Friday Favorites - an Amazon Edition

Happiest of Friday's my dear friends!! Gosh it's been a while since I've posted one of these...life man! It's crazy.

We ALL love ourselves some Amazon, am I right?  I love it when bloggers post about what they're loving from our favorite shopping website and I always shop it through Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) just in case I can get myself some extra cash back!!

I've briefly mentioned on here that lately I am striving towards a more minimalist and sustainable lifestyle and have been learning so much about it through podcasts (there are so many to choose from so you can't go wrong!) which has been encouraging me to actually move forward with it.  If you've been a long time follower you might remember that we do a vegetable garden every year and have a fruit "orchard" of sorts that we grow organically and without chemical fertilizers, so already sustainable ... sort of😉.

ONE

I've been wanting to get rid of the plastic sippy cups for a while but just wasn't sure what to do.  I asked the Facebook and got so many suggestions which were great.  Then I went to the Amazon and found some great options!! I really wanted some stainless steel cups for the kids with plastic free lids and this set of four with adorable silicone lids that look like Elephants are perfect!  The girls love them and it only took a couple tries to figure out how to put the lid on.  Since stainless steel can get pretty cold I love that they came with the color coordinated silicone sleeves.  I also wanted to introduce some straws to Séamus so these Boon lids are great, though I do think the straw is plastic they can work on any cup so they'll be easy to throw in a reusable bag for when we're out and about.  I am still on the search for some non plastic plates and bowls for the kids, I'm thinking stainless steel again but am totally up for suggestions!

TWO

Another item we've been loving in our kitchen for cleaning up with our Thieves Household Cleaner are these Bamboo dish cloths.  They're super absorbent go in the washing machine and are made of sustainable Bamboo!

THREE

We're headed on a 3+ week road trip over Ireland and England this Summer!! I am so freaking excited for it!! Wahoo!  Since we have 3 kids in car seats and have to buy plane tickets for both Ellie and Finnley we are going to be bringing our car seats with us.  I've been looking all over trying to find a way to easily transport them through the airport (and doesn't take up much room) since we are only bringing an umbrella stroller and so I found these straps to attach them to our luggage!!  They are en route to us as I speak so I have no idea how well they will actually work but they have great reviews so I'm hoping they will work.  Speaking of our luggage - we are planning on only bringing 2 carry on bags for all 5 of us!!! Eek wish us luck!

FOUR



I got some similar baskets to this on Zulilly that were so cute because they were pink and had polka dots but they drove me crazy because the paint kept chipping off of them.  I loved these baskets to help corral all the kids toys in their bedrooms and our living room but the chipping paint every where caused my vacuum to go into overdrive 😜 so I wanted to fix it.  I love this basket and it suits all our needs (plus it doesn't shed or leave any paint chips behind).  It's the best addition to our living room and now that I've donated the others I can't wait to get a few more of these for the kids room and the Playhouse!

FIVE

I hosted a Sleep Class on Facebook this week and shared some great DIY's, roller and diffuser recipes as well as our bedtime routines for the kids!  This sleep roller is the bomb diggity (and I love the roller bottle too)  and if you're already on my team and sign up for Essential Rewards by May 18th I will send one to you!  If you're not already a Young Living member and you want to join my team I will send you a bottle of Cedarwood when you enroll by May 18th (sign up for Essential Rewards at the same time and I will also send you a sleep roller)!! I'm on the BEST TEAM EVER and you will get to be too when you enroll with me!  We have some awesome online communities full of all the Oily Resources you could ever imagine (and they are FREE for you!!!).

SIX

The girls shared room is still a work in progress, I swear I go through it every other week to eliminate more toys and they seem to multiply 😆.  Finnley loves herself some stuffed animals (as does Ellie) and their beds are just covered with them!  Ellie had taken to decorating her bed with stickers...which at first I wasn't too thrilled about but then I remembered how easy it is to remove them with some Lemon Essential Oil.  Both girls are also really into painting and I love adding their artwork up on their walls.  It is so special and meaningful to them that it gets to be displayed and I love seeing theirs skills progress!  I was so nervous about how their transition to sharing a room was going to go and it has gone so smoothly, I will credit their love for each other but also diffusing in their room has been so so beneficial for our bedtime routine and keeping those girls put all night long!

SEVEN

Finnley had school pictures this month and I cannot get over how great she did!! She was so brave and I love having this snapshot of her! My sweet girl is getting so big and I love seeing who she is becoming.  She started Pre-school a couple months ago and has blossomed so much.  It's funny how much more academic she is than Ellie, though she is super nervous in social situations (with or without me).  I make sure to oil her up every day with our magical Unicorn Roller.  It's a blend of essential oils that are so good for emotional support: Valor, Frankincense, Stress Away, Bergamot, and White Angelica.  The difference in her demeanor and personality when she gets her oils v not is just incredible.  I am so so glad to have this simple, easy, and natural tool available to give her all the support and courage to let her true self shine!




EIGHT

Séamus is just so much fun!  He is so busy and gets into all of the things and is rarely ever still, which is a bit much but also so so perfect.  We still have about 10 weeks to go before he turns ONE and I have absolutely adored documenting his first year here on the blog.  I love sharing each of his milestones and having a place to reference back for all things Séamus!  He has fit so well into our family and experiencing the first year of life all over again has been so much fun.  I have been doing my best to soak it all in because I know he is our last and babies just don't keep.  He is standing and so close to walking, I cannot wait for it to happen!! He is such a joy and the happiest baby ever.  He has his own roller that I am sure has attributed to his splendid personality: Gentle Baby, Frankincense, and Lavender.  He has been getting this roller on his feet every single day since he was a week old.



NINE

My dear sweet Ellie is going to turn SIX next week and I can hardly believe it. She has been the best five year old I've ever known and I can't wait to see what six will bring.  She is hilarious and feisty, kind and sensitive.  I keep telling her we're going to skip Tuesday so that she will stay five and she is adamant that we are NOT going to do that.  She wants her birthday and she wants it now.  I cannot wait to celebrate her and bring in treats for her class.  She wants to be so many things when she grows up it's hard to keep up! She wants to be a horseback rider, a roller skating instructor, an oil slinger like her mama, a doctor, and an animator for Disney!  Girlfriend has some high dreams and I want to support her in all the ways!  I am so incredibly happy that I got chosen to be her Mama and am blessed every single day by her!!

TEN

Finally the girls have been absolutely obsessed with The Duck Song and I would be remiss to not share it with you all! It's hilarious, catchy, and has so many lessons to go with it! So enjoy!


♥ Ashley

Thank you so much for stopping by!! I would love to connect with you on Facebook here and here or on IG here and here!!

Friday Favorites!! the Mid July edition

It's been hot here in the PNW and all I've been focusing on is having a baby...so while we're still waiting for him to arrive I thought I would share with you some things that I am absolutely loving.  I will admit that I took advantage of Amazon Prime Day and Target's Sale Day.  Also I totally waited to the last minute to get some Maternity photos done.  My friend is a photographer and we went out last night for a quick shoot.  My BFF came and Ellie insisted on tagging along as well.  I'm so glad that we got together and that I'll have some photos to treasure from this special time in our lives.

::ONE::

I've been really into podcasts lately and The Minimalist Moms podcast is pretty much perfection.  I just recently listened to EP34 Soulful Simplicity and it really spoke to me.  Maybe it's this pregnancy but I just feel like we have so much stuff and I just don't want it all anymore.  I've been purging "like crazy" for myself at least which is actually pretty hard because I'm extremely sentimental. I mean I started keeping favorite clothes and stuffed animals when I was like 8 years old for my "future children" so getting rid of things is actually pretty hard.  But you know what - once the stuff is gone I honestly haven't missed it at all.  Have you looked into the Minimalist Movement/Lifestyle?  What is your take on it?  Do you think you can get on board?  What are some tips you have for getting the rest of the family to buy in?

::TWO::

To know me is to know that I love to vacuum.  I practically vacuum on the daily and I get so much satisfaction from it.  Years ago I got a sweet little dirt devil to keep in our bathroom to clean up all my hair (or monster's as Thomas likes to refer to them).  About 2 months ago we finished up the Playhouse well enough for the girls to play in there and I moved it out there so they could do some cleaning of their own...#raisingthemright 😉😂😂 and I've been missing that dear little vacuum something fierce.  So I bought a new one and the heavens opened and the angels sang because it's new and so much better than my old one! The best part is that Ellie loves to help with the cleaning and she can totally use this vacuum.

::THREE::

Speaking of cleaning...basically what my life consists of.  (I'm convinced this pregnancy has made me even more of a clean freak) I've also upped my mopping game.  In all honesty, I love how my floors feel after I mop but I really don't enjoy it, like at all.  Whenever I mop I'm constantly reminded of the scene from Cinderella when she is down on her hands and knees hand brushing the floor and Lucifer dips his feet in the dust pan and walks all over her wet floors 😡.  That's like mopping at my house.  I try to do it while the girls are napping but I usually have to vacuum first and that doesn't always happen in a timely fashion (also dogs) or I'll try to do it while the girls are watching a movie and that's when they absolutely have somewhere else they want to play, or Thomas comes home before they've dried and he walks all over...it's a battle I tell ya!  Anyways one of the reasons I'm not a huge fan is getting out the mop and bucket...so I decided to try a steam mop.  I'm actually still waiting for it to arrive but the reviews are just too good.  Not only is it going to clean my floors but since it'll be using steam that means its going to help sanitize as well, and with a new babe almost here he is inevitably going to find his way on the floor and I'll have great peace of mind knowing its clean.

 ::FOUR::

My pregnancy pillow has been perfection!  I don't know how I ever lived without it and I'm kind of thinking that I'm going to keep it forever because it's just so amazing.  I love how it wraps around me and its just simply the best.  I got a killer deal on it and love that I'll be able to use it as a nursing pillow too once Little Man decides to make his arrival (yesterday would have been nice FYI 😉)  But seriously y'all even if you're not pregnant you need this pillow in your life because your sleep will be changed forever.

::FIVE::

I've been a long time oils user but just recently got a new diffuser, from Young Living, and I have to say that I am loving it so much.  It's so much fun coming up with different combinations of oils to diffuse but my favorite has to be the sleep well blend that we've been diffusing in the bedrooms.  Seriously it's working like a dream in the girls room and honestly it's pretty fantastic in our room too.  Before I got my diffuser I used our oils topically for a variety of support in skin, pain and digestion.  I also really enjoy a couple drops of lemon in my water.  Now that I've gotten into diffusing the oils it's so interesting to me to see the difference it's making in our daily lives.  Click here if you're interested in starting your oil journey.

♥ Ashley

The Friday before Thanksgiving

I had all sorts of ideas for posts this week but then when I got the energy to sit at the computer my mind went blank...I guess that is just what happens sometimes.  I've been reflecting a lot on all of the "stuff" we have and feel this strong desire to just get rid of it all...but then how do you get your kids on board with getting rid of toys??  I just can't handle all the clutter anymore and am pretty sure that they wouldn't notice if I got rid of a bunch of their stuff, but then Ellie has the memory of an Elephant and will ask me where a certain toy is that I did actually donate and then she gets all sad about it being gone.  It hurts my Mama heart but then it doesn't because it means we don't have as much crap 😉

::ONE::

Now that Halloween is over (yes that was a while ago) we've done some minor updating with our decor.  Mostly I switched out the ghosts and goblins for turkeys and am still enjoying this less is more decor.  I have also become obsessed with Trader Joe's flowers, I can get a couple bouquets and then split them up to use all around my house and they seem to last for weeks!

I recently made a trip to IKEA and picked up a couple of these throws because I have a hard time saying no to green.  And I love them so much, if it wasn't weird I think I would have 6 of them.

So as you can see I've kept things pretty simple around here but I am itching to put it all away and get Christmas out.  I mean I have been rocking Christmas music in the car (and at home) since Nov 1st so the mood is already set 😂.

::TWO::

I've also had my eye on this blanket at Target for quite some time but was having the hardest time choosing which color, my heart said green but my brain said to try something new and then I realized that Ellie needed one too so I got two different colors and I am so glad I did.  I can't wait to transform both of our bedrooms into Christmas Wonderlands and use pops of Red in Ellie's room and then pops of Green (surprise) in our Master!!  I got Ellie some flannel sheets a couple years ago already but I spotted these and they are so adorable!  I went with a plain off white flannel sheet in our room, I actually got them at Costco because I couldn't believe the price...and I like to keep things simple in our room.  Whenever I buy at Target I use my RedCard for extra savings and bought the blankets online through Ebates for store pickup and that's my favorite way to shop!!  Talk about some great savings.

::THREE::

Finnley has her 18m photos coming up this weekend and I am just crossing my fingers that her personality shines through and that we get some good ones.  Ellie wore the cutest red and white striped dress with a gold tutu and I was this close to having Finnley wear the same thing but knew that probably wasn't a good idea, so this week we made our way to the mall and I was on the search.  While the dress doesn't have to be Christmas/Holiday themed it just seems right given the time of year.  It was so hard to choose between this grey one, this cream one, this green one. and a striped one I already had (similar).  Obviously we came home with the green one and now I just have to choose between the green and striped one...which do you prefer?

::FOUR::

While we're on the subject of Finnley, I made a very minor change in her nursery.  Now that she is 18 months old and we are nearing the cold winter season, I felt it was time for her to get some new bedding.   I had already gotten the crib comforter from IKEA back when Ellie was still in the crib and I knew that I wanted to go for an all white look with the duvet, because that's where I'm at design wise these days.  Luckily IKEA had just what I was looking for and it came with a matching pillow case so I got another pillow too.  I have to say that I really like how it turned out and Finnley adores having a pillow now too, just like the rest of us!

and yes that blue animal is Hoppopotamus, from The Wuzzles back from 1985, Ellie has Butterbear in her room, anyone else remember that show? Gosh I loved them and I am so happy that I kept them from my childhood because they are being loved on again by my girls! And no child's stuffed animal collection would be complete these days with out a Jellycat or two.

::FIVE::

Not only are we having Finnley's 18m photos taken but we are also hoping to make it to see Santa this weekend!! We received a flyer in the mail about the Santa's Wonderland they have at Bass Pro Shops and are convinced that the girls are going to love it.  I'm hoping for no tears this year but with Finnley I really wouldn't be too surprised.  I already have Ellie's dress picked out (last years version of this) and am still undecided on Finnley's...surprise, surprise amiright?

Well that's pretty much all I have for this week, now I'm off to get ready for this months Supper Club and I am super excited about it because...#mamaneedsabreak 😉

♥ Ashley

Fall Fashion Love

I didn't really mention it here on the blog but we just recently got home from a 14 day trip through Europe!! We went on a Baltic Sea Cruise with my dad (and the girls) and had the chance to visit 6 different countries!  It was a fabulous trip and I can't wait to share details about it in the coming weeks.

I wanted to officially kick off September with some fashion finds I purchased before we left on our trip and arrived while we were sailing on the high seas.  And if you know me then you know my eye always gravitates to green - give me all the green I say!!  While a true bright jewel tone kelly green is my favorite I can't help but love all the Olive's and Avocado's that are making an appearance this fall.  I curated my very own "Stitch Fix" of sorts, I am only sending 1 item back and the pieces I got are all from JCP and much more affordable (plus I got some major cash back via ebates!!  I kind of need to start a wardrobe overhaul because not all of my clothes are fitting me anymore since I lost nearly 15 pounds (read about it here). 

Here are my Green Fall Finds:

First Item:

a.n.a Relaxed Fit V-Neck T-Shirt

I've been in serious need of a new plain white t-shirt that doesn't break the bank because white + kids = disaster waiting to happen.  So when I scored this A.N.A. top for just under $4 how could I not?? I love the relaxed fit, the lightweight of the fabric and the v neck is just high enough I don't have to worry when I bend down to pick up my babes.  Not to mention its also longer in the back so I'm not self conscious for when I sit down with the girls on the floor.

Second Item:

A.N.A. Roll Tab Button Front Shirt

I actually spotted this top in store as I was walking through to use the bathroom with my girls (yes I'm that kind of mom) and just knew that I was going to have to order it to try on when I got home.  As I was searching I found a second one, that you'll see later on in this post, and the color is spot on!  I have an affinity for button downs with roll tab sleeves and the fact that this one has a traditional collar was just calling to me. I knew it was a winner the minute I put it on.  The fabric is a little heavier which I think helps it to fall more nicely as well as gives the top more structure.  The color is called Rich Avocado and its the perfect neutral.

Third Item:

Alyx Long Sleeve Crew Neck Pullover Sweater - Petites

When it comes to fall I am all about the sweaters but I don't like to get overheated.  When I saw how lightweight this one was and it came with a patterned under-layer attached I just had to give it a try.  I'm a shortie and I was so happy that they offered this sweater in a Petite size so I knew it would be a better fit on me.  The sleeves are teeny bit tight at the wrist...but that's because I like my sleeves pushed up and overall I'd say this one fits pretty well.  It still looks to be fairly slimming despite the loose under-layer and the detailing on the sweater itself really adds to the whole overall look.  Honestly I can't wait for the weather to cool down here a little bit in the PNW (and all the smoke to go away) so that I can start wearing this beauty one the weekly ;)

Fourth Item:

a.n.a. Button Front Flap Pocket Shirt

I wavered with this shirt but ultimately decided that I liked the one above better.  This shirt has more of a "silk" type of fabric which wrinkles easily (obvi) and it just didn't lay right on my body.  The color Rich Avocado was the right shade and it was a super comfortable top to wear.  But I had both sent to me so I could decide in person which one I wanted to keep.  Aside from the wrinkling the fit on this one was just a bit off, it was a bit wider in the body so when I raised my hands or moved my arms around it just wasn't very flattering and I looked like I was wearing a tent.  So back this one goes to the store.

Fifth Item:

Liz Claiborne Short Sleeve Crew Neck Stripe T-Shirt - Womens

When I saw this online I couldn't get it into my shopping cart fast enough!!  I mean it has just about everything a girl wants: flutter sleeves, stripes, floral/lace, and it's green!! I mean really what more could I ask for?  I am so happy that it actually fit well and I've already worn it on repeat since arriving back home from our vacay.  Also I get comments on it each time - that's when you know you have yourself a winner!!!  The fit is great, the stripes are super subtle, the lace detailing on the yoke is to die for adorable (and its all stitched on so you don't have to worry about it flapping) and the flutter sleeves are delicate and flattering.  They actually have it in another color and I'm pretty close to grabbing it as well....I mean when you find a good thing you buy it in every color amiright??

So these are some items that I've recently added to my closet and I'm so excited to start wearing them!  Have you made any good purchases lately that I need to get in on?

♥ Ashley