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, Kids, Sponsored, Toddler · May 10, 2018

How we handle our 3 year old’s bedtime routine

So David is 3. And I’m definitely not here to tell you that we’re pros at the whole bedtime routine thing. But what I will say is that kids love routine.

I remember back when I was pregnant with David, reading all kinds of parenting books. So many of them were the “latest” thing in parenting and all said that you should not put your baby on a schedule and that you should be sensitive to and follow their cures.

So I guess I wouldn’t say they were wrong.

So before I had David, I totally came to terms with the thought of having absolutely no schedule and just feeding/letting him nap based on his cues which I imagined would be totally sporadic. Then, baby comes along and guess what we find out…

After all the newborn craziness which is 100% sporadic and random, kids actually LOVE routine. They LOVE schedules!

Josh and I never had a moment when we decided on David’s bedtime. But, when he started to turn into a grump meister every night around 8 pm like clockwork, we knew that we should probably beat him to it and get him in bed by then.

That being said, just because his body was ready for sleep, that doesn’t mean his little mind was ready for sleep. Moms and dads, I’m sure you know the feeling. So Josh and I have tweaked and worked on his bedtime routine over the past few years and we think we’ve found something that really has helped calm David’s mind at the end of the day to the point where we’re usually able to say goodnight, walk out of the room, and he stays in bed and falls asleep.

Now, as he’s gotten older, we’ve learned that he’s pretty much just the night-owl type and he really doesn’t need much sleep for a 3 year old. Nowadays, if we try putting David to bed at 8, he’ll probably come out and sit in the hallway until one of us sees him and puts him back in bed. So we’ve been letting him stay up until 8:30-9 more recently.

Here’s what we do:

After dinner (6ish): Play time outside and/or bathtime

We like to do this because David usually has a lot of energy around this time of day and because the next step in the bedtime process is TV time. Getting David and Evy a good, solid hour of playtime before letting him watch TV just helps me feel better as a mom as well as helps him feel less like he’s missing out come bed time. Ev usually goes down to bed around this time and then David stays up a little later.

7pm: 45 minutes – 1 hour of TV time

For most of the day, we try to really limit David’s TV time. Trust me, he’d watch most of the day if we let him. But if we say, “No TV right now, Bud,” he almost always finds some way to use him imagination. But at the end of the day, let’s face it. Mom and dad are tired (I usually have some work to get done for the next day) so we let David have some TV time.

8pm: The last snack of the night

Once your child turns 3, he or she will become a master of stall tactics. What do you do? Beat them to it. Oh you’re hungry? Here’s a snack. I already refilled the water bottle in your room. All your favorite stuffed animals are already in your bed. Oh, you have everything you could possibly need to go to sleep? Great! *sinister smile*

8:15pm: Finally, bedtime.

Here’s where we head upstairs, brush our teeth, get our diaper changed, and change into juuust the right pair of pajamas. Once that’s done, David knows that we read exactly 2 books (we never budge on this. Ever. If we did, we would always have to read more than 2 books from that day forward), and we cuddle for exactly 1 minute (ok, it’s really more than 1 minute but we tell him one minute because he knows that means a short time and if he expects that from the start, he won’t beg you to stay once you try to leave).

Out of the two books we read with David, one is any book of his choosing, and the other is a story from his toddler Bible. David’s newest favorite book is close to our hearts because it’s all about our little man!

 

 

What he loves most about his Hooray Heroes personalized book is that HE is the one who gets to go on the adventure! As we read, David sees himself diving with dolphins and being pursued by pirates and discovering a buried treasure.

 

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He also LOVES to get in on his sister’s book which is all about the things she could be when she grows up! From a soccer player, to a writer, to a computer programmer! We had a lot of fun explaining to David all the different paths his and Evy’s life could take and what they could do when they grow up (and actually get to picture what that looks like!).

 

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What we love about the Hooray Heroes personalized books is the memories we make while reading them together as a family and the keepsakes they’ll become over David and Evy’s lifetime! Seeing the possibilities for what they can become and the amazing adventures they can have is truly precious and special for everyone! I loved going through the unique customization process and even getting a little spotlight in Evy’s book as her mama!

 

 

If you’re looking for a special gift or just a precious keepsake for you and your kids to enjoy together, check out the Hooray Heroes online store and customize a book for your little ones today!

 

In: Family, Kids, Sponsored, Toddler · Tagged: adventure, baby, bed, bedtime, book, child, family, fun, gift, kids, learn, noads, personalized, present, read, ritual, routine, sponsored, toddler, young

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Comments

  1. Kate says

    May 22, 2018 at 8:57 am

    We follow a very similar routine to yours, although we don’t do one last snack most nights. Definitely going to check out those books- super cute!

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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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