How We Spent Our Weekend

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hate the first day after a weekend, especially a long one. Matt and I are always wishing we had just one more day. Just a day between Saturday and Sunday you know? How perfect would that be? Right now I'm still waiting for a transfer at work and have been staying with my in-laws during the week and see Matt and our new home on the weekends. It's been tough to go back and forth and get everything together for the house and Ellie's birthday party, but I'm so thankful I have my in-laws, they are so wonderful. I love the extra time we get to spend together and how close they've become with Ellie.

This past weekend was awesome! My girlfriend and her husband hosted a BBQ at their beach club and it was great catching up with all our sorority sisters, their husbands, and seeing their kids. It was Ellie's first time in sand and she wasn't sure about it. One moment she liked it and the next she wouldn't put her feet on it and would lift one foot while trying to hang on us and lift the other. So cute!

It was awesome having a pool, beach, sand, and grass all available together. It was really the best of all worlds and perfect for the kids. The day was overcast for most of it so I didn't get to lay out which I was really looking forward to. The overcast was good for the babies though, it didn't get too hot for them. Ellie wore a white hat for the majority of the day and I need to get her another swim hat like she had last year for the pool.  It was Ellie's first time in sand and she wasn't sure about it. One moment she liked it and the next she wouldn't put her feet on it and would lift one foot while trying to hang on us and lift the other. So cute!

The striped dress is from Kiki La'Rue and is available in white here.

Sunday We celebrated Matt's sister's birthday with a big pool party. Ellie loves the water and had such a blast with the family and her cousins. She and her cousin wore matching swimsuits and it was so adorable. We've dressed them alike just a few times, but I can't wait to do it more. Her cousins are so sweet and just always dote and love on her, they'll have great memories growing up together and be so close.

I bought a bikini for this summer, but wasn't ready yet to bust it out so I picked up this one piece from Target and I absolutely love it. It's my first time every wearing a one-piece, I've had bikinis since childhood. I'm going to hold on to the bikini though, I'm sure I'll wear it later this summer. We also bought that outdoor blanket from Target (can't find it online) and it's perfect for the grass and is great size. I picture lots of picnics in our backyard with it.

Hope you all had a great weekend as well, enjoy the short work week!

Summer Essentials:Rompers

Pineapple Romper // Carolyn Hill Clutch // Kendra Scott Rayne Necklace // Key West Wedges 

// Heart Sunnies // MAC Snob //

For summer I've been obsessed with this look. I can't wait to get my hands on this romper, it's so cute and I love the fun print. Rompers made a comeback a few years ago and I see them everywhere right now. They are back in a huge way this season. Below are some of my favorites!

Off the Shoulder Romper // Southwest Backless Romper // Tiered Romper

Kaleidoscope Romper // Floral Romper

What do you think of the romper trend? Only drawback is restroom breaks, but that's not enough to stop me from sporting them!

What I'm Loving Now

There have been a few things I can't get enough of lately and wanted to share them in a post with you guys.  I love finding new stuff, especially when they're items that you use repeatedly or truly enjoy.

The Frozen Soundtrack- Ellie loves music and I think she really enjoys the children voices in the songs. We listen to it in the car and at home and she loves to bounce to the tune. I bought a few songs from iTunes, but haven't bought the entire album yet. Just the ones we (okay, I) enjoy singing.

Flat Sandals- I picked these babies up from Target on one of my million trips and have been living in them. They are so comfortable, the straps are really soft and I'm thinking about buying a 2nd pair in case these wear out after being worn all summer long.

Crossbody Bag- This Carolyn Hill bag has been my favorite for a while. It's small, has a thin strap, but plenty of pockets! I've been on the hunt for-ever for a perfectly cognac side bag and when I saw this my eyes lit up. I'm trying a few more of their products and will be doing a review on their shop soon! So far I have to say that I'm in love (insert emoji with hearts for eyes here).

Friends with Better Lives- This show is hilarious! I watch it every week and I love the characters and the dynamics of their friendships. With the move I've ditched several shows, but Matt and I started watching this together and have really enjoyed it. Plus, James Van Der Beek is dead sexy. Ooh la la. I'm so sad it's already been cancelled, I really hope it gets picked up by another network.

Naked Lip Gloss in Walk of Shame- Matt gave me this gloss for my birthday and I've been wearing it daily. It's a gorgeous shade with a hint of shimmer. It's really natural and has a good consistency. It doesn't last too long, but that doesn't bother me much in a gloss.

What have you been enjoying lately?

Product Review: AmLactin Skin Products

My whole life I've had to deal with really dry skin, especially my hands. Growing up in Utah they would often get so dry they would crack and be really painful. I would use lotion all the time, but nothing really helped as a child. Now that I live in California, my dry skin hasn't been as much of an issue, but I still get dry patches on my hands. Anytime I go back to visit my family in Utah I feel like all the moisture is sucked dry the minute I get off the plane though.

Recently, I had the opportunity to try AmLactin Skin Products and I brought them along with me on my trip home to put them to work. AmLactin Alpha-Hydroxy Skin Care harnesses the power of lactic acid to gently exfoliate and intensely hydrate to relieve severely dry skin. The products work to remove dead skin cells and improve the overall look and texture of your skin.

I was able to try the following products:

AmLactin Moisturizing Body Lotion

AmLactin Ultra Hydrating Body Cream

AmLactin Foot Cream

All of the products have a good consistency, a little on the thinner side, but you don’t need a lot for each use. They’re non-greasy and absorb well into my skin. A few hours after application I can still feel the lotion working it’s magic. I like the fact that they work like heavy duty creams, but without any of the grease. The products say they are fragrance free, but to me they do have a scent. It’s not fruity, or clinical smelling, but is present. I do not care for the smell, but would not consider it a deterrent from using it. Once the product is absorbed, the scent goes away. I've enjoyed using the products over the last few weeks, especially to get my winter skin ready for summer. I've been using them daily since then (I went at the end of March) and have been really happy with all of the products.

Mother's Day

Becoming a mother has been the best gift and journey of my life. It’s the time I've looked forward to having since I was a little girl playing house with my dolls. All of my life I couldn't wait to have a family of my own and last year my dreams came true.

I've cherished every day of this past year, both its joy and its tears. Being a mother is not easy, I feel as though it comes naturally for me, but that doesn't make the role any easier. I still struggle with balancing my plate, focusing on other aspects of my life, and preparing for our future. Every day I thank the Lord for giving me such a blessed life and ask that I may always cherish this time and not ever take what He has given me for granted. Whenever I get swept up in life, with comparing what I have with others, and focusing on wants instead of needs I remind myself that I already have everything I've ever wanted. There’s no need to ask or want for more. Being a wife and a mother has fulfilled me in ways I never imagined possible.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you, may you enjoy this day and love on the little ones that have brought so much happiness to your lives.

Baby Must Haves: 10 Months

Oh my gosh. This post is so late! I'm working on 11 months must have post so that one won't be too late, next week for sure! We've been so crazy getting the house ready, moving, and I've been going back and forth between the new house and my in-laws while I wait for a transfer at work. Our schedule has been hectic and I've had this post half-written for a few weeks now.

This past month has been so much fun with Ellie, and I feel like I write that with every post, but it's the truth! She has so much personality and is a real joy to be around. Ellie waves all the time and loves to clap. She can also get off the couch and our bed on her own, which she thinks is the coolest thing. She has really deep belly laughs and loves to be tickled. She points at everything she wants and where she wants to go. She still babbles and talks all the time. We no longer eat any purees and have gone to complete finger foods. It's so nice to serve her what we have for dinner (unless it's spicy or has a lot of seasoning, then we feed her something else) and I've enjoyed packing a variety of lunches for her at daycare.

Here are some of our favorite items for this month/stage.

Small Doll- Matt's mother gave Ellie this adorable Cabbage Patch doll in her Christmas stocking and Ellie absolutely loves it. She is constantly giving it loves and kisses. She has a couple of other dolls, but this one is by far her favorite. They come in several different themes and I'm thinking about getting a second one as a back up even.

Playtex Training Cups: I love this set so much and it has been the best for Ellie. We have bought several different brands and types and this is the set we like best so far. It comes with one sippy cup and one straw cup and Ellie has mastered both. They don't leak whatsoever. It can be kind of tricky to get the handle on with the lid so we often leave the handles off (I think Ellie prefers that too since her bottles don't have handles). They also have easy lids that pop on and off to cover the mouthpiece, which I like.

Wooden Stacker
When I was decorating the nursery, I bought this stacker to add some color to her book shelf and now it’s one of her favorite toys! The bright colors, varying sizes, and different shapes help her motor skills and she has a blast knocking them all off and trying to stack them up. Who knew such a simple toy would bring such joy? I think this is a perfect gift for her age if you’re shopping for someone, I personally love wood toys, they really stand the test of time. My grandmother kept a small closet filled with toys from my dad’s childhood and some of the wooden toys were my favorite to play with.

Textured Ball
I bought a pink and purple version of this small ball for Ellie's Easter basket and we have had so much fun together. She really enjoys the texture the spikes offer her fingers (and of course her mouth) and we roll it back and forth while she just giggles. It's been a lot of fun for our family to play with.

Sleepytime Story & Lullabies: The Little Mermaid
Nana gave this to Ellie for Easter and it's really nice to have on long car rides when I want Ellie to nap or relax. The first part is the mermaid's story followed by four lullaby versions of the songs. I want to see if there are more Disney lullaby songs that we can purchase, we've really enjoyed this CD a lot.

What are some of your little one's favorite items?