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, Finances, Life & Finances, Marriage · September 30, 2016

Why Spending Tracking is So Important for Couples

Today I wanted to talk to you about finances! I want to tell you about Josh’s and my little history with that and where we are today.

Our financial story

Josh and I weren't always the best with tracking our spending. We basically just had an idea of how much money we brought in every month, and how much went out. And those amounts were pretty much the same from month to month.

I mean it when I say we have a “short” history with finances. Josh and I almost had no background with managing our money before we got married. We were both 21, college students, and had mostly lived with family or on a college campus before we moved in together. We only had part-time jobs on campus and most of the money we made went to food 😛 We were never really pressed to learn much about financial planning because most of our needs were taken care of by the college and it didn’t feel like we were spending anything.

But then when we got married and moved into an apartment together, things changed pretty quickly. We all of a sudden had to pay rent, a water bill, electric, internet- you know, everything that goes along with starting a new life together. And so, we had to learn pretty quickly about tracking our income and expenses to make sure we had enough every month for our newly-acquired bills.

Being a little more financially minded, I took on the role of being our “financial manager,” if you will. However, my financial management mostly consisted of having a rough idea of what was too much to spend when we would go grocery shopping. I never actually knew or kept track of how much we were spending on a monthly basis and I didn’t have a very good idea of where our monthly finances were going. All I knew was that every month we brought in X amount of money, we spent X amount of money, and by the end of the month those amounts were pretty much the same- leaving us living from paycheck to paycheck.

Since then, living has become a bit more “intricate.” I’ve tried using different web applications or Excel documents to track our spending but it always felt complicated and I struggled with being consistent. So even with those web applications and Excel documents, I struggled to follow where our money was going and how to spend it wisely.

Recently, Josh and I have started working with SUM180 in order to get a financial plan for our family. One of the things we had to do for that was to gather up a lot of our financial information: things like our bank statements, retirement plan, and life insurance statements. In doing so, I was able to actually see how much we were spending on a monthly basis on things like groceries, electricity, even things like pet supplies and hair care. It gave me a really good idea of how much we are spending in every category. I even texted Josh at one point and said, “Did you know that we spend $650 on groceries every month?!” And we’re only a family of three… That’s kind of a lot. It’s safe to say that my eyes were opened to areas where we could cut spending and then start saving a little bit more. This is something that I think a lot of young families- including ourselves- struggle with. Saving is something we would love to start doing more!

Why financial tracking and planning is so important!

Everyone wants to make the most of their money.  if you ask anyone, no one would say that they feel good about wasting money or spending more than they need to. Most of the time all that is keeping us from spending our money more wisely, is simply planning and knowledge!  I had no idea that our groceries were costing upwards of $650 per month! That’s crazy!

Just knowing what our spending trends have been in the past has helped me to make decisions for spending in the future.  It’s helped me to see that what I previously thought was an alright grocery bill, actually isn’t. When I know ideally how much I would like to spend on groceries every month, it helps me to budget how often I need to go shopping, and how much I’m able to spend on each visit.

SUM180 laid out our spending trends right in front of me. They showed me how much I spent compared to the national average. That we pretty cool to see. For the most part, we are pretty good about our spending in basically all other categories. They also told us how much we should have in savings compared to what we currently have. That’s something I’d like to work on a bit. SUM180 also gave us advice on planning for things in the future, like life insurance policies and about how much they should be. Not knowing much about retirement and life insurance, it was great to hear simple recommendations like that. SUM180 made understanding our finances easy and simple and made us feel way more confident about our financial future!

If you want to give SUM180 a try for free, check out their free Spending Tracker and Money Tips!

Or use discount code SIMPLE50 for 50% off your subscription!

Josh and I weren't always the best with tracking our spending. We basically just had an idea of how much money we brought in every month, and how much went out. And those amounts were pretty much the same from month to month. @SUM180 #SUM180 #ad

This post has been sponsored by SUM180. I was provided with product at no charge to sample in exchange for my review. The options expressed in this post are my own. I am in no way affiliated with SUM180 and do not earn a commission or percent of sales.

In: Family, Finances, Life & Finances, Marriage · Tagged: budget, couple, expenses, finances, income, married, money, noads, planning, spending, sum180, tracker

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Comments

  1. Felicita Moncada says

    October 1, 2016 at 3:54 am

    SUM180 sounds exactly what my husband and I need. We’re always like where did the money go??? Definitely great to know where your money is going.

  2. karen says

    October 1, 2016 at 2:06 pm

    Oh, yes! This is super important to manage! I had my own financial stickiness years ago but am in a good place now and LOVE the feeling of being debt free. Gotta manage it, or it manages you!

  3. Taylor Mobley says

    October 1, 2016 at 5:28 pm

    This is so important. My husband and I have a budget that we stick to every month. We are saving up to buy our first home so we need to make sure we are saving as much as we can.

  4. Angela @marathonsandmotivation.com says

    October 1, 2016 at 7:42 pm

    I have to admit this is something we are not good it.This is a great post and I am inspired to work on a better plan, thank you 🙂

  5. Jessica (Swanky Recipes) says

    October 2, 2016 at 5:01 pm

    Sounds like just the thing hubs and I need. We want to plan for a house in the future and I know with the right tools we can do it, too! It’s such an important thing for both people to be involved with!

  6. Nicole Escat says

    October 2, 2016 at 11:50 pm

    Oh, this is a very interesting post. We are planning on building our house and this is what we needed.

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5 Things men want most in a wife

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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