don't know! There are about 8 or 9 names (or combinations of first and middle names) that I really love. But how do we decide? It needs to be equally unique and beautiful as Adair Lynden, of course! But really, all of them are. We don't want to get advice from family. Chances are, they'd give us opinions we don't care for. :)

For a while, I would just start spouting off girl names any time I heard, read, or saw them. Phil is pretty quick to give me his opinion. Our conversations went about like this...

"What about Charlotte?" "Like from Sex & the City?"
"Ruby?" "Like Ruby Tuesdays?"
"Roxanne?" "Like that song about a stripper?"
"Flora?" "Our little flower?"
"June?" "She doesn't need a reminder of when she was made."

He pretty much vetoed everything I came up with. But now, we have a good list of names. They are beautiful. Unique and old-fashioned and lovely. And we can't decide. We could go with what sounds the prettiest, which name has the best meaning, what sounds the best with our last name, etc...

It's hard.

How did you decide? Can we wait until D-day? I'd like to start calling her by name before then!
-L

Adair, Lately...

2011-11-22T06:00:00.030-06:00

Time for an update on our girl... She's almost 13 months old. GASP!

We have done it. We have taken away bottles. Addie, as usual, didn't complain much. She transitioned to sippy cups just fine. While I'm glad she made the switch without much fanfare, I'm sad to do it. Sippy cups? Feeding herself? She just seems so old. She's too independent, can that be so?
She's trying to walk. She's crawling about as fast as I can run and walking around the furniture like it ain't no thang. 2 days after her birthday, she took 4 steps all by herself. 2 weeks after that, she took another 7. We even got that time on tape. But she's not quite ready. I know she can walk - she just needs her confidence.
She's rocking an awesome do. Her hair is growing at rapid speed. Most days we finally have to pull it back so it doesn't get glued to her forehead by banana muck or snot. :)
She's got moves. Anytime we have music playing, she's either bobbing her head or shaking her shoulders. It's pretty dang cute. Her favorites are The Civil Wars and Chuck Berry.
Still not sure she has any idea about the baby sister she's getting in less than 4 sweet months. We point to my belly and try to get her to say "baby" but I'm still not sure she gets it. We'll see. :)
Some of you were asking about our girl last week. You might know she was very ill. We thought it was the flu first, but then she got these red bumps all over. We thought Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease or Roseola. Turns out, it was Roseola. Apparently 90% of kids get it before they are 2. It was a rough week. Thanks to everyone who sent thoughts and prayers our way. Thankfully, she is back to 100% now!
We're thinking of taking her pacifier away around Christmas time. She'll be 14 months then. We want to take it away long before Baby #2 comes. Have you done it? Did you take it away cold-turkey or wean them off? I'd love to hear.
She's our sunshine. She really does make our life wonderful. I can't even imagine life without her.

Have a great day!

-L

Our Weekend, in Photographs...

2011-11-21T06:00:00.001-06:00

Welp, we finally did it. We left our little munchkin for a whole 24 hours. It only took us a year and 3 weeks. :) Honestly, it was much needed. Not the time away from her, but time for us to be together. Happy parents make for happy families, right!?! Phil and I left Adair with my parents at our house and headed to St. Louis for the night. We did some shopping, ate some FABULOUS Mexican fusion for dinner, then saw the one and only Jim Gaffigan at the Fox Theater. One of the most hilarious nights of my life, no doubt about it. At one point, I actually wanted him to stop so I good regain my composure and open my eyes. (Yes, I was laughing THAT hard!) If you are unfamiliar with him, please do yourself a favor and look him up NOW! Phil and I headed back to our hotel to watch SNL and enjoy a night of uninterrupted, no-wake-up-call sleep. Incredible. In the morning, Phil went and got us some coffee and we drank it in bed while we made our plans for the day. (What is so wonderful about drinking Starbucks in bed at 9 am? I'll never know.) We hit the hotel pool for a little while before we got ready and checked out. Then, we did my favorite thing. Maybe even better than Jim Gaffigan. We got brunch. I love brunch. I could do it everyday. We went to a quaint little French restaurant and enjoyed the most wonderful food. Lemon chamomile tea for me, a bloody mary for my love. We shared beignets with homemade cheese and fig compote. I got brioche French toast with lemon curd and Phil got eggs benedict with roasted potatoes. It was so wonderful. SO WONDERFUL. I could go on and on. We ended our day by doing some more shopping. (And by shopping I mean browsing. Mostly we drooled over things that we'll someday have when we're rich. :) ) But seriously, a wonderful little getaway. Exactly what we needed! Here are a few ~~not-so-great~~ pictures... Enjoy!

gussied.

bump.

fabulous.

cuties.

foyer.

getaway toes.

mocha.

frozen.

cold soup.

heaven.

incredible.

P.S. I should mention that we got our 4-star hotel with Priceline's "Name Your Price" thing for $60! Living on Love, even on a mini-vacay!

Have a great Monday!
-L

Big Sponsorship News for December!!!

2011-11-18T06:00:00.005-06:00

I'm feeling some holiday spirit apparently, because I decided to offer my small ad space for $5 for the month of December! Say what?!

You heard right - $5 for a small ad on my site.

If you have a blog/website/shop that fits our style, we'd love to have you! Email me at philandlacy at gmail dot com for more information!

:)
-L

To be present...

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

To be present.
In the moment.
The muck and mire.
The other days with glory.
The days we dreamed of.
The days we feared.

To hold. To love.
To breathe the thick air.
To be present here.
To listen with careful ears.
To call with faithful hearts.
To comfort with warm hands.
To give with our whole soul.

To be present.
In the moment.
No matter the tide.
To fight the day.
To embrace it.
To cherish it.

To be present
in this moment.

-L

In the Kitchen: Our At-Home Date Night

2011-11-16T06:00:00.001-06:00

Perhaps you saw photos of our at-home date night? Well, I thought I'd share the recipes with you. Everything we had was incredible. We decided to go to a fancy grocery store and each get what sounded good to us. That was a great choice. Here's what we ate...

Pregnant lady's cocktail - recipe below!

Get the recipe for THE bread HERE.

Recipe for deep dish delish HERE

Phil had grilled salmon and guiness. Lacy had chicken cordon bleu and the pregnant lady's cocktail. We both had roasted asparagus, THE bread, gemstone potatoes, and deep dish cookies with ice cream. YUM-O. Don't know if we could have done any better at a restaurant!

Pregnant Lady's Cocktail:
Lots of ice
Club Soda
A beautified lime wedge

Toss together in a cute mason jar and add a sparkly swizzle stick. It's almost as good as the real thing.

What's your favorite thing to make at home?

-L

A Rough Rock and a Really Hard Place

2011-11-15T12:00:00.001-06:00

I know I'm speaking for working mothers everywhere when I say that it's hard.

It's so hard. After a wonderful weekend, Addie started to feel warm. I checked her temperature Sunday evening, and sure enough - she had a high fever. We panicked because we knew we couldn't send her to the sitter. There was no way Phil could take off work, so I had to. Being a teacher, it's pretty difficult to take off. I have to get a sub, make plans, and try to have something for the kids just as meaningful as if I was there. Plus, I have a partner-teacher. So anytime I'm gone, I feel like I'm burdening him. Nevertheless, I took off work. I stayed home with my girl. She was pretty pitiful all day long. Moany, cuddly, sleepy, red-faced, puffy-eyed. She whined a lot and wouldn't eat or drink much. My heart broke for her all day long. I could only offer her things to make it a little better, but nothing would make it go away. Even though I felt guilty for being away from work, I knew I made the right decision to stay home. Addie needed me most, and that is all that mattered.

That night, Addie continued on with the same symptoms. I kept taking her temp just to be sure. In 2 hours time, her temp jumped from 101 to 105 degrees! 105! I panicked. (Isn't this the danger zone? When does brain damage start? What if she has a seizure? Should we take her to the ER?) A thousand thoughts flooded my mind as I held Adair close. I calmed down. I called the hospital. They paged our doctor and 2 minutes later she was telling me not to worry and what else to watch out for in addition to such a sky-high fever. But seriously, 105? She has had high fevers before, but never like this. I went ahead and put her to bed for the night, nervous knowing what could happen in her sleep.

Thankfully, Addie slept. She woke a few times but got some much-needed rest. In the morning, her fever was back at 102, a relief for me, indeed. We were so blessed - Phil's parents offered to come and watch her for the day so both Phil and I could go to work. We both have missed too much work - with Addie being sick, our little bout of food poisoning or whatever that was back in September. I'm trying to save my days for maternity leave, but it's not working out so well. No matter where I am, I feel the guilt. If I'm home with Addie like I feel like I should be, I feel like a slacker-teacher. I feel guilty for getting a sub. I feel bad for my partner teacher, as well as my students. But if I'm at school and my girl is at home sick with her daddy or her grandparents, I feel worse. What kind of mother am I, leaving my sicky girl? It's the hardest place I've ever known.

I'm fairly certain I can say that no working mom has ever felt like she has it all - like she can do it all. Has there ever been a momma who was stellar at her career and a super-mom all at once? Has there ever been a woman who made it all work out? I doubt it. I feel like I'm failing at both. Someday, I will be able to stay home with my babies. Mark my words.

-Lacy

Winners!!!

2011-11-14T14:00:00.005-06:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the Adair Designs Giveaway! I am feeling a little generous, so I think I'll give the trio of Christmas prints to everyone who entered!!! Congrats to you!

Contact me asap at philandlacy at gmail dot com to claim your prize!

For everyone else, don't forget that I'm offering all Living on Love readers a 20% off discount at my Etsy shop through the end of the month. Visit my shop HERE and enter the code deckthehalls at checkout!

-L

Our Weekend, in Photographs...

2011-11-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

Another fabulous weekend with my sweet family... A lot of time with our girl, an at-home date night, and a fun little day trip for shopping and pizza! Enjoy!

samuri

bucket hat

a pregnant lady's cocktail

date-night dinner

deep dish delish

don corleone + socrates revenge

crust

celebrating open season

Happy Monday!

-L

Doing Things FOR Your Kids

2011-11-10T08:00:00.001-06:00

A couple weekends ago, my parents and grandmother were in town. The guys pooped out on us early, so my mom, grandma, and I stayed up late and talked. One very interesting thing that came up was the notion of doing things FOR your kids. My grandma mentioned it and said that it seemed like many people today don't do things for their kids anymore. She commented on how she enjoyed seeing the things Phil and I do for Addie, as well as the things her son and his wife do for their daughter. Things like going swimming, apple-picking, throwing a fun birthday party, etc. Unfortunately, I think what my grandma said is true. I always tell Phil when I see parents in public who obviously hate their children. I am thankful we are not like that and I wonder if I am even capable of behaving like that at times. My mom teaches first grade and always has stories to tell about her students and what their parents allow them to do. Most of them are sent to their rooms each night where they end up watching grown-up TV or playing some video game that was intended for adults. The bottom line is that a good chunk of our society is ignoring their children and their responsibility of being a parent. Many think that if their kids sleep in a bed and have something to eat, their job as parent is done. Recently, my brother mentioned a neighbor of his. This neighbor has a nanny who gets the guy's kids ready in the morning, takes care of them all day, and then has dinner ready for the family each night. This guy told my brother he was wishing the nanny would get the kids ready for bed each night too so he and his wife wouldn't have to deal with it. My brother said on weekends they usually get a babysitter so he and his wife can go out. At what point is this guy doing his job as a parent? Is money enough? (I think we all know the answer to that question...)

For us, we've made it a point to do things for Addie. Taking her places, showing her things, exposing her to plenty in this beautiful and complex world. We've gotten plenty of criticism for it, too. "You know she'll never remember that, right?" or "She's much to young. She won't even understand." Oh, thank you for your wise opinion. Maybe we should just keep her locked up and at home until she "gets" it. (When will that be, by the way? Age 3? 7? High school?) Our thought is that everything we do is shaping Addie in some way. Whether or not she will remember going to the zoo at 5 months old doesn't matter to me. What matters is that we exposed her. We took her on an adventure. We showed her things. We let her gaze with wonder at the new things she was seeing for the first time. In that moment, in that experience, she was enjoying things, she was being exposed, she was learning. No, she didn't "get" finger painting for the first time either. But that finger painting was fun. She was messy and creative. She got to do something special. I've told Phil a thousand times how sad it makes me that Addie won't remember any of this, her entire first year. Dancing to Christmas music as a 2-month old, going on a trip at 5 months, driving with the wind in her hair, bobbing her head every time we put a record on. He always reminds me that we'll tell her about it all and that she'll be filled with joy to know of how much she was loved. He also reminds me that all of this is shaping her and molding her. She is exposed to creativity and art. She has seen so many parts of nature. She has fallen in love with the wind and the moon. Most of all, she is curious. And yes, I do believe we have encouraged this within her. She may not remember all of the neat things we have done, but she will be adventurous. She will long for more. She will know that creativity is always an option, because it always has been for her. She will know that love and family and meaningful experiences and traditions are such an important part of life, no matter what stage or age...

I'm curious... What are your thoughts? What things do you do for your children?
-L

We Need a Vote

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hey guys, could you give us a click this morning? We're falling behind!

Gracias,

L

Custom Holiday Cards by Adair Designs

2011-11-08T14:00:00.000-06:00

Remember when I told you that I was creating a line of holiday cards? Well, here they are! (Round 1, at least!)

The Deets:

Choose from these designs. (I'll have a few more in a week or so...) Customize with your own photo and text. $15 flat fee for a digital download. This allows you to have the file of the card so you can print them at home, email them out, etc. If you'd rather have actual prints, I can get those for you for $1 a piece. Email me at philandlacy at gmail dot com for more information! Hurry and place your order before I'm all booked up! (And FYI, I always do start-from-scratch custom orders. So if none of these suit your fancy, let me know and I can come up with a design you'll love!)

-L

A Giveaway from Adair Designs

2011-11-07T14:00:00.005-06:00

Get excited, I have an awesome giveaway for you guys this week! My little design company, Adair Designs, is giving away a few sets of my newest Christmas prints!!!

3 lucky winners will receive a digitital download set of the Christmas prints, allowing you to print and display as you wish!

And... all Living on Love readers can get a 20% discount in my Etsy shop! Enter the code "deckthehalls" at checkout now through November 31st to redeem!

3 chances to enter:

Comment on this post and tell us your favorite holiday movie.
Comment on our facebook page and tell us about your holiday decorating style.
Tweet me HERE and tell me your favorite Christmas song. Include the hashtag #adairdesignsholiday.

The giveaway closes Sunday at midnight (CST). I'll announce the winners next Monday! :)
-L

On My Mind, this Monday Morning...

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

How's that for alliteration? So much to say, not enough time. Here's what's perusing my brain today...

If you don't follow this photo blog, you're wrong.
More importantly, did you know there are 7 billion people on the planet now?
This is the fabric I'm thinking of for Baby #2.
I think we decided on a name. Wouldn't you like to know?
I'm on pinterest now! Follow me! I'd love to follow you.
Have you entered this contest yet?
I really just want to drink a good beer. :/
Did you read about this mom? Props to her. I guess.
We bought a car on Friday night. Never felt more "adult." (We also have a child.)
Make this soup today. It's incredible. Thanks, Anna!
Want homemade lasagna? Make this. We added zuchhini & Adair didn't even know.
I need one day off a week. That's not a weekend. So 3 days, I guess.
Oh my goodness, let's make these.
Are we friends?
Check back at 2 for a neat little giveaway!

Happy Monday!!!

-L

My ONE Pregnancy Update Post

2011-11-04T06:00:00.010-05:00

I promised myself I wouldn't do a weekly preggo post, but people have been asking so here's ONE post for you. (I will blog about other pregnancy-related things...)

The run down on this pregnancy...

First Trimester: Very little difference. Mild morning sickness. Only threw up a couple times. Went on vacation, didn't lose weight, climbed a few mountains, rode bikes, ate normal food... NOTHING like when I was first pregnant with Adair (With Addie, I was sick as a dog, losing weight, really miserable those first three months). In fact, I had to remind myself I was pregnant on a regular basis.

Second Trimester: A tiny bit more energy, but not the "Wow! Someone turned the lights back on!" feeling I had with Adair. Only craving foods when I see others eating them. Broke my damn foot so I didn't get to do much hiking or biking. The only real "symptom" I notice is that I'm always tired. It's not weird if I'm in bed by 8:30. I'm slowly starting to gain weight and a baby belly. And in the past couple weeks, I've noticed some back/hip pain - mostly late at night or early in the morning when I get up. It's starting to set in that I'm having another baby. :)

So there you have it. I'm 21 weeks pregnant now, so still a ways to go! I will say that this second pregnancy is completely different from my first. It does not consume my mind, my body, or my life. We'll see what I have to say about that when I get closer to D-Day though. :)

I am curious - do any of you have workout routines that you think help with back or hip pain? I do prenatal yoga occasionally and walk on a regular basis, but I'm wondering if there's anything else that might alleviate the achy-ness. (Is achy-ness seriously not a word? It needs to be.)

-L

Holiday Traditions Contest

2011-11-03T06:00:00.031-05:00

Now that November is here, I can't help but ooze with holiday spirit. I just want to snuggle in my long underwear, watch Christmas Vacation, and drink a thousand peppermint mochas. Over the next few weeks, I'm hosting a little contest for our readers. YOU!!! I want to hear about all of the fun/wonderful/crazy holiday traditions you have. Here are the categories:

Best Decorating Tradition
Best Cooking Tradition
Best Gift-Giving Tradition
Best Tradition for Kids
Best Outing Tradition
Oldest Family Tradition
Most Unusual Tradition

If you think you have a tradition that fits into any of these categories, you need to submit it! To submit your tradition, just write your tradition on my facebook wall by November 20th. Tell your friends to "like" your submission. Vote for ("like") the ones that you thing are fabulous as well! After November 20, I'll read them, count the votes, and announce the winners on our blog the following week!

First up, I'll share a funny day-after-Thanksgiving tradition that Phil and I have done since we got married. As tradition, we always go and chop down our tree on the Friday after Thanksgiving. But before we do that, we have to make room. AKA - get rid of the pumpkins. So, what do we do? We drive them to our favorite spot on the Missouri River and chuck them into the water. Illegal? I hope not. Fun? Certainly!

Ok, I'm so excited to read about all of the wonderful things you do to celebrate the holidays!
-L

Get excited!

2011-11-02T06:00:00.015-05:00

How many of you send out holiday cards every year? Well, I've got an exciting announcement. Quite soon, I'll be unveiling my new line of custom holiday cards! There will be several different options available, including a digital download option, allowing you to pay a small price and print them as you wish - at home, Kinkos, etc. Stay tuned for more info! Until then, check out my Etsy shop to see what else I've been up to...
P.S. - Here are a few of our past Christmas Card designs:

Cheers!

-L

Big News!

2011-11-01T06:00:00.017-05:00

Guess what? We're having a GIRL!!!

That's right... Addie will be getting a little sister!

I can't believe it! I really had myself convinced it was a boy, but I was quite wrong! (Not to mention, we have had 6 nieces (plus Addie) born in the past 3 years between our families (no boys at all!) so we thought our chances would be even better for a boy! Crazy!) We are so thrilled and can't wait to meet her! First, we must decide on name. We had one picked out, but now we have 4 that we really like. :)

We told our family and friends at Addie's party on Saturday. All of the candy in the pinata had a special message on it...

So exciting!
-L

Addie's First Birthday Party

2011-10-31T06:00:00.030-05:00

We had a GREAT weekend! Addie's woodland birthday party was Saturday. It was a blast! Certainly a ton of work, but well worth it. Thanks to our family and friends for helping us celebrate our girl's first year! Check out the photos:

Happy Halloween!
-L

Check our facebook page today or tomorrow for a cute Addie video! :)

P.S. - Check back tomorrow for some big news!!!!

How We Spent Addie's Big Day

2011-10-28T12:00:00.022-05:00

As you might know, yesterday was Addie's birthday. While Phil and I both had to work, we still managed to squeeze some fun in. We started the day with scrambled eggs (her favorite!) and pumpkin pancakes. After her day with her friends at the babysitter's, we went out for Shakespeare's Pizza and then got blueberry ice cream from Sparky's! A happy birthday, indeed. Here are some pictures of our girl's special day...

Have a great weekend!
-L

Party Prep!!!

2011-10-28T06:00:00.016-05:00

Tomorrow is Boopy's party! We are so excited! Here's a little sneak peek...

gifts

invite

pinata

stump

mess-maker

Can't wait!
-L

Happy Birthday, Adair Lynden!

2011-10-27T06:00:00.063-05:00

To my dearest daughter,

Today is your day, love. A whole year old. I can't believe it. The past year has flown by, but at the same time I feel like I've known you all my days. I've tried to write this post about twenty thousand times and every single time, I don't know what to say. The past year has been the best year of my life. Your daddy agrees. Trying to sum it all up into a sweet little blog post is too difficult. But if there's one thing I want you to know your whole life long, it's that I am crazy for you. You have given your daddy and me the greatest joy. You, my dear, have taught us to love you. You taught me to be a mom. To be your mom. I will never forget that sweet October day when you finally arrived. After laboring for 18 long hours, you appeared, like the sun, shining bright for the world to see. Everything before that day is a blur. My Adair Lynden, my Baby Boops, my Munchkin, I love you with all my heart. Though I'm sad you won't be my teenie tiny baby forever, I am thrilled to see you grow. Already you seek to explore the world. You love the wind on your face. You search for the moon each night. You dance to your favorite records. You call out to animals like you know them. You smile at strangers just because you are so full of light. Thank you for everything that you have given your daddy and me. We are so lucky to be your parents. Today is your day, love. It's time to celebrate!

Love,

Mama

Living on Love

Help a Blogger Out

Addie's First Haircut

Bossypants (or Adair, Lately...)

Last Call!

Check out my new gig!

January's Challenge - Our Trip to the Capitol

DIY: Candy Heart Wreath

Our Dreams, Coming True...

The Perfect Take-Home Outfit

Interested in Sponsoring Living on Love?

Before __________ __________'s arrival

An update, of sorts...

January Sponsors...

Looking for Guest Bloggers

Living on Love: Groceries

Living on Love Monthly Challenge: January!

Living on Love: Monthly Challenge!!!

Sabbatical {in photos}

Top 10 Blog Posts of 2011

Keep in Touch via Facebook!

A New Year, A Promise to Life!

2011: Our Year in Photographs

New Print in the Shop!

Our Christmas, in Photographs

Last Call!!!

Adair, Lately...

DIY: Refurbished Baby Doll Cradle

Stillness...

Family Traditions

You Know You're Pregnant When...

Sponsor Living on Love in January

Our Weekend, in Photographs...

Cloth Diapering: Over a Year Into It & Prepping for More

A Guest Post from Elissa Ritson

A Guest Post from Lisa Allen

December Sponsor Love: Shops!

December Sponsor Love: Blogs!

Creating a Room for Two

Happy Friday! Links to Love...

The Perfect Christmas Playlist

Guest Post from Leslie Sholly

A Giveaway from Hoot Design Company!

Our Weekend, in Photographs...

Gift Giving: Your Baby

A Year Ago...

Gift Giving: Your Teacher

Gift Giving: Good Rules to Live By

Last Call for December Sponsors!!!

Our Weekend, in Photographs...

Gift Giving: Our Plan this Christmas

Choosing Your Baby's Name

Adair, Lately...

Our Weekend, in Photographs...

Big Sponsorship News for December!!!

To be present...

In the Kitchen: Our At-Home Date Night

A Rough Rock and a Really Hard Place

Winners!!!

Our Weekend, in Photographs...

Doing Things FOR Your Kids

We Need a Vote

Custom Holiday Cards by Adair Designs

A Giveaway from Adair Designs

On My Mind, this Monday Morning...

My ONE Pregnancy Update Post

Holiday Traditions Contest

Get excited!

Big News!

Addie's First Birthday Party

How We Spent Addie's Big Day

Party Prep!!!

Happy Birthday, Adair Lynden!

Before 's arrival