Everyday is a new day 🤎 As a mom who works (fr Everyday is a new day 🤎

As a mom who works (from home, thank goodness!!) I know how hard it can be to find the time and evergy to be intentional. When it feels like all the work you do during the day is for the kids, sitting down and coloring feels like only a distraction. 

But it's so important to make the effort--those moments are what they'll remember! When we're intentional with our time with them, we're showing our kids that they're worth our time and attention. And those small connections are what will help them feel loved, secure, and supported. 

As they grow up, they'll carry those feelings with them, and they'll use them to build healthy relationships with themselves and others. So don't underestimate the power of the small moments of intention--we're giving our kids a gift that will last a lifetime.
One of the best Mother's Days! Thanks fam ❤️ S One of the best Mother's Days! Thanks fam ❤️ So blessed to call this family mine!
Just beachy 🌴 Just beachy 🌴
Some photos of life recently. As much as Josh and Some photos of life recently. As much as Josh and I have been pretty go-with-the-flow with Cleo, we've found that she's been getting overly tired at night and almost inconsolable. So the last few nights we've been intentionally putting her to bed around the same time as Davey and Evy and she's actually been loving it? Go figure (also, not complaining! 😆).

Also.. today I walked out of the house to grab something from the car and this 10~ year old girl was walking by with her mom and she goes, "Mom she looks like Barbie!!"

Well that's the best compliment I've had in a while and I'm gonna hold onto it 💖
I've always seen myself as a "go with the flow" ty I've always seen myself as a "go with the flow" type person, and for the most part that's true. But what I've realized recently is that I'm good at going with the flow when I can see a good outcome down the road. But if I smell trouble, "go with the flow" Chelsea is gone with the wind 🌬️

This week we were working on memorizing some Bible verses with the kids. Evy randomly chose Psalm 119:105, "Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way, it is like a light that guides me."

It made me think about how all through scripture, God is just BEGGING us to trust that he has it all figured out. And time and time again, he comes through and does exactly what he says he's going to do. 

But for whatever reason, whenever anything unexpected happens, we immediately think that we need to jump in and control the situation. Some of us are really good at it, too. So it can be really difficult to leave the unknown in God's hands and trust that, yet again, he will provide. 

In this season of unknown for us, I'm praying daily for God to do His will with our family, that he would use us for good, and that we would trust the outcome. It's a scary thing to pray. But ultimately, that's exactly how we hope our short lives will be used—following the path he leads us.
Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no be Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no better feeling than getting to know the wonderful person she is growing into. We're so proud of this girl!! 6 is going to be a great year 💕
I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every hour last night 🙃🙃 

Outfit @honest 🦋
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 😉
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Family, Food, Kids, Motherhood, Sponsored · December 3, 2020

Cultivating Quality Time With the Kids This Holiday Season

This post is sponsored by Silk® and Café Bustelo®.

I think a big theme for this year is togetherness. We’re heard it 1000 times, “Together apart.”


Everyone’s experienced so many changes this year, and our family is no different. My work had to make a big pivot in order to stay afloat and I was very much involved in that process which meant working when I woke up and until I went to bed. We experienced quarantine and social distancing, our family moved across the country. Now that we’ve more or less settled in and found our “new normal,” Josh and I have been trying extra hard to create quality time with the kids. This year has been a lot! And we all need a reminder sometimes that we’re loved, valued, enjoyed, and not alone. 

So after all of that, I think we now have a better understanding of what makes real quality time achievable and realistic:
1 | Not taking on too much.2 | Taking time to enjoy the simple things.
Here are a few of life’s simple pleasures we’re learning to not take for granted and use them as a small family refresh as we head into this holiday season.


1 |  Get some fresh air. 

I mean, literally. We’ve spent A LOT of time indoors this year. How nice does it feel to be able to get out on a walk with the family after dinner and enjoy the cool air that’s now here? Working from home, I can sometimes go a couple of days without even leaving the house! And I don’t even realize it at the time but it really does have an effect on my mental state. So, even if it’s just for a short walk in the neighborhood, Josh and I typically try to get a walk in with the kids and Rainy after dinner and before bed. 

Cultivating Quality Time With the Kids This Holiday Season


2 | Making every day a little special.

Trust me, I totally have those mornings where you’ve woken up but haven’t necessarily opened your eyes yet and you think, “Here we go again.” 
On mornings like that, I like to “incentivize” getting out of bed, if you will, for both me and the kids. My go-to morning treat is a hot cup of Cafe Bustelo® Latin American Blends coffee. On the weekends, I like to slow down and brew it in a french press, during the school/work week, I’ll use my single-cup coffee maker. Trust me – I’m picky about coffee. I always like to try my coffee black before I add anything to it. It’s a unique dark roast coffee with rich flavor and hints of cocoa. It is so good.

Cafe Bustelo, Silk, Target


I pair that with Silk® Dairy-Free Half & Half Alternative. It’s half oat milk. Half coconut milk. All yum. Traditional half & half makes my stomach hurt in minutes but this is dairy-free and oh so creamy. It’s vegan, non-GMO, and Keto friendly. I also love the slight nutty flavor that I think blends with the Cafe Bustelo® perfectly. 


I see this perfect combo as a guilt-free morning treat the doesn’t come back to bite me later. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
And while I’m enjoying my treat in the mornings, I like to surprise the kids with their own cup of hot chocolate. How nice it it to be able to warm up before stepping out in the cold on our way to school?

Cultivating Quality Time With the Kids This Holiday Season


3 | Family movie nights

To be honest, this isn’t something Josh and I have done much with the kids until recently. I think that with the virus, this has been the year of the screen, so in an effort to minimize screentime, we haven’t been allowing the kids to watch movies before but. 
But – just recently we’ve started watching the newer Lost in Space together as a family. It’s just slightly scary at times for the kids but Josh and I feel comfortable watching it together with them. It’s a great time of slowing down, cuddling together, and having a shared family experience before bedtime. 


4 | Cooking + baking together

Along with being the year of screens, it’s been the year of ordering our for us! The past month or so, Josh and I have been reigning it in for our health’s sake and also our bank account’s sake. Not to mention, the kids LOVE getting to help us cook dinner so it doubles as a fun activity for them and TRIPLES as family bonding. What’s better than that.
We’ve now gotten into the routine of mapping out our meals for 2 weeks. Then, we go to the grocery store and get ALL the food we need for the next two weeks and follow our meal plan for that time. We’re allowed to order/eat out once a week, the rest of the nights we’re either cooking or munching on leftovers. Honestly, it’s been a great way to save extra money each month and our tummies are saying “Thank you!!”


5 | Mood-boosting playlists

I always forget just how much a good playlist either boosts my mood, ups my productivity, or makes our home feel festive for the holiday season! Have fun making a playlist with the family for different occasions! Road trips, tree decorating, baking cookies, whatever!


What are the simple pleasures you’re taking the time to enjoy this holiday season? While you’re out doing your holiday shopping, remember to pick up Cafe Bustelo® Latin American Blends coffee and Silk® Dairy-Free Half & Half Alternative in the grocery section of Target! You can also save money on both of these products with the Circle offers in the Target app.

In: Family, Food, Kids, Motherhood, Sponsored · Tagged: almond milk, alternative, brazil, cafe bustelo, coffee, coffee creamer, dairy alternative, dairy free, family, half and half, holidays, kids, lactose free, quality time, silk

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Comments

  1. Mia Tenille says

    February 18, 2021 at 8:55 pm

    I love your blog! Your family is so cute! I am always trying to find new ways to keep the kids busy and convince them to do what I need. My 6 year old despises the dentist.. and doctor checkups (haha) so I always tell her if she is good, I’ll take her to the park!    

  2. David says

    March 29, 2021 at 3:08 pm

    This is a great refreshing read

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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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Everyday is a new day 🤎 As a mom who works (fr Everyday is a new day 🤎

As a mom who works (from home, thank goodness!!) I know how hard it can be to find the time and evergy to be intentional. When it feels like all the work you do during the day is for the kids, sitting down and coloring feels like only a distraction. 

But it's so important to make the effort--those moments are what they'll remember! When we're intentional with our time with them, we're showing our kids that they're worth our time and attention. And those small connections are what will help them feel loved, secure, and supported. 

As they grow up, they'll carry those feelings with them, and they'll use them to build healthy relationships with themselves and others. So don't underestimate the power of the small moments of intention--we're giving our kids a gift that will last a lifetime.
One of the best Mother's Days! Thanks fam ❤️ S One of the best Mother's Days! Thanks fam ❤️ So blessed to call this family mine!
Just beachy 🌴 Just beachy 🌴
Some photos of life recently. As much as Josh and Some photos of life recently. As much as Josh and I have been pretty go-with-the-flow with Cleo, we've found that she's been getting overly tired at night and almost inconsolable. So the last few nights we've been intentionally putting her to bed around the same time as Davey and Evy and she's actually been loving it? Go figure (also, not complaining! 😆).

Also.. today I walked out of the house to grab something from the car and this 10~ year old girl was walking by with her mom and she goes, "Mom she looks like Barbie!!"

Well that's the best compliment I've had in a while and I'm gonna hold onto it 💖

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Everyday is a new day 🤎 As a mom who works (fr Everyday is a new day 🤎

As a mom who works (from home, thank goodness!!) I know how hard it can be to find the time and evergy to be intentional. When it feels like all the work you do during the day is for the kids, sitting down and coloring feels like only a distraction. 

But it's so important to make the effort--those moments are what they'll remember! When we're intentional with our time with them, we're showing our kids that they're worth our time and attention. And those small connections are what will help them feel loved, secure, and supported. 

As they grow up, they'll carry those feelings with them, and they'll use them to build healthy relationships with themselves and others. So don't underestimate the power of the small moments of intention--we're giving our kids a gift that will last a lifetime.
One of the best Mother's Days! Thanks fam ❤️ S One of the best Mother's Days! Thanks fam ❤️ So blessed to call this family mine!
Just beachy 🌴 Just beachy 🌴
Some photos of life recently. As much as Josh and Some photos of life recently. As much as Josh and I have been pretty go-with-the-flow with Cleo, we've found that she's been getting overly tired at night and almost inconsolable. So the last few nights we've been intentionally putting her to bed around the same time as Davey and Evy and she's actually been loving it? Go figure (also, not complaining! 😆).

Also.. today I walked out of the house to grab something from the car and this 10~ year old girl was walking by with her mom and she goes, "Mom she looks like Barbie!!"

Well that's the best compliment I've had in a while and I'm gonna hold onto it 💖
I've always seen myself as a "go with the flow" ty I've always seen myself as a "go with the flow" type person, and for the most part that's true. But what I've realized recently is that I'm good at going with the flow when I can see a good outcome down the road. But if I smell trouble, "go with the flow" Chelsea is gone with the wind 🌬️

This week we were working on memorizing some Bible verses with the kids. Evy randomly chose Psalm 119:105, "Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way, it is like a light that guides me."

It made me think about how all through scripture, God is just BEGGING us to trust that he has it all figured out. And time and time again, he comes through and does exactly what he says he's going to do. 

But for whatever reason, whenever anything unexpected happens, we immediately think that we need to jump in and control the situation. Some of us are really good at it, too. So it can be really difficult to leave the unknown in God's hands and trust that, yet again, he will provide. 

In this season of unknown for us, I'm praying daily for God to do His will with our family, that he would use us for good, and that we would trust the outcome. It's a scary thing to pray. But ultimately, that's exactly how we hope our short lives will be used—following the path he leads us.
Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no be Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no better feeling than getting to know the wonderful person she is growing into. We're so proud of this girl!! 6 is going to be a great year 💕
I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every hour last night 🙃🙃 

Outfit @honest 🦋
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 ❤️

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