harper headband  |  bed  |  bedding  |  white blanket  |  pillows  |  art

If you’ve been around here for the last little bit, you’ve probably noticed we have added a 8th member to our family. No not another baby, promise we are done with that. A new puppy! We are all so in love with her and can’t get enough, but it hasn’t been all rainbows and butterflies! Haha! I’ve been getting a lot of questions on how life with a new puppy is going, and any advice I have,  so I thought I’d share a little bit with you today.

hayden outfit  |  marley scarf  |  harper outfit + headband

Now I know a lot of you are probably thinking we are insane to add a puppy to our plate right now. Isn’t 5 kids schedules enough crazy? And we kind of are. BUT, our little people had been asking for years, and we all went into it knowing it was going to be their dog, which means their responsibility. Before we even told them they could get one, we sat them down and talked about the nitty gritty. We literally took out all the fun stuff and told them every hard thing they were going to deal with to make sure they were on board. The cleaning up poop….potty breaks…taking her for a walk even if you were tired, everything. I think knowing what they were getting into really helped a lot and they have done so so good.

I think when people see a new cute little puppy, that is exactly all they think of. Oh my gosh! How cute?! I have to have one! And they go into it completely blind. A puppy is a baby dog, and just like how you usually think about and prepare to have a baby, I HIGHLY recommend doing the same for a puppy.

So a little before Christmas last year we decided we were ready to surprise the little people with a puppy. She was the sweetest little thing and we named her Harley. Around a month after we got her, she passed away in a freak accident in our soon to be backyard. We were all so heart broken because we had instantly fallen in love. It is crazy how quickly you can bond and make a connection with a little animal. After we took a break to think about it, we were contacted by the breeder about taking home Harley’s little sister. The little people thought it was so perfect to be able to feel like we still had a piece of cute Harley in our home. They chose to name her Marley 🙂

Now that you know a little bit of our story and how we prepared…I thought I’d share a few puppy tips!

• Consider the time of year you get your puppy.  We got Marley in the beginning of the summer and it was perfect. The weather here in Utah was nice so it was easy to potty train her outside and not have to deal with her not wanting to go potty in the rain or cold. My little people were all home too, so they could take on the responsibility from the get go. They were also constantly outside playing, so the puppy could be too.
• Get A Potty Bell! If you don’t know what this method is, you’ve got to look it up. It is a game changer when it comes to potty training your puppy, and I’m so glad so many of your recommended it! You basically teach the puppy to ring a little bell by the door when she needs to go potty. I swear that bell has saved us from a million little accidents throughout the house.
• Stick to your guns. If you are like us and getting the puppy for your little people, hold them to their responsibility. You probably already have enough on your plate so let/make them take on those daily duties too.

I know it sounds crazy, but Marley has truly become a little furry member of our family. We love her and don’t know what we’d do without her! As much as I love her, I think what I have loved the most is being able to teach my little people hard work and what its like to have a job and be responsible. They have already grown so much and you can see they have a little sense of pride in her.

So I wanna know…do you have a puppy? What are some of your biggest tips for training or living with a new puppy?

joe top + jeans + shoes  ||  harper shoes + headband  ||  hayden similar jeans + top  || my top (different style) + jeans + similar booties + jacket  ||  houston jeans + shoes  ||  hudson jeans

Fall is officially here in Utah, and it is BEAUTIFUL!!! Being in California for so long + growing up in Southern Utah, it has been amazing to actually experience all the seasons here. The leaves are just gorgeous and we haven’t even been minding the slightly cooler temps. Now if only it could last a little longer, because we all know this hot weather girl is not ready for the snow!! Fall seems to bring an even crazier and busier schedule for us. I really wanted to try and set aside some fun activities to look forward too this season, so I reached out to you guys to help me come up with Fall Bucket List! Today I’m sharing my 25 favorite that I can’t wait to go do with my people!

• pick your pumpkins at a local pumpkin patch! I love this idea so you are supporting your local community, instead of just grabbing one at the grocery store.
• make homemade caramel apples! I think this one would be so fun! Let your little people pick out their own toppings so they feel like they are really making it their own.
• jump in a huge pile of leaves! This one has Houston + Hudson (and maybe Joe too) written all over it!
• go apple picking! We have never done this one, but doesn’t it sound so fun + yummy?

my jacket  |  jeans  |  top  |  similar shoes + here

• boo your friends or neighbors! I shared about this last year and it is SO SO fun! You can make cookies or just put together a bag of treats from the store. You doorbell ditch them leaving the treat behind with a little note that says “You’ve been boo’d”!
• carve or paint pumpkins! We’ve got little people, so knives aren’t my favorite. I love the idea of painting them and getting so many fun colors.
• take a drive in the mountains to see the fall leaves! The leaves in Utah right now are GORGEOUS so I for sure can’t wait for this one!
• make tinfoil dinners and have a campfire! There is just something about eating up in the mountains rather than at home that says Fall.
• have a scary movie marathon! We still have the little littles, so it will probably be more like Hocus Pocus and The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. I loved that this suggestion,  because it can be customized to fit your family.

similar jumpsuit  |  jacket  |  shoes

• make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! Fall means all things pumpkin, so I’m all about these super easy 3 ingredient YUMMY treats. My people can make them from start to finish themselves!
• make a thankful tree or sign! I’m all about any fun way we can teach showing more gratitude to our people.
• have a costume fashion show! I loved this idea from one of you! It is so simple, but I know my people will love it! They get to model their costumes, and you can maybe add some scary music to walk or dance to!
• decorate halloween sugar cookies! Making and decorating sugar cookies was always a tradition for me growing up, so it is one I have loved to continue with my people.

• have a backyard campout! Oh my, my little people will die over this one, because it just seems like such an adventure. I maybe will have to volunteer to come in with the babies when its time to actually sleep.
• go to a haunted house! This is way too scary for my liking, because I hate jumpy freaky things. But it would be such a fun thing to do to get bigger kids interested in family time.
• make your own fall scarecrow! I had never heard of this idea, but it is probably one of my favorites.

• go trick or treating! I know it seems like this one is kind of obvious, but it’s good to have easy traditions you know your people look forward to on the list too!
• go on a hayride! I love this one for an easy full family idea. I’ve noticed a lot of our local pumpkin patches offer this option, because it kind of makes the hunt for the best pumpkin a little more exciting!
  
  
• make homemade donuts and apple cider! Another idea that just screams yum!
  
  
• play a family football game! – This one came from one of you too and I think it would be so hilarious to do with our family!

Whatever it is, big or small, above all I hope you have such a fun Fall season with your people! And don’t forget to share your favorite fall activities so I can add them to my list!

kitchen aid  |  magic bullet  |  instant pot

Whether I like it or not, my little people are growing up! They are becoming so independent, especially when it comes to our time in the kitchen. Even Houston wants to be big like his siblings and do everything himself! We purposely designed our pantry to be so kid friendly so they could quickly and easily grab snacks or make lunches. They love it so much that they have started taking over our other meals too! I’ve had questions lately on how I let them help + any tips I have to make it go a little smoother (and cleaner!), so today I wanted to share some of my favorite ways to let them shine in the kitchen, and the products that help make it possible!

First up is the Magic Bullet. This little gadget is my little peoples FAVORITE. I think for me the best part is they don’t have to haul out our huge blender every time they want to mix something up. In the mornings, they love to mix up a quick smoothie. The easy to read measurement guidelines on the side, make it quick for them to know how much to pour, and we don’t have to worry about making a huge batch. They love using it for dinner time too. It is a great way for them to chop ingredients I need and I don’t have to worry about knives and someone chopping a finger off.

My next favorite kid friendly appliance is the Kitchen Aid Mixer. I have been doing a lot more baking lately and the little people LOVE to help. Who doesn’t want to be right there ready to sample a little cookie dough?! I love that with the plastic pouring shield, I can let any of them sit on the counter and pour in ingredients. I don’t have to worry about any food flying like with a hand mixer, or anyone sticking their fingers in the mixer and getting hurt. Hunter and her friends can whip up a treat when they want one all on their own now.

The last one, that I wish I wasn’t so late to the game on was the Instant Pot!! This has been a major game changer for me. I’m kind of wondering how we lived without it! Houston and Hayden LOVE to push the buttons to program whatever we are making. I’m happy letting them think they cooked the whole meal. Haha. The Instant Pot is so amazing if you have a crazy busy schedule like ours. I can throw healthy meals together quick and not rely so much on a drive-thru or takeout on game nights!

If I could give you one major tip that saves my sanity working with my littles in the kitchen it is to shop wisely. When we moved into our new house, I wanted to replace a lot of these small appliances to upgrade. I knew with a lot of little helpers, I had more of a risk of things breaking. I didn’t want to stress about not letting them learn just because of the price tag.

If you follow along here, you know that I recently scored some great deals on our favorite cleaning supply over on eBay, so I had to see if the same could be true for Kitchen Appliances, and I was blown away. Everything was so quick and easy to find on eBay, and it was all  such a steal! I love knowing that I am secretly teaching them to cook and be independent for their future, without the stress of spending too much!

I think as mom’s we all need the little reminder that they learn by experience! Let them be with you making those memories in the kitchen. It is something they will always cherish, and at the same time you are preparing them for the future too! I’d love to hear your favorite tips for cooking in the kitchen with your little people too!

in partnership with eBay

photos : aubrey taiese 

  joe top + shorts  |  hunter top + pants  |  marley scarf  |  houston top + jeans |  hayden jumper

  my jumpsuit  |   harper romper (old) other option + headband  |  hudson top + jeans

It’s that time of year again. When we all scramble to force our little people (and husbands) to head out for FAMILY PICTURES! I think just about everyone can agree that it family pictures bring out allll the emotions. Whether it is the stress of outfit planning, the toddler (or husband) tantrum, or even feeling a little sentimental, they are full of emotions and can be a challenge, especially with a lot of little people. Since this isn’t my first rodeo, you know I have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve to attempt to help your family pictures go a little smoother, so I thought I’d share them with you today!

my jumpsuit  |  hat  |  slides  |  necklace + necklace  |  lipstick

• Pick out your outfit first : If I could shout this one from the rooftops I would! It is so so important. Mom’s aren’t really known for dying to be in the picture with our little people. But you guys, we need to be part of the memories too! By picking your outfit first, you will guarantee that you feel confident + comfortable. When you feel good about yourself you’ll love your pictures more!! Trust me on this one.

  Also, if your self-conscious about your mid-section (which I think some of us are) I’d go with a flowy dress or top so you don’t have a second thought about it. I love dresses for this reason + they are usually nicer then a top + bottom look.

• Patterns + textures : Don’t be afraid to add some pattern or different textures to some of the outfits.  Adding textures help add more depth + dimension to the image rather then just everyone in a cotton tee. I love knitted cardigans, a scarf, or even a linen shirt or shorts for the boys to break it up a bit. This stripe on Hayden was the perfect kind of wild card to break things up.
• The less matchy-matchy you are the better : If I’m being honest, all of our last-minute pictures where I’ve had to throw random outfits together –that necessarily don’t match perfectly always end up the best. This year I picked my dress first and then knew I had this outfit for Harper already that I loved. From there we kind of just picked what the kids were comfortable in. I love how they turned out.

• Timing : Timing can be the difference between smooth sailing and a total melt down! Try to do a time when you know your baby or toddler will be happy. Like right after nap time, or dinner. I think this helps the mom’s stress level a million times. Also, make sure your people are all fed and not hungry because that makes a huge difference with their moods. Gosh, I even get hangry sometimes!
• Be ok with Candid : Candid photos always turn out the best and they will be the moments that are true and remembered – not the super posed one where everyone is smiling perfect. (even though we like those ones) Whether you catch your kids laughing at each other, someone picking their nose, or even a little tantrum, those are the ones you’ll love the most because they hold your little peoples real personalities.

• Get the Money Shot FIRST : If there is a shot you have in mind that you have to have, do it very first. Usually for us, it is the full family shot. Get the must haves out of the way in the first 5 minutes. You never know when someone is going to lose it!
• Bribes Work: I see absolutely nothing wrong with bribes for family pictures!! I usually have skittles or gold fish for the kids in Joe’s pocket and will pop one in the kids mouth here and there when they are listening. AND, tell your kids they can get a reward like ice cream or a night at the park if  they will listen to the photographer without a fuss. It always helps and we really go and do it afterwards, because who doesn’t need ice-cream after all of this craziness!
  
• Don’t be too prepared : This sounds like I’m crazy, but I learned this year it is very possible. We showed up early and thought it would be great. We had lots of extra time to shoot all that we wanted. It completely back fired because our little people still lost it in the same amount of time, and it ended up being right when we had the best lighting. Mini-shoots are gold. They are 20 minutes for a reason, because we are all usually over it by then!

I hope these tips are helpful! If I can say one more thing it is this. Just go with the flow and embrace your phase of life. One day you’ll look back and the moments you were cringing will be the photos you remember and love most!

photos : aubrey taiese 

couch +  similar |  pillow

Now that my 3 big people are at school all day, I’ve been really trying to carve out some special time one on one time with the babies. When I say “special”, I don’t necessarily mean something big and extravagant. Special one on one time for us is a set time when all of my attention is 100% on them. I think as moms we try too hard and think everything has to be a big production to count. That is so far from the truth! So today I wanted to share a couple of my favorite things to do in my one on one time with the babies.

couch +  similar |  pink pillow  |  bookcase  |  gold dog

… READING …

I think I’ve shared here before, but if you didn’t know, I am a HUGE fan of children’s books. Like started collecting them before we even had little people because I just love them so much. Our office has cupboards full of them and I love that it is slowly helping my little people gain that same love of reading. One of my very favorite things to do is read to the babies. They are both at that stage where books just suck them in. They pick apart every picture pointing out details they recognize and its just so fun to see them catching on.

Houston has had some delays with his speech and recently started working with a speech therapist. It has been amazing to see just from listening to me read to him the words that he will catch on to and start to say more and more himself in his own version of “reading”. I love that its such a fun way to teach speech concepts without them even knowing it.

Besides that is is introducing them to a love of  words + reading, I love that it means snuggle time! We just created this new little reading nook  with fun pieces we found at Walmart and it is heaven for them. I was shocked to find so many adorable pieces. They were so affordable but are really such great quality. I love that they blend well with the style of the rest of our home. Something about having a cozy little space of your own to  read a book makes it  more fun. Even my bigger people are loving it!

.   .   .   .   .

… COLORING …

table + chair set  |  pink stool + in mint option

I don’t know about your little people but mine, especially the babies LOVE coloring! Really I think a lot of it is they think they are getting to make a mess and be a little destructive, and what kid doesn’t love that?! Houston is all about doing whatever the big kids are doing because as he always tells me “I big mom!”.  When he sees the big people doing homework he wants to be just like them. So coloring and “writing” are something he has really started to love.

Having done some speech therapy for Hayden, and now for Houston, it has made me more aware of development and helping things progress a little faster for Harper. I love to take advantage of our coloring time and make it a teaching moment too. It is really so simple but we kind of do like a copy mom game. I will draw a line or shape and tell them to do the same and they copy me. It has helped their fine motor skills so much and they think its so fun. Win win in my book!

I think the most important thing to remember in making one on one time with your people special, is to keep it simple. It doesn’t have to be dragging out every piece to a train set.  Your people just crave and love that time with you and your attention more than anything. Sometimes our coloring or reading happens in the car while we wait for a soccer practice to be over, but we make it work. The biggest thing I’ve been trying to remind myself is to just be present.  So I wanna know, what are you favorite things to do with your little people, whether they are babies or even grandbabies?!

in partnership with Walmart

photos : aubrey taiese 

joe tee + shorts  |  harper headband  |  dresser  |  rug  |  changing pad  |  basket 

Birthday season is still going strong over here for us! We celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago with a surprise trip to Jamaica that I shared about here. This week we are celebrating our favorite guy around here, my hubby Joe! You don’t get to see a lot of him here in this space, so I thought I’d take this chance to help you get to know him a little better with an All About Joe!

joe tee + shorts + shoes  |  harper outfit (sold out) + headband + shoes

• As you have all probably noticed + figured out on your own, Joe DOES NOT LIKE any form of social media. He doesn’t get the point of it and just thinks it’s not important. This is why when I do try to force him to be in my Instagram Stories, you usually get an annoyed look…maybe a hand…or just him turning around. Haha! This may have given you the idea that he is not so social…never really smiling…or even grumpy. That could not be farther from the truth. He is such an amazing guy, so caring, and is pretty much instant friends with anyone he meets. He is all about real life face to face relationships though, and just doesn’t see the need for the online connections. Which as you can guess, has made my job as an influencer interesting at times, but honestly it helps us have so much more balance because he can bring me back to real life.

• He is SO SO laid back and a go with the flow kind of guy. Basically picture the complete opposite of me! He could care less about anything material, would wear shorts and a basic tee every day, and just doesn’t ever sweat the small stuff.

joe tee + shorts  |  harper headband + shoes  |  my tee + jeans + bracelet

• Joe is by far the most caring and giving person I have ever known. So much so that sometimes I have to reel him in a little. He would give the shirt off his back to help someone. He is constantly inviting people over for dinner or volunteering us to babysit for friends and family. And he never puts himself first and is always always looking for a way to serve someone else. I think that is one of the qualities I love about him most.

• He LOVES baseball and played his whole life. When you see him you probably get the athlete/sports vibe but he is so dang smart too. He actually got paid to go to all 4 years of college because he got 2 full ride scholarships, one for baseball and one for academics.

joe jeans  |  top  |  shoes  || my top  |  jacket  |  jeans  |  shoes

• He hates pictures with a PASSION! Haha! Joe grew up in family of all boys, and his mom just never really took pictures. Pair that with my family of all girls that was constant pictures and it has taken some adjusting. I try not to force him to be in too many, and as you can see, he likes to pull the best faces when he is!

• I’ve shared this before, but get asked so often I decided to share it here too. Joe is a Cardiac Anesthesiologist. It took LOTS of school but he loves going to work every day and helping people.

joe tee + shorts  |  harper headband  |  rug  | dresser  |  flamingo

• One of my very favorite things about him is that he is such a hands on dad. He has a very demanding job that sometimes requires 24 hour shifts. Even if he has worked a crazy shift, he will come home and let the little people climb all over him, or be out in the batting cage with Hudson, or anything he can do to just me with them and give this his time and attention.

• Joe always knew we would have 5 kids, even though we only ever talked about having 4. He knew deep down we would have 5, but didn’t want to push me.  I would need more time to figure it out so he just waited. After we got pregnant with Harper he told me. I thought it was so funny that he knew I would just need a minute to realize it too.

Hopefully that helps you get to know our favorite guy a little better. He isn’t a huge presence here in this space, but I honestly don’t know what we would do without him. He is our comedian when we need it most, the calm to our crazy, and just the best guy we could ever ask for.