More on Grace

Hi everyone! I hope you all have had a wonderful week. Our little life has been pretty crazy recently, and as I'm writing this post my hubby is undergoing ankle surgery which will put him out of commission for about eight weeks (so give us a little grace and lots of prayers please!). We also have some pretty big life changes coming up, of which I'm so proud of Josh for, and I'll be sure to keep you all up to date with those changes as they get closer.

Throughout the past few weeks, I have really embraced the idea of grace and have learned so much about it as I have applied it to my everyday life... a lot! The most profound message that has been stuck in my head is "grace is aggressive forgiveness".  Think about that statement and how it applies to God and to your everyday life. Grace is not a thing, it is a person, and His name is Jesus.  He gave the ultimate example of forgiveness. And we should pass along this Grace to those around us.

Aggressive Forgiveness

What does that look like? Forgiving everyone, just as Christ forgave you. Yes, even those people who do unspeakable things to you. Did they lie to you? Give them grace. Betray you? Give them grace. If you deserve grace, chances are everyone else around you does too. When someone irks me, instead of being impatient and quick to draw conclusions, I try to put myself in that person's shoes. Maybe they're driving slow because they have a birthday cake in the back seat that they don't want to turn over (you know you've been there). Maybe they just got their own bad news, putting them in a bad mood, causing them snap at you. You never know what someone is going through, and it's not your duty to judge.

This also means aggressively forgiving yourself, for not being the perfect individual you set out to be, or for falling short of your goals, or for whatever other shortcomings you may think you have.  You are the most perfect you there ever was, so keep that in mind every day.

So I know I've been talking about giving yourself grace a lot recently, but being the type a person that I am, I appreciate when someone tells me step-by-step exactly how to do something. So here you go:

1. Make a list of all of your responsibilities. Sort out the ones that are must do, versus the ones that you can limit. And limit them! Say no on occasion when you have too much on your plate. You can't do it all and you shouldn't have to. 
2. Outsource if you can. Cleaning the house is something I keep up with daily. I usually clean a small portion of the house each day, rather than cleaning it all at once because the idea of taking hours a week to clean the whole house is daunting to me. In the next few weeks while Josh is healing, I'll be handling all the household jobs by myself all while planning and carrying out a first birthday party for Addison. So I'll be giving myself a little grace and outsourcing the cleaning to someone else so it's one thing off my plate. It's definitely not something we can swing all the time (it would be nice!) but during a busy time like this, it's worth the added expense. 
3. Ask for help. This is something I struggle with! I try to handle all my responsibilities and be everything for everyone all with a baby on my hip. And for the most part, I get it done! But boy is it nice to go to the grocery store or run a few errands on my own.  Ask for help, because there are so many people around you who would be happy to help, you just have to reach out and ask.  
4. Get organized. This is huge. When you have everything all in one place, it helps you be more productive and knock out your to do list. I use a planner, but you can use a notepad if it helps. Write down everything that needs to be done, even down to getting a shower if you haven't done it yet. Crossing things off a list keeps you going and makes your tasks look and feel more manageable. If you need help with this, reach out! This is one of my favorite things to do and I love helping others with it too. I'm such an organization nerd! 

Use these tips to help yourself out this month. And use that spare time to be present for your family. Do something fun. Go on an adventure. Have a party. Life is short, and it's about being happy together, not stressed out alone. Have a great week!

Xoxo,

Kaitlin

Perfection is so Overrated

Hi everyone, and happy Sunday! God has really put some things on my heart recently and I have been pushed to share it the only way I know how. So please bear with me as I try to be vulnerable with you all and open my heart in hopes that someone else out there will hear God's words through me and give themselves grace.

"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.'" 2 Corinthians 12:9

In an Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest-centered world, it is important for people to realize something...NOBODY IS PERFECT! Everything you see on those outlets is someone else's highlight real.  What is going on behind the picture is not seen.  I have personally struggled with the feeling that I need to keep up with the bloggers and brand pages that I see consistently while scrolling through my feed, and create a highlight real that is picture perfect like in a magazine. But I'll be completely honest with you, that's not me.  Don't get me wrong, I love shopping, makeup, home decor, and all things pretty, but I have found that trying to keep everything together all of the time is just so exhausting.  I am literally exhausted trying to be the perfect wife, the perfect mom, the perfect friend, keep an immaculate house, lose weight, and run a perfect business, but I have to realize that even if I can do all of those things, I can't do them all well.  And that is ok!

I started reading the book Grace, Not Perfection by Emily Ley, and in it she talks about how important it is to take care of yourself and build yourself up so that you can take care of your family.  I cannot stress how important this is! But one thing I had a hard time understanding was that I was correlating "taking care of myself" to buying things, and I definitely can't afford to be going every other week to get my nails done, or buy myself a new outfit, or go for a spa day every once in a while...like come on, I'm a stay at home mom and we need groceries! But the mindset that I have had to change was that money doesn't buy happiness and it definitely doesn't buy taking care of yourself! This was a huge revelation because I always feel renewed after getting a pedicure, but 10 minutes later I'm back to feeling exhausted again. So I came up with a list of things that I find true happiness in:

• Spending time with my family
• Discovering new places
• Helping other moms and women  

So guess what...I am going to do those things!

I most definitely have a lot of growing to do, and to start I will be unfollowing many of the bloggers and celebrities that I follow on various social media outlets, not because it's their fault that I feel unworthy, but for myself and for my mental health it is the best decision. Secondly, I want to build my tribe. Those women around me that genuinely build me up and keep me accountable, not those who tear me down and make passive aggressive comments about how I should be living. But for now, I leave you with this...

"You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 2:1

I have a call to action for all of my friends: What makes you happy? Genuinely happy? Comment below and strive this week to do just that!

Baby Beach Necessities

We are up to our necks in sand and salt water pretty consistently this month as we have been at Hutchinson Island.  This is Addison's first beach trip and I have been anxiously awaiting this month since she was born! I am a huge beach lover, grew up going to Hutchinson Island my entire life,  and I hoped more than anything that Addison would love it too.  I am overjoyed that she is definitely a beach baby! She loves the sand (and eating it), the ocean waves running up on her feet, and swimming in the pool. She has exceeded my expectations for how much she loves it. 

One of the biggest challenges of bringing a baby to the beach is how much JUNK they require that you have lug down to the beach. I have no advice for limiting the amount of stuff (it's inevitable), but I think I have mastered how to transport everything the easiest  I have compiled a list of our beach must haves for a baby, and ruled out the unnecessary items.

1. Baby Pool: This has been the best! We start out the day by using it as a playpen and letting her play with her toys in it, and when she gets bored with that, we add fresh water and it becomes a whole new experience!
2. Beach Toys: Addison obviously doesn't understand how to use a bucket and shovel correctly, but they are new toys that she doesn't normally get to play with at home so she loves them! Add in a few water squirters and that's all you need. We love these because they are BPA, Phthalate, and Lead Free! 
3. Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen: I can't stress this enough and I think it's pretty obvious why.  Find a good mineral sunscreen that is good for the whole family. I love Beautycounter's Countersun Sunscreen.  It comes in stick, lotion, and spray form and is gentle enough to use on both adults and babies. 
4. Food, Snacks, and Water: Babies need to stay hydrated, so water is a must.  We used baby food pouches to make things easier and less messy for lunch, and brought fruit down for snacks. 
5. These Towels: They are my favorite! If you are the mom of a baby, skip the baby size and go straight for the kids size.  Your little one will be able to use them longer!
6. This Wagon: This was a game changer in terms of transport.  We threw everything in it (including Addison) and wheeled everything to the beach.  The large wheels made it easy to pull through the sand, and when it's not in use, it folds up easily.
7. If you will have multiple babies on the beach, I would recommend this playpen.  It shakes clean, folds up easily, and has a little shade for sunny days.  It was very helpful for two mobile best friends that wanted to venture to the hot sand  every minute!

This is a pretty comprehensive list of everything we have been using for our beach trip! Happy beachin'!

xoxo,

Kaitlin

Addison's 6 Month Schedule

Hey guys! I hope you all are having a fabulous week.   I am battling vacation mode as the end of this school year is already on the horizon! How did that happen so fast?? I am looking forward to summer beach days, time spent with my little family on vacations, and no daily agendas! This summer will be much different than those in the past with little Miss Addison joining me this year.  I'm sure I will be up much earlier and definitely to bed much earlier, but I am looking forward to this summer more than any other before!

Addison has always been a schedule kind of girl. When she was a newborn, I let her ease into life and create her own schedule and just stuck to it so that she began to know what to expect on a daily basis.  When it came to sleeping through the night, Addison slept through the night by 4 months old, which made this mama very happy! I always followed the same bed time routine, no matter what.  That way, Addison knew exactly what to expect and became accustomed to her bedtime routine and was able to wind down and fall asleep easily and peacefully. Today I am sharing our bedtime routine for all of my new moms out there who are struggling to get their babies to sleep.  I was there just a few months ago, and I was constantly searching the internet and asking other moms how to beat the bed time battle.

Our bedtime routine typically begins at 5:00pm, when Addison eats her supper. She eats and talks my ear off while I coordinate some sort of meal for Josh and I.  Soon afterwards, she gets to have some time to play with Daddy when he gets home! While they are playing, that gives me time to finish up supper for Josh and I. While we eat, Addison sits with us at the table in her high chair and plays with toys. One of the most important things to me is our time together as a family at the table during this time.

After supper, bath time commences. Our house slows down quite a bit during this time and we try to make it a relaxing place so that Addison is able to wind down in time for bed. I usually give the bath and Josh does her baby massage with our favorite lotion, a new diaper, and puts on her jammies and her HALO SleepSack. He then gives her a nighttime bottle around 7:00pm and I read her a story in her room afterwards.  By this time she is usually fighting to keep her eyes open so we give her a kiss goodnight and place her in her crib for the night, where she usually sleeps peacefully until I wake her up the next morning.

One of my favorite aspects of her sleep routine is the HALO SleepSack.  As a new mom, I have so much I worry about, and safe sleep (thankfully) is not one of them.  With the HALO SleepSack, I never have to worry about a blanket that could end up covering her face at night, or getting kicked off, causing her to be cold.  I love the dual zipper design on the platinum edition because it makes diaper changes so easy without the need to take the entire blanket off.  Just unzip from the bottom, change, and back to bed!

You can also check out this video for more information!

Thank you HALO Innovations for sponsoring today's post. 

xoxo,

Kaitlin

Addison Lee Six Month Update

I can't believe we have a six month old baby on our hands! She has grown so much and I love to see how her personality has come out.  She is quite the chatterbox and has never met a stranger. She has such a sweet heart and wants to give everyone kisses. She waves "buh bye," is obsessed with animals, and loves every food she's tried except for peas!

Some things I have learned in the past 3 months:

1. Germs are inevitable, especially when babies put EVERYTHING in their mouths. 
2. Teething is the worst.  Some babies have no reaction to it; mine is not one of them.
3. Baby's first cold is awful.  They don't understand why they can't breathe and they wake up every hour stuffy and frustrated.  It's like the newborn days all over again! Saline spray, boogie wipes, and the snotsucker makes everything better.
4. Addison picks up on everything and tries so hard to mimic you.  It's fun and frightening all at the same time. 
5. The love of your child is unlike any other kind of love.

Some things Addison has learned in the past 3 months:

1. She is rolling all over the place. 
2. She is sleeping twelve hours through the night! Thank you Jesus!!
3. She loves sitting up and playing with toys, but she's a little top heavy and falls over some times!
4. She is reaching for people she wants to go to.
5. She is waving buh bye
6. She is blowing raspberries
7. She is talking up a storm!

Our top ten baby products for 3-6 months:

1. Halo Sleep Sack Swaddle 2-in-1: we use them as a sleep sacks these days
2. Boppy Pillow: for sitting support
3. Little People Farm Animals: her favorite little handheld toys
4. Little Einstein Saucer: she will play in this thing forever!
5. Nuby Teether
6. Munchkin White Hot Baby Spoons: since we are eating food now
7. Door Jumper: so much fun to see her jump around in this thing!
8. Dr. Brown's Bottles: we still use these every single day
9. Boogie Wipes: These things are amazing for colds. They keep baby's nose from getting raw from tissues
10. NoseFrida: so gross, but so necessary!

XOXO,

Kaitlin

Proverbs 31:28-30

Date Night Digs

Happy Monday, friends! This weekend was a dream, a quiet one running errands and spending days with my little family. The best weekends are those spent with nothing to do!
Date nights are few and far between these days with a baby, but Josh and I do our best to make time for each other, even if that means getting Nanny or Mimi to babysit so we can have a few hours to ourself. When we do get the opportunity to go on a date, we love keeping it simple by usually heading to dinner or some sort of sporting event; we like to do things that allow us to talk with each other since it feels like we are so busy during the week to sit down and talk together. Josh is a huge sports guy so if we can find inexpensive tickets to a game nearby, we take advantage of it! There are so many professional teams in Miami that always have events going on. 

This white mixed media top is perfect for a casual night out to dinner. It is flattering on all body types and it's on sale! I love the bell sleeve detail. These Articles of Society jeans are a recent find and I am obsessed! They are so soft and stretchy without losing their shape, which is hard to find! And they are less than $70! My wedges are not in stock anymore so I linked similar ones that are the same brand.  They are so comfortable, so I can wear them without looking like a penguin (ladies who can't walk in heels, you know what I'm talking about!).
I hope you all have a wonderful and productive week! I'm starting another grad course this week, so I'll be plenty busy with getting that up and running.

xoxo,
Kaitlin

Matthew 11:28-29

Establishing a Newborn Wardrobe

As an expectant new mom, you think you need EVERYTHING for your baby.  I was beyond guilty of this and to be honest, I still am.  I think it comes from the innate desire to provide for your child combined with the millennial thinking that "stuff" makes a person happy, and we want our babies to be happy. Happiness does not come from material possessions, but that's a post for another day.  Babies have to be clothed, so we might as well have fun doing it!
Baby outfits are by far the most fun thing to shop for in life.  Everything is so adorable, and fit doesn't matter since all they do is lay around.  It can be easy to go overboard buying baby clothes.  Knowing what I know after being a mom for 5 months, I have passed the newborn phase and I have compiled a list of clothing items needed for a newborn wardrobe. This is not one of those bare bones lists that includes only essentials, but a good solid list that leaves you with a few options to choose from when picking out your little one's daily outfit, and gives you time between washes so that you don't have to wash clothes every 3 days (even though you probably will be anyway). I will say that Addison only wore the newborn size for 3 weeks, so stocking up of 0-3 and 3-6 month sizes is a better idea if you are on a budget.

• 5 Infant Gowns: I like these because they have the built in hand mitts to keep baby from scratching herself. Gowns are the best for the early days because trying to unbutton the buttons on a screaming baby's pajamas in the middle of the night is a huge pain.
• 3 Footed Pajamas: These are my favorite because they zip up.  No buttons! 
• 5 One-piece complete outfits: These are easy to put on and don't require a lot of fuss when changing a diaper, but don't look like pajamas when you are getting out of the house. I love this one and this one, and I linked a few other options below.
• 3 "Going Out" Outfits: These are those super cute outfits that include the matching socks, bows, bibs, etc. for when you take baby out to see family and friends. Gap and Gymboree have adorable outfits with all the matching accessories.
• Bibs: Addison has always been an expert at spitting up, so bibs have always been a part of her outfit.  I would say at least 2 per day if you have a baby who spits up a lot or has reflux, or for a teether, because the amount of drool is unreal!  These Aden and Anais ones are my favorite.
• Socks: a few good packs of solid color socks will do the trick.  These are my favorite because they stay on baby's feet and last from 0-6 months.

And that's about all they need as far as wardrobe goes! I never used hand mitts or hats on Addison because she never needed them, but if you live somewhere cold or if your little one is a scratcher you may want some of those too.  Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

Kaitlin

Proverbs 22:6