Now that we still have some sunlight hanging aroun Now that we still have some sunlight hanging around after the kids go to bed, my new thing is sipping a glass of wine on the back patio while making small talk with Josh and praying the kids stay in bed.
 
I've been obsessed with cleaning our house recently but I've been so good about it, I have nothing left to clean or tidy right now and I'm left to face the things I don't really want to think about like the fact that I miss my kids when they're at school or how I really want to fill this house up with some more of them 😅 

At any rate, one of my simple pleasures in life is decluttering and purging unused things and I feel like I've accomplished a lot!! What about you?
Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growin Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growing up, I thought it was pretty much all I was cut out to do, which ended up being false. But even though I've learned that I'm capable of so many other things, being a mom is still one of my highest aspirations. As we're getting our home ready for fostering, I can't help but think of how the little one(s) entering our home will feel but also how David and Evy will feel. How will they react if we parent slightly differently? Will they understand that we're working to build trust and connection or will they feel indignant? These are the things I pray about and also speak to the kids about in the days leading up. We're all excited but I have the feeling of heaviness that we don't and won't understand the burden until we're all already carrying it together.
Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over here and I think it might be working 😉 Today the kids had TWOsday at school and they were so sweet. David wore a tie (I don't exactly get how it tirles in to Twosday but the kids were happy so..) and Evy "twinned" with a couple of sweet friends in her class. It's so sweet when you see your own kids building their own friendships. It just loosens a little piece of anxiety I've had about parenthood since David was still in my tummy. How did you spend your TWOsday??

Sandals @naotfootwear 💕
Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Jos Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Josh in a quiet house - the kids slept over my parent's last night. Got up, raced to clean the kitchen as fast as I could while my coffee was brewing. The coffee won this time. 

I recorded a Reel while getting ready. Went to the place where we were going to meet my fam a bit early so Josh and I could get in a walk. Then we got coffee, went to a huge antique store (sadly left with nothing but took pictures of my faves so I can remember to come back) and went to lunch with the kids and my parents. Love easy-going and fun days like these 🖤
Back in the day,I was talking with someone about m Back in the day,I was talking with someone about marriage.Josh and I had been married for a few years at that point but this guy was still single. ..

He told me he was studying to get his masters in counseling and he wanted to be a marriage counselor one day.I thought "Hey that's pretty cool" but, curious,because,you know, he was single. 

Anyway, after we'd been talking a few minutes about our interest in helping married couples, he leaned in and said, "You know, I have this theory on marriage.." "Oh yeah?" I said (pretty curious to hear what theories this guy had for all of marriage for everyone everywhere). 

He said, "I believe that every single problem in marriage boils down to communication."

At the time, I didn't really know what to say. I'm more of a *reflector* and then I come up with what I wish I had said later.

Here's what I wish I had said: "Um. Yeah I don't think so. I mean sure, communication helps with a lot of issues. But what about selfishness,⠀addiction,⠀past hurt and trauma, etc? Communication will help people work through those issues but they're connected to much deeper issues that concern the heart--not just your communication skills."

We are all broken, very human, beings and when left to our own devices,⠀we don't have all the tools necessary to "fix" ourselves or our spouse's problems. We can talk until we're blue in the face but we just can't fix ourselves. 

What we do need, is to lean on the Creator who made all things good and makes all things new. To understand that we are not the main characters here. The whole world and everything in it points to Christ and His redeeming power. And yes, he often works that out through us and often through communication. But it's not communication that saves marriages. It's Jesus.

I was just thinking about that today and wanted to get it off my chest. What role do you think communication plays?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! 🎁 Merry Christmas from the Damons! 🎁
So much joy in one photo! Ok, maybe 4 photos 😜 So much joy in one photo! Ok, maybe 4 photos 😜 Love my littlest niece, Eva ❤️
Let's hash something out together: what's somethin Let's hash something out together: what's something you do or used to fight about in your marriage/relationship regularly?

Do you feel like the issue is/was pretty cut and dry? 

Or was there an underlying issue that bubbled up in different ways?

Curious to know your thoughts. 

When Josh and I were first married, we fought a lot. We were pretty low-income, didn't have great jobs, and had a wee baby. While our fights were often about the grocery list, the real issue was that we were SCARED. 

Scared of the adult life we had just stepped into. It was kind of like jumping into a puddle you don't think is that deep until after it's too late and now your socks are completely drowning 🚣🏼‍♀️ 

Luckily, though, they dry off over time, don't they?

After lots of learning and working really hard (both at our jobs and relationship) things started to ease up. We started to see that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and even though we weren't there yet, it gave up hope to carry on together ❤️
Go on a walk with your spouse before Netflixing. O Go on a walk with your spouse before Netflixing. Or if you can't leave the house, sit in the kitchen with a glass of wine. Make time to talk. And make it easier by doing things together. It's so so important ❤️
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Baby, Family, Kids, Motherhood, Sponsored, Toddler, travel · April 11, 2018

6 Tips for Day Trips With Small Children

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Surprize by Stride Rite for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

They say to take time to travel before you settle down but… um… what does that mean for the rest of us? Do we need to wait 20+ years until each child is grown and out of the house to be able to travel?? I think not. Josh and I love exploring new towns, new beaches, and new places to hike all the time. Better yet, we do it with kids! Our 3 year old and 11 month old love to get out with us and discover new places. In doing so, we’ve learned a couple things along the way. Check out this list to learn a few ways to make traveling with kids easier and more fun for everyone!

Read to the end of the post to learn why we love Stride Rite for our kids and why they’re PERFECT for families who love to travel!

1 | Pack an extra of everything

I’m the type that likes to pack light. I usually assume that everyone will be fine, we probably won’t have any diaper blowouts, and that packing more will only make the trip messy and more complicated. While that might be the case, the alternative to any of that is basically an emergency. What if you’re out of town and a kids DOES have a blowout?? What if your toddler DOES lose a shoe? I’ve pulled up outside a grocery store, gotten the baby out of the car, only to put him right back in again because I realized that he had a HUGE blowout somewhere during the 11 minutes for us to drive to the store and I had 0 diapers and 0 changes of clothes. I took the poopy baby into the nearest Target, bought a pair of pajamas and a pack of diapers and proceeded to clean up the mess in the bathroom. THANK GOODNESS we only had one child at the time or I may have shed a tear or two. Moral of the story, pack extras. It’s worth the effort.

2 | Bring help

A helping hand from someone who is willing to put in the extra mile is worth 1,000 toys and 1,000 snacks. When possible, try inviting a friend or family member on your day trips with you, preferably one who won’t have their own littles to worry about. When our family is available, we love getting them to join in the fun and travel to new places with us. They know exactly when mom and dad need a break and when to jump in- and they never mind doing it! Not to mention the kids always seem to react well to a “change in management” from time to time.

3 | Snacks that take a long time to eat

It’s no secret that babies and toddlers emotions get the best of them. But what makes almost all babies and toddlers happy? Simple! Food. Now, of course, any parent is going to pack snacks for a day trip. But the key here is to pack a snack that takes a long time to eat. The longer it takes to eat, the longer your child will be content while eating it. Honestly, simply handing our toddler an apple is the BEST way to keep him happy in the car for like an hour. He might be playing with toys or jabbering away, but it takes him so long to eat that sweet, crunchy snack, that it last forever! Our 11 month old loves to eat cheerios out of a cup with a rubber lid where she can stick her hand through and grab a couple at a time. Bellies full, minds distracted, everybody happy.

4 | Plan ahead to have the right gear

When visiting a new area, it’s important to know where you’ll be walking and what the area is like. Usually, at the beginning of any trip, our toddler refuses to ride in the stroller. But. We always bring it anyway because we know without a doubt he’s going to ask to be carried back to the car. I, personally love to put the 11 month old in the stroller to free up my arms but being the strong, independent woman that she is, loves to see the world from a higher vantage point. So we almost always keep a baby backpack in the car or stow it in the bottom of the stroller should we need it.

 

It’s also essential to have a functional baby bag that can fit in the bottom of a stroller if you’re going to be walking a lot. With our first baby, we had a traditional baby bag but then opted for a backpack with our second and we quickly realized we needed our arms a lot more with two kids!

 

5 | Make sure your kids are comfortable

We always try to remember to do our best to look up the weather before we travel to a new place to make sure we’re all dressed appropriately. Last summer, when my mom was visiting us, we took her to a beautiful hiking spot called Hurricane Ridge. While the weather was sunny and in the high seventies back in town, it was in the 40s and cloudy on our hike. Aaaand being stubborn and not wanting to pack too much, we were caught without warm clothes for the kids. Oops. Don’t be like us.

6 | Remember to help them be independent

Ok, so it might sound like an oxymoron to help someone be independent. However, if you set a child up for success, they can truly thrive in an environment where they feel safe but free to explore and learn. Our girl, Evy, is extremely independent and wants to discover everything for herself. That’s why we got her set up with a pair of Stride Rite shoes from Target. They are so perfect for her because they’re designed to gain traction and to protect little baby toes from stubbing because, let’s face it, they’re still pretty wobbly. Once she really gets moving, the memory foam foot bed will keep her feet comfortable for hours of walking and running! Grab a pair of Surprize by Stride Rite at Target before your next little adventure!

Evelyn has done so incredibly well in these shoes, I could not recommend them more! I can honestly say that they have made a big difference in helping to stabilize her as she learns to walk, even outdoors on some uneven ground. She has always been an extremely determined girlie and loves to keep up with her big brother and Surprize by Stride Rite help her to do just that! We easily found Evy’s pair in the infant section of Target near the strollers.

Visit Sponsors Site

They say to take time to travel before you settle down but… um… what does that mean for the rest of us? Do we need to wait 20+ years until each child is grown and out of the house to be able to travel?? I think not. Josh and I love exploring new towns, new beaches, and new places to hike all the time. Better yet, we do it with kids! Our 3 year old and 11 month old love to get out with us and discover new places. In doing so, we’ve learned a couple things along the way. Check out this list to learn a few ways to make traveling with kids easier and more fun for everyone!

In: Baby, Family, Kids, Motherhood, Sponsored, Toddler, travel · Tagged: child, children, gear, kids, noads, shoes, sponsored, travel, trip

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Comments

  1. Chelsea says

    April 11, 2018 at 2:41 pm

    Some great tips for thove travelling with chilDren. I need tips for trips with a puppy lol

  2. Erin says

    April 11, 2018 at 5:29 pm

    These are some really great tips for people traveling with children!

  3. lauren says

    April 11, 2018 at 8:12 pm

    Great list! i don’t have any kids left, but i’ll definitely keep things like this in mind 😉

    xx lauren

  4. Geraline Batarra says

    April 12, 2018 at 10:47 am

    Such great tips to those who are traveling with their child like me and I will definitely use these tips since we are planning to travel with our kids.

  5. Kathryn Maher says

    April 12, 2018 at 1:37 pm

    Great tips here on planning a hiking trip with kids in tow. I really like the tip about bringing a friend or family member along for the day. If they don’t mind helping out its a great way to further amuse and entertain the kids with a different person to interact with for the day.

  6. Eloise says

    April 14, 2018 at 8:36 pm

    STRIDERITE HAS BEEN MY GO TO SHOE BRAND SINCE MY KIDS WERE TINY TOTS, THEY’RE HIGH QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE.
    GREAT TIPS AS WELL, GOT TO BE PREPARED OR ELSE YOU’LL BE FACED WITH WHINING AND CRABBINESS (YOUR ADORABLE KIDS WILL TURN INTO LIL MONSTERS THAT WILL TAKE OVER THE WORLD, YOUR PATIENCE, AND YOUR ENERGY).

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The Right and Wrong Way To Give Your Spouse Space

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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Now that we still have some sunlight hanging aroun Now that we still have some sunlight hanging around after the kids go to bed, my new thing is sipping a glass of wine on the back patio while making small talk with Josh and praying the kids stay in bed.
 
I've been obsessed with cleaning our house recently but I've been so good about it, I have nothing left to clean or tidy right now and I'm left to face the things I don't really want to think about like the fact that I miss my kids when they're at school or how I really want to fill this house up with some more of them 😅 

At any rate, one of my simple pleasures in life is decluttering and purging unused things and I feel like I've accomplished a lot!! What about you?
Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growin Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growing up, I thought it was pretty much all I was cut out to do, which ended up being false. But even though I've learned that I'm capable of so many other things, being a mom is still one of my highest aspirations. As we're getting our home ready for fostering, I can't help but think of how the little one(s) entering our home will feel but also how David and Evy will feel. How will they react if we parent slightly differently? Will they understand that we're working to build trust and connection or will they feel indignant? These are the things I pray about and also speak to the kids about in the days leading up. We're all excited but I have the feeling of heaviness that we don't and won't understand the burden until we're all already carrying it together.
Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over here and I think it might be working 😉 Today the kids had TWOsday at school and they were so sweet. David wore a tie (I don't exactly get how it tirles in to Twosday but the kids were happy so..) and Evy "twinned" with a couple of sweet friends in her class. It's so sweet when you see your own kids building their own friendships. It just loosens a little piece of anxiety I've had about parenthood since David was still in my tummy. How did you spend your TWOsday??

Sandals @naotfootwear 💕
Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Jos Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Josh in a quiet house - the kids slept over my parent's last night. Got up, raced to clean the kitchen as fast as I could while my coffee was brewing. The coffee won this time. 

I recorded a Reel while getting ready. Went to the place where we were going to meet my fam a bit early so Josh and I could get in a walk. Then we got coffee, went to a huge antique store (sadly left with nothing but took pictures of my faves so I can remember to come back) and went to lunch with the kids and my parents. Love easy-going and fun days like these 🖤

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  • Sure, they say don’t go to bed while you’re still angry, but sometimes husbands and wives just need some space! That being said, there are healthy ways and unhealthy ways (productive and hurtful, if you will) to get space away from a spouse. Let’s talk about those. The Right and Wrong Way To Give Your Spouse Space

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Now that we still have some sunlight hanging aroun Now that we still have some sunlight hanging around after the kids go to bed, my new thing is sipping a glass of wine on the back patio while making small talk with Josh and praying the kids stay in bed.
 
I've been obsessed with cleaning our house recently but I've been so good about it, I have nothing left to clean or tidy right now and I'm left to face the things I don't really want to think about like the fact that I miss my kids when they're at school or how I really want to fill this house up with some more of them 😅 

At any rate, one of my simple pleasures in life is decluttering and purging unused things and I feel like I've accomplished a lot!! What about you?
Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growin Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growing up, I thought it was pretty much all I was cut out to do, which ended up being false. But even though I've learned that I'm capable of so many other things, being a mom is still one of my highest aspirations. As we're getting our home ready for fostering, I can't help but think of how the little one(s) entering our home will feel but also how David and Evy will feel. How will they react if we parent slightly differently? Will they understand that we're working to build trust and connection or will they feel indignant? These are the things I pray about and also speak to the kids about in the days leading up. We're all excited but I have the feeling of heaviness that we don't and won't understand the burden until we're all already carrying it together.
Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over here and I think it might be working 😉 Today the kids had TWOsday at school and they were so sweet. David wore a tie (I don't exactly get how it tirles in to Twosday but the kids were happy so..) and Evy "twinned" with a couple of sweet friends in her class. It's so sweet when you see your own kids building their own friendships. It just loosens a little piece of anxiety I've had about parenthood since David was still in my tummy. How did you spend your TWOsday??

Sandals @naotfootwear 💕
Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Jos Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Josh in a quiet house - the kids slept over my parent's last night. Got up, raced to clean the kitchen as fast as I could while my coffee was brewing. The coffee won this time. 

I recorded a Reel while getting ready. Went to the place where we were going to meet my fam a bit early so Josh and I could get in a walk. Then we got coffee, went to a huge antique store (sadly left with nothing but took pictures of my faves so I can remember to come back) and went to lunch with the kids and my parents. Love easy-going and fun days like these 🖤
Back in the day,I was talking with someone about m Back in the day,I was talking with someone about marriage.Josh and I had been married for a few years at that point but this guy was still single. ..

He told me he was studying to get his masters in counseling and he wanted to be a marriage counselor one day.I thought "Hey that's pretty cool" but, curious,because,you know, he was single. 

Anyway, after we'd been talking a few minutes about our interest in helping married couples, he leaned in and said, "You know, I have this theory on marriage.." "Oh yeah?" I said (pretty curious to hear what theories this guy had for all of marriage for everyone everywhere). 

He said, "I believe that every single problem in marriage boils down to communication."

At the time, I didn't really know what to say. I'm more of a *reflector* and then I come up with what I wish I had said later.

Here's what I wish I had said: "Um. Yeah I don't think so. I mean sure, communication helps with a lot of issues. But what about selfishness,⠀addiction,⠀past hurt and trauma, etc? Communication will help people work through those issues but they're connected to much deeper issues that concern the heart--not just your communication skills."

We are all broken, very human, beings and when left to our own devices,⠀we don't have all the tools necessary to "fix" ourselves or our spouse's problems. We can talk until we're blue in the face but we just can't fix ourselves. 

What we do need, is to lean on the Creator who made all things good and makes all things new. To understand that we are not the main characters here. The whole world and everything in it points to Christ and His redeeming power. And yes, he often works that out through us and often through communication. But it's not communication that saves marriages. It's Jesus.

I was just thinking about that today and wanted to get it off my chest. What role do you think communication plays?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! 🎁 Merry Christmas from the Damons! 🎁
So much joy in one photo! Ok, maybe 4 photos 😜 So much joy in one photo! Ok, maybe 4 photos 😜 Love my littlest niece, Eva ❤️
Let's hash something out together: what's somethin Let's hash something out together: what's something you do or used to fight about in your marriage/relationship regularly?

Do you feel like the issue is/was pretty cut and dry? 

Or was there an underlying issue that bubbled up in different ways?

Curious to know your thoughts. 

When Josh and I were first married, we fought a lot. We were pretty low-income, didn't have great jobs, and had a wee baby. While our fights were often about the grocery list, the real issue was that we were SCARED. 

Scared of the adult life we had just stepped into. It was kind of like jumping into a puddle you don't think is that deep until after it's too late and now your socks are completely drowning 🚣🏼‍♀️ 

Luckily, though, they dry off over time, don't they?

After lots of learning and working really hard (both at our jobs and relationship) things started to ease up. We started to see that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and even though we weren't there yet, it gave up hope to carry on together ❤️
Go on a walk with your spouse before Netflixing. O Go on a walk with your spouse before Netflixing. Or if you can't leave the house, sit in the kitchen with a glass of wine. Make time to talk. And make it easier by doing things together. It's so so important ❤️
Top knots over crop tops 😜 Top knots over crop tops 😜

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