Adelaide's First Birthday

Today, we are wishing my sweet girl a happy first birthday!

It didn't really sink in how much Adelaide has grown until I started looking through all my old photos from the past year and saw how tiny she was, even just six months ago! The cuteness almost makes me want another ... Almost. Ha.

She has grown into such a sweet, silly thing with a personality all her own. I love watching her play and explore and listening to her babble to herself. She's so excited about everything, and it's just about the cutest thing. At this point, I feel like there's something new every day with her, some small new accomplishment. (And, yeah, I've definitely become one of those moms who can only talk about their kids ... I need to work on finding new hobbies.)




Adelaide has eight teeth, has surpassed the 20-pound mark, and took her first steps the weekend of Mother's Day. She loves to chatter on in her own language, made up mostly of shrieks, but her current English vocabulary consists of Mama, Dada, baba, num-num, shoe, auntie, hello, hey, and baby. She says 'so big' for everything, and has finally learned to clap.

As far as weaning goes, she loves food, especially chocolate (which is entirely my fault) and crackers, and has a big appetite. I realized that we've reached the point where just one (or even two) jar of baby food isn't enough, and I've started experimenting with either making her food or feeding her whatever Josh and I are eating for our meals. Currently, she eats three to four meals a day, and is down to two or three bottles--one when she wakes up, one in the middle of the day between lunch and dinner, and typically one before bed. And now that she's hit 12 months, we can finally start getting her off formula, which I'm SO excited for!




Typically, she sleeps through the night, and goes down with little to no fuss, then wakes up around 9 am. I have to say, even though she's always been a good sleeper, I'm so happy to have finally reached this point!

As far as her likes and dislikes ... She loves her stuffed animals and is very into books right now. Her current favorite TV show is Fixer Upper ... Mostly because that's what's on the screen when she's up. She still loves car rides, but has decided she doesn't like the stroller or the shopping cart, which is slightly unfortunate. She's pretty independent and doesn't like being in situations where she has to be contained and isn't allowed to be down, like church ... or the store, or on walks. And she's not a fan of the word, "no," especially when Dada says it! If I tell her no, she thinks it's funny...we're working on it!


Adelaide has grown so much this year, and even though parts of it dragged on, I'm surprised at how quickly those 12 months went by! I'm excited to see her grow and change even more in the coming months and years.


(Happy Friday, friends! I know this space has been quiet for a while, but I'm hoping to get that work/mom/blog balance down at some point, and hopefully be posting a little more frequently. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!)

Mother's Day Reflections

I have to admit, I've been really looking forward to Mother's Day this year. Last year was honestly pretty awkward, because I was 8 1/2 months pregnant, and everyone was wishing me a happy Mother's Day and my uncle made a special point to include me in his Mother's Day prayer, but I didn't feel like I could celebrate it yet...I mean, technically, yes, but...Anyway. It was awkward, is all. This year, after eleven months of being mama to my Miss Adelaide, and having experienced the highs and lows that motherhood brings with it, I feel like I've earned the right to celebrate this Mother's Day. If that makes sense.

The past few days, I've been reflecting on my brief time as a mother, and what I've learned, accomplished, and still struggle with.

Those first few months were such a struggle. My postpartum depression was at its worst. I felt so alone, I felt trapped and miserable. I felt like I wasn't myself anymore, and the scary thing was I wasn't sure if I ever would be ME again. Someone told me that you're never the same person again after childbirth, and although I know they didn't mean it in a bad way, those words terrified me, because I didn't like the person I was. I hated feeling ashamed for giving up on breastfeeding after my milk refused to come in, and spending painful hours pumping to produce only 4 ounces a day. I felt constantly guilty for not being like the other new moms who had bonded so perfectly with their babies, when it was three months before I could honestly feel the beginnings of love for my baby. When Adelaide was three months old, Josh and I went walking with another couple with a baby who was the same age, and the mom kept saying how every little thing was so exciting, how her heart was so full of love, and when we got home, I cried into my husband's chest for what felt like hours. I told him I just didn't feel like I could be around other mothers for a while. And I got angry at the flip of a switch. I don't think I'd ever gotten angry like that.

There were so many times when I regretted becoming a mother, and wondered if I'd even been meant for motherhood.

It was so hard to see anything but darkness ahead. And looking back on it, I should have gone back to my doctor and admitted that my PPD wasn't "getting better," and I probably should have gone on medication. It's taken a lot to get to the point where I am now, finally starting to settle in and enjoy motherhood, and to feel like myself again. I can't tell you how grateful I am to have gotten to this point.

I will say I've learned a lot, not just about "momming," but about taking care of myself and my relationship with my husband, which are both so, so important.

One of the most important things I've learned is that yes, of course, you have to take care of your baby, but you have to take care of yourself too. So if that means having the husband take the baby so you can shower, or having a relative take her for a couple hours so you can just go to the store or get coffee alone, or letting that pile of laundry sit while you work on your hobby, that's fine. Self-care has been so important, and it really helped my sanity. Just like frequent date nights and just taking time for each other are important to keep Josh and my sanity intact.

I used to hate the "How do you like being a mom?" question, because I felt like I couldn't answer it honestly, but now I do genuinely like being mama to my little girl. It's fun, I'm more confident (and happy!), and I'm finally starting to be excited about all those little milestones. And it is really rewarding.

I love playing with my sweet girl. I love how excited she is now that she's learned how to clap and play "so big". I love that wide, toothy smile. I love how she will climb on my lap and let me read to her. I love her very rare, but very cute giggle. I love how she says "Numnumnum" when she's eating. I love how excited she gets when Dada comes home. And I love when she gives hugs. She's pretty stinkin cute, and I love smothering those chubby cheeks with kisses, even though she hates all forms of physical affection.

I definitely still have stuff to work on...I mean, the other big lesson Josh and I both learned this year is not to take shortcuts with raising Adelaide (even if it means less sleep...sleep training, for one, is hard on everyone involved!), but it can be so tempting to make it just a little bit easier on yourself, even when you know it's a bad decision in the long run. Personally, I need to work on my patience (Did anyone else's patience just disappear during pregnancy? Seriously, I used to have so much patience, and now I have none, not for anyone.), and not stressing about being supermom, because I do let that get to me. It's okay to have dirty dishes and unfolded laundry! In the end, they're not important.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that being a mom is hard (oh my goodness, so hard!), but it can be pretty great, and that makes it worth it.

Happy Mother's Day to all you mamas out there! You are amazing! Keep up the good work.

May Minimalism Series - 5 Easy Ways to Save Money

Happy Friday, friends! This week feels like it's been a short one, since Josh took off Monday and Tuesday so we could have a mini vacation, but still...I'm happy it's Friday. Does anyone else crave weekends more the older you get? Seriously, looking forward to the weekends are sometimes what get me through the week, even if all we're doing is staying in and being lazy. And it's nice to have Josh to help take care of Adelaide too, not gonna lie. Also, this Sunday is Mother's Day, and I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Anyway, the theme of this post may not seem like it fits with minimalism, but if you think about it, minimalism is about having only what you need and love, and that can be a good formula for saving money. I know it's definitely helped me to curb my spending habits!

I'm always looking for ways to save money, especially now that I'm a stay at home mama and we have to be a little more careful with our spending. Here are some of the ways I've learned to cut costs:

1. Meal plan. This is a very easy way to cut down on your grocery store spending. Once a week, sit down with a sheet of paper or your phone, and write out what you're going to eat each day for at least a week (I like to do two weeks, because grocery shopping with a baby can be rough!)--breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then make a list of everything you need for those meals. I also try and do a quick inventory as I'm doing this to see what we already have so we don't buy excess. This is a really good way to keep yourself only buying what you need. And it makes cooking so much easier because you already know what you're making that night!
2. Nix eating out and cut down on Starbucks.  Josh and I used to eat out a lot. At least twice a week. Depending on where we ate, that's $50+ a week. The realization that I could make our dinners for $5 (or less!) at home helped to really put that into perspective. After Adelaide was born, we cut eating out entirely, and I started making a couple bigger meals so we could just eat leftovers on the weekends. Now, we keep eating out to once, maybe twice a month, and we leave Starbucks for a treat. Neither of us are huge coffee drinkers anyway, so that one wasn't too difficult.
3. Avoid impulse buys. Making the move towards minimalism often helps to change your perspective on spending money, because you're focused on only bringing things into your home that you need and love. You can try setting a shopping ban for things outside of necessities, and see how your shopping habits change. Currently, when I'm shopping, I like to walk around with the items in my basket for a bit, then reevaluate them before I check out to see if it's something I really need/love. Usually I will wind up putting it back. I've also stopped buying things before trying them on, and I've cut online shopping for clothes unless free returns are offered.
4. Shop at thrift stores for quality used items. I love thrifting, and it can be a great way to save money and find unique pieces. Still, be careful of falling into the trap of buying something simply because it's cheap!
5. Utilize your local library. The library is a great option to borrow the books, CDs, and DVDs that have been on your lists! This saves money and prevents you from bringing excess clutter into your home. Josh and I used to buy movies that we wanted to watch because when they went on sale, it was cheaper than renting them on iTunes or Amazon...We now have quite a large DVD collection, and only about half of those movies are ones that we really loved. Borrowing is a much more cost effective option. My library also has an app that allows you to download books to your phone or tablet, which I have recently been making good use of!

Those are five small ways we save money, and they have made a big impact!What are your favorite money-saving tips? I'd love to hear them!

May Minimalism Series + 31 Day Declutter Challenge

Hello, friends! It's been a while! I'm not sure whether it's because I was feeling uninspired, or I didn't have the time to sit down and blog. Maybe a mixture of both? Regardless, I have some fun plans in store for the month of May (Also, I just realized...it's May! We're almost halfway through 2017!)! If you've been following along for any length of time, you know that minimalism and conscious living are two things I'm passionate about. I thought that since May and minimalism seem to fit nicely together, what with alliteration and the desire to spring clean that crops up around this time of the year, I would do a series of posts on minimalism, at least one per week. Let me know if there's anything in particular you want to see!

I thought I would kick off the month with a minimalism challenge! 31 days of decluttering, so that at the end of the month, your home feels less chaotic and you can breathe easier, without the weight of unnecessary items bogging you down. I am at a point in my minimalism journey where I feel fairly comfortable with the amount of stuff we have in our home. Of course, there are always things that crop up, areas that can be revisited, and I will definitely be tackling some of those this month!

Even if a 31-day challenge isn't your cup of tea, I hope that this list can inspire you and help you to find a good starting point if you are looking to declutter your own home. If you want more detailed tips to help you with decluttering, be sure and check out my post on how to declutter, and my more detailed post on how to declutter your closet.

So, let's dive into the challenge!

1. Clothes

We're not starting this challenge off easy! Go through your closet, one drawer and hanger at a time, and pull out everything you neither need or love. Do this with your clothes, your baby's clothes, and encourage your SO to go through their clothes as well.

2. Your Purse

Pull everything out of your purse. Toss any trash (gum wrappers accumulate in my purse like crazy!) or expired products, pull out anything that's doesn't belong, and give the inside of your purse a good cleaning. If you're up for more decluttering, now's a good time to tackle your purse collection!

3. Shoes

Pull out all of your shoes and get rid of any that you don't wear on a regular basis. I had a collection of pretty high heels that I loved but never wore because they were such a pain and endangered my ankles! They were so hard to let go, but I don't miss them a bit!

4. Accessories

Jewelry, scarves, hats, belts, sunglasses, you name it; pull them all out and keep only those that you really love.

5. Makeup

I only recently learned that makeup has an expiration date. The little symbol on your makeup that looks like a little makeup container? The number in that tells you how long it's good for. Go through and get rid of anything that's expired. Also get rid of anything you don't use anymore.

6. Nightstand

Josh and I have antique nightstands with huge, deep drawers that are absolute clutter magnets. Go through your nightstand and pull out anything you no longer need or love.

7. Under the Bed

If you're like us, and use the under the bed space for storage  (boxes of Magic cards fit quite nicely there!), you may have clutter built up there. Or at least things that have fallen underneath and need to be cleaned out.

8. Linen Closet

Go through all of of your sheets, blankets, and towels, and get rid of any excess, pieces you don't use, or that are perhaps too worn or discolored for use.

9. Bathroom Cupboards

Empty your bathroom cupboards. Sort out unnecessary/empty toiletries and safely dispose of expired medication. This is also a good opportunity to scrub down your bathroom!

10. Cleaners

We had so many cleaning products when we moved! I got rid of the bulk of them in favor of a couple more all-encompassing cleaning products.

11. Laundry Room

We store so many things in our laundry room, mostly tools and cleaning things. And anything we don't know where to store. It builds up fast! Go through everything in your laundry room and purge anything you don't need.

12. Kitchen Cupboards

Go through all of your kitchen cupboards and get rid of excess or dishes and utensils that you just don't use. I think this is an area where it's important to be extra thoughtful. I know I've gotten rid of things that I thought we would never use, or had too many of, but later regretted it.

13. Kitchen Gadgets

I'm pretty sure we've all at some point or other purchased a gadget that seemed like the greatest thing ever and it was going to improve our quality of life exponentially, and then never used it. Time to sort through and donate any unused gadgets!

14. Under the Kitchen Sink

This can be another sinkhole for clutter! Honestly, if I don't keep it organized, a bunch of junk just builds up. I don't know how, but it does! Go through and give this area a good clean-out!

15. Pantry

Pull everything out of your pantry and get rid of anything that's expired or you don't plan on eating. If the food is still good, see about donating it to someone you know will eat it, or to a local food bank. This is a great opportunity to take inventory of what you have so it doesn't go to waste/you don't buy anything extra.

16. Fridge/Freezer

Same thing with the pantry. Pull out anything you're not going to eat, that's expired, or those leftovers that never go eaten. Then take the opportunity to scrub down your fridge!

17. DVDs, CDs, Video Games

This is a challenging area for me, since my husband will not get rid of a video game, CD, or DVD that he spent money on, even if he hated them, or knows he won't watch, listen to, or play them again. This mindset has slightly altered recently, and he's more open to gifting them to people he knows will enjoy them. Do the same with your collections! Go through and purge anything that you don't like or will no longer watch, listen to, or play, and either donate them or give them to someone who will enjoy them.

18. Hall Closet

Hall closets are notorious havens for clutter. We use ours as a game/coat/storage closet and it can be tricky to keep from getting cluttered. Go through your hall closet and purge!

19. Board Games

Josh and I both enjoy playing board games, and these guys take up an awful lot of space! Get rid of any board games that you no longer play or are missing pieces. And if you're like us and somehow magically accumulate decks of cards, consider cutting down to one or two decks.

20. Books

This one is hard for me, guys. It was a lot harder before I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Marie Kondo's words struck home. I enjoy reading, but unless I really love a book, I don't read it again. I also have (had?) a bad habit of buying up lots of books to read and never reading them. Go through and ask if you really love a book, if you really will read it, and get rid of anything that you won't.

21. Junk Drawer(s)

Go through your junk drawers, pull out anything you don't need, and then organize them.

22. Kid's Toys

I think Josh and I have maybe bought two toys for Adelaide, and yet she has SO many! Kids accumulate things so, so quickly. Get rid of anything your kiddo no longer plays with or has outgrown.

23. Baby Things

If your baby has outgrown her Boppy, no longer needs spit rags, or has 53 binkies, it may be a good idea to go through all of her things and see what needs to be gotten rid of.

24. Electronics

I feel like a lot of us have a hard time getting rid of old electronics, and so they just kind of sit around in storage forever. Go through and get rid of or sell any electronics you no longer use.

25. Cables/Cords/Chargers

We have a box in our laundry room that's just marked "cords." Go through and get rid of any cords that don't go to anything and you know you'll never use. Get rid of chargers for electronics you no longer own, or if you have five for your current phone, maybe consider paring down.

26. Craft Supplies

This one is always hard for me, because I would hate to get rid of something and then want it for a project later on down the road! But go through and get rid of anything you know you won't use is no longer something you're into, or something you have unnecessary duplicates of.

27. Miscellaneous Decor

Assess your decorative items and ask whether they bring you joy and add to your space. Get rid of anything that doesn't.

28. Storage Spaces

Go through your garage or storage space (if this is a really daunting task, maybe choose one area to work on) and get rid of anything you don't need. Whenever the storage shed at our condo seems a bit overstuffed, I like to go in and take inventory of what's in there and whether we actually need it. We also just just discovered we have another storage space that the previous owner left filled with stuff, so clearing that out is definitely on the docket for this month!

29. Your Car

I actually really need to do this one. I've been putting it off for ages because I keep thinking maybe, just maybe, Josh will eventually take care of it. Go through, clear out any trash, bring in things that belong inside (if you didn't miss them, maybe it's time to donate them?), get rid of things you don't need  in your car, then clean everything really well.

30. Papers

Birthday cards, thank you notes, old bills, pay stubs, old tax stuff, manuals to things you no longer own ... None of this stuff is worth holding onto! Go through all of the paper stuff that you've accumulated and purge! Most manuals can be found online, and some things can be scanned and stored on a computer. Just be sure to shred anything with personal info on it.

31. Digital Space

Clean out your email inbox, your texts, your photos, your contacts, anything that's bogging down your digital space. It's a daunting task, but it's well worth it in the end!



Well, there you have it! I'd love to know if you participate in this challenge! Let me know how you do! Happy decluttering!

Spring Style Essentials for 2017

Hello, friends! It's been a busy week over here, mostly playing catch-up after being sick. I still have frequent sinus headaches and a cough, but I'm getting there, and I've been picking up the pieces from last week, when not much got done at all, especially around the house. On Tuesday I deep-cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, and now it's time to move on to the rest of the house, which is mostly just vacuuming up all the crumbs left behind by my cracker-loving baby.

Today I'm excited to share my spring style essentials for the year with you! I usually love fall and winter and would be more than happy to have the cold weather hang around forever, but after our particularly gloomy winter in the Pacific Northwest, lately I've been craving the sunshine and warmth of spring. These are the top items that I'm loving for spring this year:

01. The Perfect Trench Coat      I've been on the hunt for a new trench for a while now, ever since I gave away my not-so-great black trench. It's such a classic silhouette, and it pairs well with so many items. I love how it can upscale even the simplest t-shirt and jeans look into something chic and put together. This one is initially from H&M, but I picked it up on Poshmark for a fraction of the price, and I'm super in love with the fit of this guy. I also love the striped lining! So cool.



02. A Pair of Slides or Mules      Oh my goodness, I don't think I've ever jumped on board with a trend as fast as I did with this one. Since I had Adelaide, I've given away all my crazy high heels (which I always felt like an ungraceful giraffe in anyways...though they did make my legs look pretty great), and started carefully bringing more practical footwear into my wardrobe. And these guys are super practical, in addition to looking really cool and modern. This pair is from Forever 21, which, I know, I know...but they look really similar to the Madewell version, which this stay at home mama is far from being able to afford. I will say, though, they look expensive, they're really comfortable, and the quality is not bad for the price.

03. A Baseball Cap     Another trend I was super excited about. I've always been a fan of baseball caps. When I was little, I had an American Girl cap that I wore all the time, until it got ratty enough that my mom wouldn't let me wear it out of the house. And when I worked at Panera, I actually really liked the hats that we had to wear. I wasn't entirely sure how often I would wear it now, until I saw a super cool mom at the store rocking one, and I was like, "Yes. I need one." It's great for bad hair days, and I love it for when we're out and I have my hair up, because I have all those awkward baby hairs that stick out after a while, and this hides it perfectly. I chose this one because well, denim goes with everything. I also kind of want to pick up a leather one.



04. A Bandana     Yet another trend that I was happy to jump on board with. I wore bandanas all the time when I was a kid. I don't think they were cool then, but I loved them. These guys look super chic worn as a neck scarf, as a headband, or tied around the strap of a purse to add a bit of flair. This one was a cheapo one I picked up at Fred Meyer, and I went for black and white, because it goes with everything and feels a little more Parisian than cowboy.

05. A Tote Bag     I've been wanting a cognac leather tote bag for ages now, and I finally picked this (faux leather) one up at Fred Meyer. I waited for this one to go on clearance, and I finally picked it up for $11, marked down from $40 (which, if you're in the market for a cool tote bag and you live near a Fred Meyer...there are still a bunch on sale, and they're reversible!). I love the color and the simplicity and the fact that I can use it as a diaper bag!



06. The Perfect Spring Lipstick     This dusty rose-colored lipstick is my current favorite for spring. This particular lipstick is NYX's Thalia. It's a great formula, super pigmented, and wears well. I'm also on the hunt for more of a rose-brown color.

07. Pastel Nail Colors     These are my current favorite nail colors for spring. The blue is almost a denim shade, and I find that it goes with just about everything. This one is Nedra by Julep. And the pink is just so gorgeous. It's Daisy Bloom Marguerite by CoverGirl, and I bought it to wear for Easter, so I can't vouch for the formula yet, but I'm really hoping it's good, because it's so pretty!



There you have it! My essentials for spring. What are your essentials? Have you tried or would you try any of these?



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Spring Capsule Planning

Happy Monday, friends! I hope this start of the week is treating you well.

Can you believe Easter is this Sunday already? I feel like it really snuck up on me this year, and as always, I'm behind in preparations. I still haven't quite decided if I'm going to do an Easter basket for Adelaide, or if I'm going to wait till next year, and what, if any, traditions we want to start this year. I think I definitely want to start dyeing eggs as a family this year, even if Adelaide can't really participate. And I want to make a special breakfast for Easter morning, something simple so I don't have to get up too early before church, haha. We will also have a couple family dinners to attend, which will be interesting with Miss Baby, to say the least. It really all depends on her getting her nap in after church! What Easter traditions does your family have?



I always feel that Easter symbolizes the start of spring in the Pacific Northwest. The weather has finally started to warm up a little, the trees are in bloom, and it's hopefully a tiny bit less gloomy. I started itching for spring sometime in the beginning of March, and since then, I've been very carefully and intentionally building my spring wardrobe. The bulk of my wardrobe is layering pieces and more cold-weather pieces, so I wanted to really focus on bringing some spring/summer elements to my wardrobe, while of course working with what I already had in my wardrobe.

I also wanted to build up my closet a bit after purging so drastically, and so I've been working on adding in new pieces that work well with what I have to create a cohesive wardrobe.

And I think I'm just about finished with my spring capsule! I'm just waiting on one pair of shoes to come in the mail, and then I'm really excited to be able to share the whole capsule with you! (By the way, yes, this look is from my spring capsule! I just couldn't wait!)



What pieces are you adding to your wardrobe this season?



//Outfit Details://sweater: ThredUp (originally from the Gap, similar) / tunic: Ross (similar)/ necklace: Dear Muschka / bag: Fred Meyer (brand: Under One Sky) / leggings: Forever 21 / boots: American Eagle (similar) //



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My Favorite Minimalism Resources

Whether you're attracted to the idea of minimalism, but aren't sure where to start, or if you're a committed minimalist in need of inspiration, or just enjoy learning about minimalism, these resources are for you! These are some of my favorite resources for inspiration and tips. Even if I'm currently at a good point in my minimalist lifestyle, I still enjoy seeing how other people do minimalism. I find it interesting and inspiring to see other perspectives.

Documentary

Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things  - This documentary was put out by the Minimalists, who I think are the ones credited with starting the whole minimalist movement. I watched this documentary on Netflix (it's still available for streaming) right before I did my massive edit in January, and found it really inspiring. I liked seeing all the different lives they showed and how they made minimalism work for them. There were a lot of different stories, and it really does show that there is no one way to be a minimalist--minimalism is whatever you want it to be for you. What I didn't like was that personally, the message came across as a bit pretentious and over-dramatized. There was a little bit of eye-rolling from me. Those do sound like some pretty heavy criticisms, but I recommend it, especially if you're new to the concept of minimalism.

YouTube Channels

I came across a lot of really great YouTube channels when I was first starting to get on board with the idea of minimalism. Some of these are old favorites, others are more recent finds. All have a wealth of great videos to inspire you.

Lavendaire - I really enjoy Aileen's channel. For one thing, her lavender hair is mesmerizing. I also am inspired by her decluttering videos and her videos on the KonMari method. Again, it's just fun to see how others implement minimalism in their lives.

Light by Coco - Coco offers great advice for minimalism, or living light, as she calls it. She also has the most gorgeous speaking voice. Her channel has videos about decluttering and capsule wardrobes, and is what introduced me to the idea of a year round capsule wardrobe.

Jessica Avey - This isn't a minimalism-centered channel in any way, but Jess Avey is a mama and vlogger who decided to minimalize to get her house back under control, and she's sharing the process on her channel. It's been so fun to follow and I love that she's inspired so many others! I think her series is a great resource for anyone who is intrigued by the idea of minimalism but isn't sure where to start or how minimalism would work for them. Also, Jess is such a great person, and I'm so happy I found her channel.

Muchelle B - This is an awesome resource for minimalists. It's probably at the top of my list. I found it really great in January, as she was doing her Simplify Your Life challenge at the same time. I really enjoyed watching the videos and listening to her tips for all 30 days of the challenge. Also, just a really great way to guide you through an initial edit.

Samantha Lindsey - Samantha shares tips and encouragement for minimalism and a sustainable lifestyle. Her minimalism videos are helpful and practical, and I love her personality. She also inspired me to take further steps to living a more sustainable, waste-free life.

Books

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

If you're considering minimizing, this is the book to read. I read it within the past few months, over the span of just a couple hours, and her philosophy really resonated with me. It's definitely geared more toward a Japanese audience, and she does focus a lot on her own experience, but at the root of it all is the KonMari method. It's not a literary masterpiece, nor is it a manual on minimalism, but it is a very good place to start. And even if you don't want to go full-on minimalist, but just want to reduce clutter, it's a great handbook for decluttering.

Clutterfree with Kids by Joshua Becker

If you don't have kids, Becker has other books that are great. His blog (becomingminimalist.com) is also a great read. But minimalism and children are two things that don't seem to go hand in hand, and for parents looking to minimalize, this book is great. You can have kids and be a minimalist. Speaking of which, this is a great article on the subject.



If minimalism is something that's interested you, what have been your favorite resources? I'd love to check them out!

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Additions

Happy Tuesday, friends! I feel like my blogging schedule has been all over the place these days, but I'm working on getting it whipped back into shape, and hopefully bringing you more regular posts!

Anyway, I wanted to share some additions I've made to my capsule wardrobe. I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted my capsule to be more fluid to allow for flexibility, and also for the potential to replace pieces. I've already cut a couple of pieces that just didn't work for me because of poor quality and fit, and I've added maybe four pieces. Three of them are included in this post.


First, I picked up this little black dress for $6 on my last Goodwill trip. It's in great condition, it's the perfect length, a great cut, and the fabric feels nice, which is always important for me. I've already worn it 3 or 4 times since bringing it home, and I know it's going to be my new wardrobe staple!

Next, I snagged this gray turtleneck from the Target clearance rack for $4. It's so soft and cozy and the perfect shade of gray. I used to hate wearing turtlenecks because they felt too constricting on my neck, but now I have 3 that I absolutely love and are my favorite layering pieces. This one also has been on constant repeat since I bought it.


Finally, these boots. I think they've actually been part of all of my outfit posts since I got them for Christmas. They're comfy, practical, and they go with just about everything. If I had to choose one pair of shoes in my closet to keep and discard the rest, it would be these (or my wedding shoes...but those are neither comfortable nor practical).

I'm planning on doing a full capsule update right before I share my spring capsule. Is anyone else really over winter weather? I mean, I love all my winter pieces, but I'm just really excited for warmer weather (or even just sun? There was an article shared recently that Seattle has had only 3 days of sun since October!), and my spring capsule pieces.

What are you most looking forward to about spring?

//Outfit Details:// Dress: Thrifted (similar) / Turtleneck: Target / Belt: Thrifted / Bag: Thrifted / Boots: American Eagle (similar) / Necklace: Josh//



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On Being a Stay at Home Mama

The decision for me to stay at home with Adelaide was not an entirely intentional one. I mean, I had always felt that when I had children, I would want to be able to stay home with them, but I planned on going back to work by the end of August, at least for a couple days a week. But it never happened, mostly because of my postpartum depression. Josh and I talked about it a lot and finally, we both realized that the little bit of monetary cushion I'd be able to provide by working in the evenings was not worth my sanity.

And so I've stayed home with Adelaide since the beginning, and despite its ups and downs, I really feel so grateful and blessed that it's worked out for me to do so. I get to spend my days with her, watch how she grows each day, catch all of her little milestones (the newest one is pulling herself up on all the furniture!), and pour the bulk of my energy into raising my babe. It's the hardest job I've ever done, and we have a lot of rough days, but it is also so rewarding.




It took a long time, but finally, we have our routine down. Adelaide sleeps till at least 7, when she usually wakes up for her first bottle of the day, then she goes back to sleep until around 9, and so does mama. Then we get up, get dressed, and Mama has breakfast and watches YouTube or The Mindy Project while Miss Baby plays. She goes down for her first nap at around 11, and I do housework, blog, or take on a transcription or tw0. The first nap varies--it may be anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours (I'm a fan of those 2-hour naps, personally), and then we go about the rest of the day. I like to have her "help" with the housework, usually crawling around while I fold laundry or tidy up. Then there's usually another nap before Josh comes home from work, and that's when I get dinner started. Depending on her nap situation, we like to have her sit with us at the table with her food, and we feed her anything off our plates that's ok for her to have (she's a huge fan of egg drop soup!). We put her to bed with a bottle at 8, after brushing her teeth, and then Josh and I have time to relax together before we head to bed.

That's a typical day for us. It's not hard to stay busy, especially now that Adelaide is so mobile! I do try to get us out of the house at least once a week for a walk, just to get some fresh air. We have a great coffee place a couple blocks away, which is an easy way to tempt me outside.




Things I don't like about staying at home? The fussy days, obviously. Those are the days that I count down the minutes till Josh gets home. Those days when it's hard to get motivated or I feel like I can't get anything done.The guilt that Josh has to be the breadwinner, while I stay at home and "hang out with baby" all day, and the sacrifices we have to make because of the monetary position it puts us in. I do make some money from home doing transcriptions, which helps a bit, and has been a real blessing to us. Oh and then there's that feeling like because I'm staying at home, I should be able to do  everything and the house should always be spotless and an amazing homecooked meal should be waiting for Josh when he gets home...and then beating myself up about that rarely being the case. I'm starting to get better about setting realistic expectations for myself. And lastly, the fact that I still don't have my driver's license, so if we want to go out, we have to walk or bus, and I hate the bus, especially since pot became legalized in Washington. Luckily, we live within walking distance of most things, even her pediatrician, and walks are good for both of us.

As a whole, though, I love staying home with her. There are those days, like when she's teething and super fussy, when I just feel so done with momming, and it can be so, so stressful, but for the most part, she is such a sweet girl, and that makes up for the hard days. My current favorite thing is how she follows me around the house as I'm doing work. So cute.



For all the stay at home mamas out there, what is your favorite thing about staying home with your little one? Least favorite thing?

The Pros and Cons of Minimalism

Happy Tuesday, friends! Today I wanted to talk a little bit about the impact of my minimalism journey. I shared a little bit in my last post on minimalism how I've become especially passionate about it since moving into our condo and having Adelaide, and I want to take that discussion further and tell you how minimalism has affected my life, for better or for worse. It's all been mostly good, but there may have been a couple downsides!




First, let's talk about the pros.

1. Our house is cleaner. When we first moved into our condo, I felt like every waking moment was spent cleaning, and at the end of the day, the house still looked messy. A big part of that was just having too much stuff. Once I decluttered and purged a massive amount of excess, the house became easier to clean and keep clean. My husband recently made the comment that, even when the house is a mess, it only takes about 15 minutes to get it back in order. That made me feel like a such a success!

2. I'm less stressed. I was a giant ball of stress in the first few months after having Adelaide. I was constantly overwhelmed, I had postpartum issues, and I was irritable and snapped at my husband, which made me hate myself. I knew I had to simplify my life and remove stress, and minimalizing was a big part of that. I also minimalized my schedule and learned to say "no," which was such a hard thing for a people-pleaser, but has really been a load off my shoulders.

Also, visual clutter equates to mental clutter. Eliminating possessions made for a calmer atmosphere in our home. I'm a fan.

Anyway, the jist of it is, less stuff equals less stress, and less stress equals happy mama bear.

However, this isn't to say I'm never stressed...Like this past week, Adelaide's been working on her front teeth and it's been an absolute nightmare for all involved. Much ice cream has been eaten and my jaw is sore from being tense.

3. I have more time to focus on the important things. Since I don't constantly have to worry about cleaning and such (especially now that miss baby is crawling everywhere!), I can focus on doing things I actually want to do, like blogging, yoga, devotions, my transcription work, playtime with baby, and spending time with my hubby. It's helped me be more intentional with my time.

4. We're saving money in the long run . There are a lot of different facets to this, but just focusing on minimalism in general, it's helped me to be more intentional with my spending. I will only bring something into my life if I (or my husband) absolutely love it or will get frequent use out of it. I've also learned not to settle and make purchases of pieces with the idea that they'll do for now, but I'll upgrade in the future...now I will just save for the piece I really love and that will suit our family the best. I also have a better mental inventory of what we have, so I don't buy duplicates or similar pieces, and there's no waste.

Those are some of the positive ways minimalism has impacted our lives. Now onto the not so positive impacts:

1. I'm always thinking about what I can get rid of next. Honestly, I got a little obsessive with minimalizing, and went through everything multiple times searching for ways to pare down more. I got a bit of a high after taking that first load to Goodwill, and I wanted to keep that up. I had to force myself to relax. I still edit often once I notice things starting to accumulate, but I'm no longer just focused on what I can get rid of next. On the flipside, I do occasionally stress about bringing things into the house, particularly around Christmas and birthdays, because that means more decluttering is on the horizon.

Though really, if you want help minimalizing, hit me up. My dream is to be Marie Kondo and help others declutter/reorganize for a living.

2. The house still gets messy. This isn't really a con as much as a fact of life. But I do think that a lot of times when we think of getting rid of stuff, we think that our house will magically be clean all the time. And well...you still have to clean it, even if you get rid of everything. It's irritating, but the bonus is that we shouldn't have to spend as much time cleaning.

3. It's hard. It's hard to go through your entire life and simplify it; it's absolutely overwhelming, especially if you do it by yourself. It's hard to get rid of things you have sentimental attachments to. It's hard to get rid of things you spent a lot of hard-earned money on. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to pare down your possessions. Finally, it can definitely hard when everyone else you know isn't a minimalist.

But in the end, it can definitely be worth it.

Honestly, the pros kinda outweigh the cons for me. My tiny list of downfalls seems pretty insignificant next to the list of positives. What are your thoughts? If you've tried minimalism, what are its pros and cons for you?

Adelaide at Nine Months

I feel like it was only last week that I was typing up Adelaide's eight-month update, and now she's nine months old! She's been out of the womb for just about the same length she was inside, which is such a crazy thing to be able to say.

There weren't as many big changes in month eight as there were in the previous month, but more gradual changes, which I'm very much okay with. For one thing, Adelaide has graduated from army crawling to real, full-on, hands and knees crawling. She is still getting into everything, but she has started to pick up on the meaning of the word "no," and will back off, for the most part, when Josh or I tell her to. She's not happy about it, though, and we've started to see some small tantrums. Last month I had resigned myself to buying a playpen to keep her contained, but now I think we'll do just fine. She's starting to pull herself up on things, but she's not quite sure what to do with herself, and usually cries because she thinks she's stuck. She does love standing (supported), though, and she's eager to be walking!




She has started to say "Mama," which makes me pretty pleased. She also loves shaking her head "no." I don't know that she actually knows what it means yet, based on the big smile on her face, but she does usually shake her head in response to questions or requests, which I think means she's getting close. (She's going to be so stubborn. I can feel it.)

Adelaide got two teeth over the past month, and she's about to cut another two. Those few weeks crawled by for me. It felt like she was constantly fussy, and nothing seemed to help, so I felt about as frazzled and stressed as I was when she was first born. But her teeth are so cute!




Weaning is still going well-- she loves everything we've given her! If we're eating anything she can have, we share with her, and so far she hasn't rejected anything but the Gerber chicken we last tried a few months ago. Adelaide loves her squeasy snacker and gets so, so excited whenever I get it out. She feeds herself completely independently with that, and we feed her off our plates with spoons. I've been trying to incorporate more vegetables, and she really likes carrots, but her favorite food so far has been mangoes. She is also a huge fan of the Baby Mum Mums rice rusks and baby puffs.



Bedtime has been a bit of a chore lately--we used to put her down every night at eight with no difficulty, but as of a few weeks ago, she's decided she wants to be up and playing with Dada and Mama...so she will cry unless we get her up and then she's all smiles. She does better if she goes down with a bottle, though. Typically she sleeps all night, wakes up between 5 and 7 for a bottle, then goes back to sleep until 8 or 9. I feel very blessed to have such a good sleeper. It's helped my sanity immensely!

Miss Baby is growing so fast, and the older she gets, the more I think she looks like her mama...Of course, everyone still says she's the spitting image of Dada, but when I look at my baby pictures, there's such a strong resemblance.

It's been another good month with my sweet girl, and I can't wait to see how she grows and changes over the next month!