Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??
This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m s This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m so grateful for it.

On the one hand, there’s so much to do to get ready for little one to join us—it’s been a while since we’ve had a newborn! I’m spending most of my free time writing and nesting, nesting and writing. 

And then on the other hand, I’m feeling pretty ready to have my body back. And by that, I mean just to be done literally sharing it with another being. You start to miss things after a while like being able to breathe when you lay on your back or not getting indigestion for eating a few grapes. 

Overall, there’s so much to be thankful for. Each little inconvenience is a blessing and I’m happy they’re there. I’ll also be happy when they’re over. For now, I’m just savoring being a mom of “older kids” (8 and going on 6) that can grab their own snacks from time to time and put on their own shoes. We’re going to be heading back to square one in a couple months and I’m sure there’s a lot we’ve forgotten!
Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill it and fix it. On top of this, it’s hard for us to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. 

But in the process of meeting everyone else’s needs and neglecting our own (especially our need for rest), we often become bitter towards the ones we’re helping.

Instead, one of the best things we can do as a wife or mother is to assess our own needs and make sure to leave space to meet them ourself or to ask for what we need. 

It might be time to rest, help with the next meal, time alone to pray and meditate on God’s word, or allowing yourself to leave a task un-done so you can “selfishly” enjoy a hobby of yours like the rest of your family gets to do. 

In the end, making room to find joy each day may be one of the best things you do for your relationships.
30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet yo 30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet you. We *think* we've finally settled on a first name after non-stop back-and-forth and brainstorming. Any guesses?? Or.. what are your favorite baby girl names right now??
Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be s Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be super intentional with the time we spend with David and Evy recently, knowing that big changes are just around the corner! We pray with them, ask them what questions they have, take the time to explain things. I'm hoping they'll be set up pretty well for the transition of little sis coming in March but most of the work will happen after she gets here! How did you help littles prepare for baby?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️ Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️
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Family, Life & Finances, Sponsored, travel · January 17, 2018

5 Factors Often Overlooked When Considering Moving to a New Area

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PUR. The opinions and text are all mine.

Moving to a new city can be exciting, but it can also be stressful, nerve-wracking, and a bit of a headache. There are so many things to consider when choosing a new area to live and while dreaming about nicer weather or decorating your new home might be fun, there are many other things to consider when choosing your next home city. Check out the list below to see if you’ve thought about these commonly overlooked aspects of moving to a new city!

Moving to a new city can be exciting, but it can also be stressful, nerve-wracking, and a bit of a headache. There are so many things to consider when choosing a new area to live and while dreaming about nicer weather or decorating your new home might be fun, there are many other things to consider when choosing your next home city. Check out the list below to see if you’ve thought about these commonly overlooked aspects of moving to a new city!

1 | A city’s culture

Often when moving to a new city we get excited because of the weather, the house, the amenities, or the picturesque location. We often forget that even if we’re moving to the next city over, each city has its own culture and vibe. If you’re a young family, do some research to make sure the neighborhood you’re moving to isn’t an unofficial retirement community.  You won’t typically find information like this on real estate websites but online forums can be very eye-opening and honest when trying to find out what a city is really like!

2 | Schools

Even if your children are still very young at this point (maybe even nonexistent), if you plan on living in this city for a while, the quality of schools it has to offer ought to be on your radar. Even if having your children attend school is in your distant future, you’ll want to talk with your spouse about the type of education you’d like your children to have and then do the same type of research mentioned above. Better yet, if you already know a family in the area, ask their advice or what they’ve heard about the local schools!

3 | Taxes

It’s not the most fun thing you’ll have to think about when considering your move, but it can make a difference. Some states off no individual income tax while others offer no retail sales tax. According to Taxfoundation.org, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, Florida, Nevada, Montana, New Hampshire, Utah, Indiana, Oregon have the best-rated tax systems while Vermont, California, New York, and New Jersey (my home state) have the worst rated tax systems. Do your research, it could cost you or save you a sizeable amount each year!

4 | Proximity to an airport

Chances are, if you’re moving to a new town, you’re leaving some of your old life behind. If that’s the case, you may want to go back to visit at one point or another (or have family or friends come to visit you) and you’ll want that to be as easy as it can be. Finding flights out of smaller airports can be tough, not to mention the fact that they can cost a lot more! Although you may have no choice in the matter, finding a new city that’s within a reasonable distance to a major(ish) airport can save a lot of hassle later on (depending on how often you think you’ll be traveling or hosting out of town guests).

5 | Water quality

Did you know that the national EPA maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) for lead is zero? But the current allowed maximum contaminant level (MCL) is 15 ppb because when the EPA standard was developed in 1991, 15 ppb was the lowest reading that could consistently be achieved through anti-corrosion technology.

Using the KnowYourWater.com tool created by PUR®, I found out that our water here actually has a little bit more lead in it than our water at our old home. (KnowYourWater.com is the first and only free online resource that gives hundreds of millions of Americans access to the largest collection of US water quality data ever assembled! It pulls information from more than 98% of all public water systems, including those leading to homes, schools, businesses, hospitals, and more, allowing users to easily learn what’s in their water by simply typing in their address and zip code). Of course, both homes are well under the maximum of 15 ppb but it still makes you think twice before drinking from the tap!

Our home in Washington:

Our home in Virginia:

I was actually surprised by our results!

Wherever you choose to live, using a PUR Advanced Faucet Filtration System, can give you peace of mind whether you’re drinking, cooking, or simply washing with tap water. PUR is certified to reduce over 70 contaminants, including 99% of lead, 96% of mercury and 92% of certain pesticides. It’s also certified to reduce chlorine (taste and odor), microbial cysts, as well as industrial pollutants and is the only faucet filter certified to reduce certain pharmaceutical compounds. Beside this, PUR faucet filtration systems offer a refined horizontal space-saving design that withstands tough kitchen use and comes in a variety of finishes to accommodate any type of kitchen decor.

Want to win a year of PUR® water?

Enter the giveaway simply by commenting below with your favorite aspect of the Know Your Water tool or the PUR Advanced Faucet Filtration System for a chance to win 1 PUR Advanced Faucet Filtration System, 1 11-Cup Ultimate Pitcher Filtration System and replacement filters for each) and a 21 oz Hydro Flask water bottle with a sports cap, a $198 value! Giveaway will close Sunday, January 21, 2018, at 11:59 pm and the winner will be chosen within 24 hours.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PUR. The opinions and text are all mine.

In: Family, Life & Finances, Sponsored, travel · Tagged: agua, airport, amenities, area, city, consider, contaminants, culture, faucet, filter, filtration, know, lead, location, move, moving, pitcher, PUR, schools, system, taxes, town, water

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Whether you’re engaged or you’ve been married for 25 years, this post is for you. I’ve come to find that husbands and wives often, without meaning to, assume things about each other. These assumptions will shape how you judge, forgive, and accept each other for years to come in your marriage. In order to have a relationship where you and your spouse are really jiving and thriving, you’re going to need to understand each other on a very deep level. So, if you’re looking for ways to do that, this post is for you.7 Ways to Better Understand Your Spouse
Hey mama. Having enough energy to get through the day is important, especially for you! Being a mom requires early mornings, long days, and late nights. As much as you might want to take advantage of a mid-afternoon nap, naptime is usually just for kids. There are so many things to do! That being said, energy can be hard to come by for any mama. Which is why I created this list of a few ways we mamas can support our energy during the day3 Ways to Boost Your Energy in the Morning
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Comments

  1. Kansas Bonanno says

    January 17, 2018 at 3:51 pm

    This is a awesome tool, our water is pulled to a local treatment plant and sent back. I think its so neat how it analyzes all the contanimates in the water to keep you safe!

  2. Britney Kaufman says

    January 17, 2018 at 8:27 pm

    oops, not sure if my comment with through but we have horrible water around phoenix. i love that their filter is tool free and easily installed! awesome giveaway.

  3. Joanna says

    January 18, 2018 at 7:42 am

    Water is one of those things I never thought to look at, if relocating. Our water here, happens to be top in our state. We got lucky!

  4. Angela Tolsma says

    January 18, 2018 at 3:47 pm

    I actually didn’t consider any of these when we moved to our new city. We had no choice on what city we moved to, but there are a few things I wish we had considered when we moved here, like PROXIMITY to a bar. Water though is a huge one for me when we move again, as is the airport!

  5. Rachel says

    January 18, 2018 at 9:39 pm

    My brother worked for the water department for a while so he is always checking out the water in the area where people live. It is an odd little perk of his former job.

  6. Melissa Chapman says

    January 18, 2018 at 9:48 pm

    I fell in love with my house when we first saw it but we were young and did not think about schools and airports. That Pur system is so helpful.

  7. shandy kaye says

    January 19, 2018 at 3:09 am

    great factors indeed! Moving to a new city involves a lot of thinking and a lot of planning.

  8. Shoshana Sue says

    January 19, 2018 at 6:43 am

    Availability of schools in an area is an absolute first for me as my kids are still in school. I have never considered taxes before, but maybe that is because I move locally where tax is flat rate

  9. Diana V says

    January 19, 2018 at 7:15 am

    Schools is the most important for and my family, since we have kids and education is first

  10. Jeanine says

    January 19, 2018 at 9:39 pm

    Schools was why we moved to a whole new town. Although we’ve had some issues it’s nothing like where we used to be. Water is also something I never did consider.

  11. Heather says

    January 20, 2018 at 12:16 am

    My father-in-law is a city water engineer so water quality is very important to our family. It’s so important that we have safe water and sometimes that’s not coming straight from the tap. PUR is a great way to ensure you have safe water for your family!

  12. Britt says

    January 20, 2018 at 6:44 pm

    My husband and I have moved around a ton but it all changed when’s we had kids. There’s so much more to think about.

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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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Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??

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  • So I know the title of this post says, “What men want most in a wife,” but to be more realistic, this is about what men need most in a wife. Like men, there are a lot of things that we (women) would really like in a husband. Like, it’d be a huge plus if he looked like Chris Hemsworth. But that’s not really what we need in order to have a positive relationship with our spouse. If we married him, we probably think he’s pretty cute, anyway. Take a look at these 5 things a man really needs in a wife, and if you can think of anything else, share your thoughts in the comments below! 5 Things men want most in a wife
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Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??
This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m s This season of waiting has been weird. But I’m so grateful for it.

On the one hand, there’s so much to do to get ready for little one to join us—it’s been a while since we’ve had a newborn! I’m spending most of my free time writing and nesting, nesting and writing. 

And then on the other hand, I’m feeling pretty ready to have my body back. And by that, I mean just to be done literally sharing it with another being. You start to miss things after a while like being able to breathe when you lay on your back or not getting indigestion for eating a few grapes. 

Overall, there’s so much to be thankful for. Each little inconvenience is a blessing and I’m happy they’re there. I’ll also be happy when they’re over. For now, I’m just savoring being a mom of “older kids” (8 and going on 6) that can grab their own snacks from time to time and put on their own shoes. We’re going to be heading back to square one in a couple months and I’m sure there’s a lot we’ve forgotten!
Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill Naturally, when we see a need, we rush in to fill it and fix it. On top of this, it’s hard for us to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. 

But in the process of meeting everyone else’s needs and neglecting our own (especially our need for rest), we often become bitter towards the ones we’re helping.

Instead, one of the best things we can do as a wife or mother is to assess our own needs and make sure to leave space to meet them ourself or to ask for what we need. 

It might be time to rest, help with the next meal, time alone to pray and meditate on God’s word, or allowing yourself to leave a task un-done so you can “selfishly” enjoy a hobby of yours like the rest of your family gets to do. 

In the end, making room to find joy each day may be one of the best things you do for your relationships.
30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet yo 30 weeks and counting down the days til we meet you. We *think* we've finally settled on a first name after non-stop back-and-forth and brainstorming. Any guesses?? Or.. what are your favorite baby girl names right now??
Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be s Saturday highlights 🖤 We've been trying to be super intentional with the time we spend with David and Evy recently, knowing that big changes are just around the corner! We pray with them, ask them what questions they have, take the time to explain things. I'm hoping they'll be set up pretty well for the transition of little sis coming in March but most of the work will happen after she gets here! How did you help littles prepare for baby?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️ Merry Christmas from the Damons! ❤️
The 12+ hour drive is worth it 😊 The 12+ hour drive is worth it 😊

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