When we told people we were having a little girl, I got a lot of comments from friends and family about the daddy-daughter connection that our baby would have with her dad. I’m super close to my own dad, so I was hopeful that Ainsley would feel the same connection with Joe. Over the last 9 months, it’s been so fun to see their relationship develop and grow. Joe will be the first to tell you that the first three … Read More
Christmas Gift Guide for Her (all under $100)
1. “Wifey” T-Shirt | Ily Couture I bought the sweatshirt version of this for my sister who just got married this year and it was a hit! I own an Ily Couture product and absolutely love how soft the material is that they use and the cute, cheeky sayings. 2. The Quinn Necklace | Natalie Borton I love supporting small business owners, and I was so excited when my blog buddy Natalie decided to open up her own jewelry shop. Her … Read More
My Heart is Heavy
For the last couple months (while we were moving and living with my mom before we closed on our house, and moving into our new house) we sort of just took a break from watching the news. It wasn’t intentional, but our life was so crazy busy that we sort of got out of our typical routine of watching the nightly news and a bit of news in the morning. But then we moved into our home and re-established our … Read More
Diaper Bag Dilemma – Solved!
I’ve always had a thing for pretty purses and handbags. For as long as I can remember, it’s been my go-to indulgence accessory. That is, until I became a mom. I dutifully committed to carrying a very traditional diaper bag when Ainsley was born, because most of the pretty, fashionable diaper bags I looked at just didn’t seem very functional. And while I might love fashion, I wasn’t willing to sacrifice function with a little one in tow. While I … Read More
Let’s Talk Postpartum Hair
I was prepared for a lot of the typical things about the postpartum stage of life, but I was completely unprepared for postpartum hair. Sure, friends told me you would lose a lot of hair after having a baby, but I guess I didn’t really understand that the hair you lost would eventually grow back in. And the regrowth, you guys? It’s about 100x worse than the hair loss! After I quit breastfeeding the hair loss began. The thick, amazing … Read More
I’m breaking up with Target.
Photo via Unsplash I’ve been thinking a lot about my new small town life lately. Needless to say, moving from Minneapolis to small town Iowa has been a big change. Sure, I grew up in this small town, but living in a community as a child vs. an adult is a totally different ball game. I’ve phoned my mom a dozen times asking where to get/do certain things. Where do you drop off dry cleaning? (Answer: Joe’s TV and Appliance, … Read More
Ainsley Update: 8 Months
I have pretty much fallen off the monthly update bandwagon completely, but since I talk a lot about motherhood and Ainsley, I thought it was time to give a little update. Although I don’t think I’ll resume monthly updates, my plan is to check in from time to time with all things Ainsley. Development Ainsley has been doing so many new things lately! She is now confidently crawling around the house (she started crawling about a month ago) and pulling … Read More
Avoiding Burnout in Motherhood
Every night I sit in Ainsley’s rocking chair and feed her a bedtime bottle. As I sit in the dimly-lit room, rocking back and forth with my now very big baby in my arms, the day finally slows down. It’s the first time during the day that I really have time to think, process and pause and I realize, every night, that I feel like I’ve been running at breakneck speed all. day. long. Do other moms know this feeling? … Read More
Marriage Matters
We had family photos taken a week ago by a dear friend of mine who is raising money for their family’s adoption. Family photos are my favorite, at least once they are over and done with! Once I have the photos in my hands I’m so thankful we captured this moment in time, when our daughter is tiny and our family is healthy and our lives feel so full. What a sweet season this is for us, after a … Read More
My Skincare Routine: Part 1
Six months ago I sent out a call on Facebook for recommendations of safe, high quality skincare and makeup. One of you recommended I check out Beautycounter. I tried out a few products to start (hey, they give a 60 day money back guarantee, so I figured I had nothing to loose!) and fell in love with the line. Everything I used felt so good on my skin. It was gentle, yet effective, and left my complexion much smoother and more even … Read More
Confident + Kind
As Ainsley gets older I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want her to be. Not about the vocation she chooses or the activities she participates in as the grows, but the important things that make the core of her being. We pray over Ainsley daily, but we always pray for her out loud before bed together as a family. The words that keep coming back to me are “confident & kind.” My prayer for you, sweet Ainsley, is … Read More
Shop Small: Hill Collection Designs
Since I’ve become a mom, I’ve developed a HUGE passion for supporting other moms and women entreprenuers. I know that for me, after having Ainsley I was looking for a way to take my passion for writing, social media and recipe development and transfer that into a career that allowed me a bit more flexibility and allowed me to spend a little more time with Ainsley during the week. It’s a dream to be able to develop recipes at home, … Read More