Top Posts in 2015

Today I thought I'd share a post highlighting the post read posts of 2015, the link to the original post is below each picture.

My most viewed post this year was on How to Shop on thredUp. I loved writing this and thredup ended up sharing it on their Facebook page, which was really cool.  It still remains my favorite place to shop!

My favorite perk of thredUp is that you can get $20 off your first order by shopping through this link. It's a great day to get some free clothes!

Christmas Time

Today I thought I'd share a bit about what our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was like.  We ended up hosting both, luckily we don't have huge families.  Our Christmas Eve day started with early morning snuggles and this proud brother.  Grant has been so good with Hannah! The upside to hosting was he was able to get a lot of attention from a lot of different people. I was a bit worried about how he'd transition, but it's been great!

The Nightingale

Before reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, I'm ashamed to admit Kristin Hannah wasn't even a blip on my radar, now I want to devour everything she's ever written. Yeah, this book was that good! In year's past I read Sarah's Key which gave me a small look into what life was like in France during the German occupation of WWII, but it focused more on the concentration camp aspect. In The Nightingale we meet two sisters: Vianne and Isabelle both in very different stages in their life. Vianne is a young mother whose husband has gone off to fight against Germany, only to become a prisoner of war, and Isabelle is 19 and headstrong, ready to go fight if only she were allowed.  

Each girl has a very different, yet powerful experience during the war. Vianne has two very different German soldiers stay at her house-both which impact her greatly, and Isabelle finds her own way to help make a difference during the war by working with the French Resistance.  

If you're looking for a book, this one (and the one I wrote about yesterday) should definitely be added to your list. It is powerful, moving, and tells a story that longs to be read!

Happy Baby Wrap

It has been a whirlwind of a week! Hannah was born just a week ago and we've been busy most of the time with family-that's what happens when you have a Christmas baby!  Prior to Hannah being born I knew I wanted to try out a baby wrap, as going on outings with both Grant and Hannah could be tricky, and that darn carrier is so awkward to carry around and doesn't fit perfectly in all carts either.

I was excited to find out about Happy Baby Wrap through Instagram and excited to try it out!  When my wrap arrived it had super easy to read directions and comes with a little bag to carry the wrap in, so it's easy to store in the diaper bag.

With having a lot of people over, there  was a lot to do.  Now, my mom and sister were super helpful, but on Christmas Eve day there was a lot of action, and it was really too loud for Hannah to have any desire to sleep in her room (Luckily, it's much better since then). Now, I love a good baby snuggle as much as the next girl, but it's just not feasible to sit and let her sleep on my lap all day long (as temping as that sounds), so it was nice to give the wrap a try as well as help get things ready for snacks and dinner.

Hannah was a huge fan and literally fell asleep immediately upon getting situated in it. Now, I'm not planning on using this on a daily basis at home, but it's nice to know that she likes it, so I'm ready when the day comes that I need to get dinner on the table and Hannah is having a rough time. I do look forward to using this on outings like crazy. Grant wants to go to the Children's Museum this week and it would be the perfect opportunity to give it a whirl there; so much better then trying to push around stroller with her carrier attached.

If you're looking for a great wrap option, I highly recommend Happy Baby Wrap, I think you'll be pleased. And, can I just say-those cheeks!!!!

Hannah's Birth Story

As those of you who follow me on Social Media know, our lives changed dramatically Monday, Dec. 21st.  Our daughter, Hannah Elizabeth was born.  As this, Hannah's first pictures shows, Grant is very excited! This picture was taken at about 8:30 at night, shortly after Hannah was born.  Today I thought I'd share a little bit about her birth story and what our first few days were like.

What Alice Forgot

It's not often I read a book that I say "You just have to read this!" However, What Alice Forgot is one of those books.  I'm a huge Fan of Laine Moriarty, and her reading never disappoints! 

At the beginning of this book we are introduced to Alice right after she has fallen at hit her head at the gym.  She comes to only to find out that she is not 29-but 39 and she's forgotten the last decade of her life. Although she first thinks of her husband, Nick, she quickly learns that they are getting a divorce.  In her last memory she is 14 weeks pregnant-now she has three kids she doesn't remember at all.  

I'm sure you've all heard the saying, "We're like wine, we get better with age," but what if that's not the case?  What if the person we've become is not all who we thought we'd be, or are proud to be.  This is Alice's reality.  As she tries to navigate the waters of her "new" life it causes us as readers to think about our own lives, and who we have become.  For Alice, maybe she needed to forgot the last 10 years to remember who she really is?  Moriarty beautifully crafts this page-turner that should definitely be added to the top of your must read list!

One Last Time

I hadn't planned on any more posts while pregnant, but when this poncho came in the mail Friday, I wanted to wear it Saturday, so here you go, one more look at me pregnant. I really do love this poncho and I hope I still love them on my non-pregnant body too.  This one is of really good quality and was perfect for running around doing errands without needing to wear a coat.  

Our Saturday morning routine is almost always a trip to the library as well as Target for "necessities." We did a bingo card for books, which the library does as part of the summer reading program, as well as over Christmas.  Once it's full, the kids get to pick a prize.  This time was extra exciting, because one of the activities was a game at the library, and Grant got to pick a free book for a prize. He chose a Curious George book, which is pretty much his favorite cartoon.  Then once his bingo card was full he got to pick a prize, and although they have all kinds of different things, Grant chose a hardcover Polar Express book, score, those babies cost $20! 

If Grant's day wasn't good enough, we went to Target and he ran into two of his best friends from school, the kids was in hog heaven.  It was a nice weekend and the last one we will have as a family of three. A new chapter has started!