Happy birthday to our 9 year old goob! We are so p Happy birthday to our 9 year old goob! We are so proud of this boy. We are constantly told by others how kind and sweet his is. I mean, we know it too, but it means even more when his character shines through even when mom and dad aren't watching. We love you so much "Puppy!"
More photos from this weekend 🍂🍏⚽ More photos from this weekend 🍂🍏⚽
The start of a new school year has always felt lik The start of a new school year has always felt like more of a “New Years” to me than January 1st ever did. The air starts getting more crisp (thank goodness), the leaves start to change, and the house is quieter (now that the kids are in school, and just during the day, ha). 

Every year around this time I can clearly look back and see how our family has changed. Last year, we had just said goodbye to the boys (our first foster placement) and our family was making sense of the whirlwind that had just happened over the summer. This year, David is way more into soccer, Evy is telling me about the conversations the girls at school are having (she’s a huge people-watcher), and of course Cleo is getting so big! Her first two teeth made their appearance this week and we’re also pretty sure she said “Dada” the other night. 

It really goes by so fast. But little memories like the ones in these photos will last. I remember going apple picking with sweet family friends as a kid and I love doing that for our kids now. 

What traditions have you tried to pass down to your kids?
Evy has always been very much a Mommy's girl. Sinc Evy has always been very much a Mommy's girl. Since she's been a baby, I've been learning that she needs love in a very different way than David does. After school and before bed, she especially needs all the love, attention, and cuddles. 

Today I had a pretty hard day with several hours of intensive Zoom calls. They ended right as the kids got home from school and when I was done, I just felt this deep exhaustion and wanted nothing more than to cuddle with my kids and never look at a computer again 🤪. 

I realized that's probably how Evy (and David, but mostly Evy) typically feels after a long day. I can tell that it's especially draining for her. So I was reminded to be extra gentle with her emotions, especially on school days when there's just so much going on and it can feel pretty intense, especially at that age. And especially to us introverts 🫠 Anyone else have highly emotional kiddos?
My phone rang this morning just as we were pulling My phone rang this morning just as we were pulling away from dropping the kids at school. A little baby needed a home until his adoptive family could come get him. 

At the time, we didn’t know his name, his gender, or anything about him. We were told he was healthy and we’d get more details later.

And we said yes! We thought it would be longer but his adoptive family is BOOKING it to get here and take him home forever. He will be so loved!!

I love that we get to share moments like these with our kids. I know they’ll remember them for a looong time to come.
Sometimes I just need to remind myself that not ev Sometimes I just need to remind myself that not every moment needs to be filled with productivity. And sometimes I don't need to multitask. Easier said than done for me anyway. But I'm trying to intentionally practice slowing down. How do you try to slow down?

Shoes @naot.northamerica
Dress @shopbohme
Butterfly hair! It's easier than it looks 🦋 Do Butterfly hair! It's easier than it looks 🦋

Doing fun hairstyles with Ev has been a new way for us to bond, especially since Cleo's joined us. Would you try this one??
I'm working to adjust my mindset from thinking I n I'm working to adjust my mindset from thinking I need to rush while the baby's asleep to get things done to rather bringing them along with me when I can. 

Cleo loves being worn and, for the time being, is super content just watching me unload the dishwasher, make dinner, or tag along to grab Evy and David from the bus. 

And I'm way more at peace when I don't feel like I need to rush or time is running out. We have time and most things we have to do in a day aren't urgent.
Baby's first taste of solids: banana edition 🍌 Baby's first taste of solids: banana edition 🍌 What was the first food you gave to your baby?
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Beauty, Motherhood, Sponsored · December 27, 2018

3 Quick and Easy Braid Tutorials for Date Night

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hot Tools for IZEA Worldwide. All opinions are 100% mine.

Before I became a mom, I was so finicky about my hair! I used to wake up EVERY morning, shower, blow-dry, and style it. Of course, when the babies moved in, they seemed to think the morning would be a great time for diaper changes and feedings, so the daily shower routine went out the window. 

After being forced out of my daily hair-washing routine, I was able to see that I didn’t actually have to wash my hair every day! This seriously changed everything…

Except the fact that I still didn’t have any time to do my hair, even if I did want to…

Every mom knows that the first several months after a baby is born is mom-bun central. But after a while, the mom bun look starts to get old and I wanted to feel more like myself again!!

So… I started to get creative.

Since the prenatal vitamins I’d been taking had done wonders for growing my hair, it was finally long enough so that I could braid it without looking like I had two short pieces of rope sticking off my head #thickhairproblems.

When Josh and I go out on dates, I know I don’t have a ton of time between setting the kids up with a snack and getting myself ready and out the door, which is why I LOVE to stick my hair up in a quick and easy braid for our night out! 

Here’s the first braid:

Viking goddess

I call this hairstyle the Viking woman because, well…

You get the point.

I start this off by using my Hot Tools Signature Series Digital flat iron, 1 inch and straightening all of my hair. I then start to Dutch braid my hair and gather all the hair around my face up until I get back to about my ears. Then I continue the braid without gathering any more hair into it. Make this braid as long as you like, I made it a few inches down the back of my head. Tie it off with a rubber band or hair tie and you’re golden!

via GIPHY

Next up is the…

Crowning glory

This hairstyle is made up of two Dutch braids on either side of the head and then joining them together in the back. 

First, I part my hair to the side so that I’ll have a significant portion left on top of my head to tease and pin back later. 

Then, I start Dutch braiding by my temple and continue to gather hair into the braid until I reach halfway to the back of my head. Then I continue the braid without gathering any more hair for several inches.

via GIPHY

Then, do the same thing to the other side while leaving a large section of hair free on top of your head.

via GIPHY

Next, you’ll tease the back of that section of hair, brush the front so it looks smooth, and then pin it back on the back of your head.

via GIPHY

Lastly, take the braids and crisscross them behind your head. Secure them with bobby pins, doing your best to hide them. Then take the hair ties out of your braids and spray with a little hairspray.

via GIPHY

Lastly, we have the 

The Whirlygig

For this last set of braids, I’m going to start by curing my hair with my Hot Tools Signature Series curling iron.

via GIPHY

Then, I’ll comb my hair down the middle and split my hair into two halves.

Grab one half of hair and begin braiding just below your ear. Do the same to the other side of hair. For each braid, you’ll want to leave 3-4 inches of hair after the hair tie.

via GIPHY

Next, we’re going to grab the ends of our hair and pull outward so that the braid is crunched upward, making for thicker links. I’ll also pull gently on pieces of the braid to make some of the links larger.

via GIPHY

Of course, these hairstyles wouldn’t look nearly this good without my trusty Hot Tools Signature Series!

Seriously, I have never been more happy with my hair styling tools. I’m very protective of my hair and am always cautious when it comes to using heat on it. When I use my Hot Tools Signature Series, I never feel any pulling or breakage. 

I especially LOVE the Hot Tools Signature Series blow dryer! My favorite feature has to be the heat settings. I can blow dry my hair on a cool setting the entire time (without having to hold down a button) and afterward it feels just as healthy as if I had let it air dry!

I can’t recommend the Hot Tools Signature Series more! Shop for the tools at Amazon, Target or Walmart!

What’s your go-to date night hairstyle? Leave your tips in the comments below and let me know what you thought of these braid tutorials! 

Visit Sponsors Site

Shop The Hot Tools Signature Series!

In: Beauty, Motherhood, Sponsored · Tagged: braid, braid styles, couples, date night, hair, hairstyles, long, mom, momlife, noads, quick, sponsored, thick

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Comments

  1. Chelsea says

    December 27, 2018 at 7:04 pm

    These photos are gorgeous!!! I love your hair.

  2. razena says

    December 27, 2018 at 7:05 pm

    I wish I had known how to braid my hair like a viking instead of chopping off my tresses. Fortunately its growing back so i’m saving this!

  3. clare @ oh these are the good old Days says

    December 27, 2018 at 8:33 pm

    chelsea i love them all, but the viking is especially sexy! pinning for date night. 🙂

  4. Annaliese says

    December 28, 2018 at 12:38 am

    Oh I love all three!! I am not great at braiding hair and it’s actually a goal of mine to start doing more fun hairstyles!

    xoxo A
    http://www.southernbelleintraining.com

  5. lisa alfaro says

    December 28, 2018 at 1:11 am

    Your hair is beautiful! I love these ideas, especially the viking!

  6. MarciaF says

    December 28, 2018 at 1:25 am

    I’m so impressed that you can do this. I’ve never been able to braid, not even on someone else’s hair let alone my own. Your hair looks so stylish like this.

  7. Lily says

    December 28, 2018 at 3:39 am

    Love all of these on you!! I wish I was better at doing my hair.

  8. Kelsie Corbett says

    December 28, 2018 at 9:22 pm

    I LOVE all of these! I don’t have super thick hair so my braids don’t look that great, but i still love to do them! I like the first one best! I do that with a pony tail for the gym!

  9. Jasmine Hewitt says

    December 28, 2018 at 9:43 pm

    ok, i need to try All of these! I can’t do much with my hair as far as heat styling, but these are sooo cute and you make it so easy

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Hi! I'm Chelsea and we're the Damon's. We spent the last two years in WA state paying off student loans and just bought our first house in SC! I love a smooth black coffee, Josh's first love is the Seattle Sounders. Our kids are huge dorks and constantly make us laugh and we all love spending as much time outside as possible.

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Happy birthday to our 9 year old goob! We are so p Happy birthday to our 9 year old goob! We are so proud of this boy. We are constantly told by others how kind and sweet his is. I mean, we know it too, but it means even more when his character shines through even when mom and dad aren't watching. We love you so much "Puppy!"
More photos from this weekend 🍂🍏⚽ More photos from this weekend 🍂🍏⚽
The start of a new school year has always felt lik The start of a new school year has always felt like more of a “New Years” to me than January 1st ever did. The air starts getting more crisp (thank goodness), the leaves start to change, and the house is quieter (now that the kids are in school, and just during the day, ha). 

Every year around this time I can clearly look back and see how our family has changed. Last year, we had just said goodbye to the boys (our first foster placement) and our family was making sense of the whirlwind that had just happened over the summer. This year, David is way more into soccer, Evy is telling me about the conversations the girls at school are having (she’s a huge people-watcher), and of course Cleo is getting so big! Her first two teeth made their appearance this week and we’re also pretty sure she said “Dada” the other night. 

It really goes by so fast. But little memories like the ones in these photos will last. I remember going apple picking with sweet family friends as a kid and I love doing that for our kids now. 

What traditions have you tried to pass down to your kids?
Evy has always been very much a Mommy's girl. Sinc Evy has always been very much a Mommy's girl. Since she's been a baby, I've been learning that she needs love in a very different way than David does. After school and before bed, she especially needs all the love, attention, and cuddles. 

Today I had a pretty hard day with several hours of intensive Zoom calls. They ended right as the kids got home from school and when I was done, I just felt this deep exhaustion and wanted nothing more than to cuddle with my kids and never look at a computer again 🤪. 

I realized that's probably how Evy (and David, but mostly Evy) typically feels after a long day. I can tell that it's especially draining for her. So I was reminded to be extra gentle with her emotions, especially on school days when there's just so much going on and it can feel pretty intense, especially at that age. And especially to us introverts 🫠 Anyone else have highly emotional kiddos?

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Happy birthday to our 9 year old goob! We are so p Happy birthday to our 9 year old goob! We are so proud of this boy. We are constantly told by others how kind and sweet his is. I mean, we know it too, but it means even more when his character shines through even when mom and dad aren't watching. We love you so much "Puppy!"
More photos from this weekend 🍂🍏⚽ More photos from this weekend 🍂🍏⚽
The start of a new school year has always felt lik The start of a new school year has always felt like more of a “New Years” to me than January 1st ever did. The air starts getting more crisp (thank goodness), the leaves start to change, and the house is quieter (now that the kids are in school, and just during the day, ha). 

Every year around this time I can clearly look back and see how our family has changed. Last year, we had just said goodbye to the boys (our first foster placement) and our family was making sense of the whirlwind that had just happened over the summer. This year, David is way more into soccer, Evy is telling me about the conversations the girls at school are having (she’s a huge people-watcher), and of course Cleo is getting so big! Her first two teeth made their appearance this week and we’re also pretty sure she said “Dada” the other night. 

It really goes by so fast. But little memories like the ones in these photos will last. I remember going apple picking with sweet family friends as a kid and I love doing that for our kids now. 

What traditions have you tried to pass down to your kids?
Evy has always been very much a Mommy's girl. Sinc Evy has always been very much a Mommy's girl. Since she's been a baby, I've been learning that she needs love in a very different way than David does. After school and before bed, she especially needs all the love, attention, and cuddles. 

Today I had a pretty hard day with several hours of intensive Zoom calls. They ended right as the kids got home from school and when I was done, I just felt this deep exhaustion and wanted nothing more than to cuddle with my kids and never look at a computer again 🤪. 

I realized that's probably how Evy (and David, but mostly Evy) typically feels after a long day. I can tell that it's especially draining for her. So I was reminded to be extra gentle with her emotions, especially on school days when there's just so much going on and it can feel pretty intense, especially at that age. And especially to us introverts 🫠 Anyone else have highly emotional kiddos?
My phone rang this morning just as we were pulling My phone rang this morning just as we were pulling away from dropping the kids at school. A little baby needed a home until his adoptive family could come get him. 

At the time, we didn’t know his name, his gender, or anything about him. We were told he was healthy and we’d get more details later.

And we said yes! We thought it would be longer but his adoptive family is BOOKING it to get here and take him home forever. He will be so loved!!

I love that we get to share moments like these with our kids. I know they’ll remember them for a looong time to come.
Sometimes I just need to remind myself that not ev Sometimes I just need to remind myself that not every moment needs to be filled with productivity. And sometimes I don't need to multitask. Easier said than done for me anyway. But I'm trying to intentionally practice slowing down. How do you try to slow down?

Shoes @naot.northamerica
Dress @shopbohme
Butterfly hair! It's easier than it looks 🦋 Do Butterfly hair! It's easier than it looks 🦋

Doing fun hairstyles with Ev has been a new way for us to bond, especially since Cleo's joined us. Would you try this one??
I'm working to adjust my mindset from thinking I n I'm working to adjust my mindset from thinking I need to rush while the baby's asleep to get things done to rather bringing them along with me when I can. 

Cleo loves being worn and, for the time being, is super content just watching me unload the dishwasher, make dinner, or tag along to grab Evy and David from the bus. 

And I'm way more at peace when I don't feel like I need to rush or time is running out. We have time and most things we have to do in a day aren't urgent.
Baby's first taste of solids: banana edition 🍌 Baby's first taste of solids: banana edition 🍌 What was the first food you gave to your baby?
Just a Wednesday afternoon and a book 📖 👀 th Just a Wednesday afternoon and a book 📖
👀 the comfiest heels I own by @naot.northamerica 
#naotic

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