Themed Easter Basket Ideas

April 9, 2019

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Hey, friends. I am all about a great theme. Like I am down for the whole presentation and packaged deal. Maybe it is all in my own head or my weird fascination with order, but I love creating a gift that seems well-thought out.

To give you an idea of what the heck I am talking about, I am that person who will spend two weeks creating a gift basket for a wedding or baby shower. Yes, I probably skipped your registry, but you can bet that cooler packed with outdoor gear, or that farmhouse box stuffed with every item a hostess would need, made me happy as I put it together for you.

I am also that person who drags out Christmas shopping because I feel like gifts should make sense together. I am not a willy nilly like, oh I will grab this and that. Nope! There needs to be a theme. It is maddening.

So for my fellow OCD’ers (is that a word?), I feel your need for some order, and took the time to create some themed gift baskets for your little ones this Easter season.

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Hospital Must-Haves: Packing for Baby

March 25, 2019

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Hey, friends. How ya been doing? It has been a gosh darn delay between posts. Two little ones at home all day will do that to a Momma, this Momma none the less. I really envisioned my time off with these two filled with some great down time to write. HOLD ON, while I go lock myself in my bathroom and laugh. Speaking of locking one’s self in a bathroom, I have tried this method to escape the parenting madness and newsflash… they will find you!

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Easter Basket Ideas for Kids

March 11, 2019

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Easter falls later this year, April 21, 2019. It always seems that when the holiday hits later in Spring, I suddenly feel like it has snuck up on me versus when it falls earlier. I know, that is counter-intuitive, but I think the late date makes me believe I have all the time in the world when the reality is I absolutely procrastinate. Not this year, Karen, not this year.

This holiday season we will have two babies, and before you get all, “Whoa, your hands are super full?!” Eye roll, sip your latte, eye roll – I indeed do.

The transition from one child to two has been hard on me. I am unsure if it is natural (although, I seem to hear this similar sentiment from fellow moms), or if the four years with one child spoiled me, or if this never-ending winter/cold/flu season has crushed my soul, either way, it has been all hands on deck.

So with this awareness, I am planning ahead and kicking procrastination in the butt. Plus, I literally have Amazon arrive every other day since I am ordering diapers, wipes, laundry detergent, kitchen sponges, etc, on the fly. It is so easy!

Easter Basket Ideas for Baby Boy. Gift guide ideas include a bunny onesie, carrot teether, bunny pacifier, and bibs.

Easter Basket Ideas for Toddler Girls. Gift ideas include rain boots, book bag swimsuit, and pool tube.

Did you enjoy this post? You may also enjoy these.
– 5- Non-Candy Easter Gift Ideas Under $50
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– Easter Basket Ideas for Toddler Girls

If You Give A Mom A Baby

February 28, 2019

If you give a mom a baby, she’s going to ask for a cup of hot coffee.

When you give her the cup of hot coffee, she will probably take one sip, then set it down on the counter.

She will set it down because the baby will start to cry so she will ask for the baby’s pacifier.

Then she will want to walk around the house bouncing and shushing the baby.

She will probably walk by a mirror.

When she looks in the mirror, she might notice her hair hasn’t been washed in four days, so she will probably ask for a hair tie.

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Dear Loves, Do You Realize

February 14, 2019

Dear Mom,

Do you realize you were the first person in this word to love me? From the moment you learned I was just a tiny something growing in your belly, you were the very first person to open your heart and carve a place for me to live. You loved me before you even set your eyes on me. You loved me unconditionally before knowing who I would become. It was an immediate love. Your love has been my foundation as a human. It taught me to trust and how to eventually mimic when one day I would too become a mom.

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There was a Hello After a Goodbye

February 5, 2019

It was just six hours from midnight, from the infamous ball drop, from a New Year’s kiss, from the start of something new. We had company at our house, but my body didn’t care. Instead, I often excused myself to nervously pace the hallway and bedroom floor, timing my contractions to four to five minutes.

We joked about a New Year’s baby and our faces plastered on the front page of our local paper. By eight o’clock, the timing entered the two to three minute arena, and after a quick call to Labor and Delivery, our guests were wishing us the best as I grabbed our hospital bag.

I was scared but also excited and the magic of, we “are going to have a baby” floated in the air.

The car ride to the hospital was quiet. I squeezed my husband’s hand and breathed through each contraction feeling a sense of Déjà vu.

It was exactly one year ago, minus one day that my husband and I made that same drive. We drove along the same highway, passed the same winding river, took the same exit, and anxiously pulled into the same ER.

One year prior, the car was just as quiet, our hands locked together in a similar manner, and I breathed heavy but this time fear was the emotion.

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Beautiful Trenches

February 1, 2019

It was a hectic morning. Top five most stressful since our son Luke was born a month ago. Not the worse ever but enough stress and madness for me to chalk it up as a top five.

The truth is, the morning started in my favor. My husband delivered a hot cup of coffee to me as I remained in bed. Luke laid in a scrunched up ball on my chest soundly sleeping, and my daughter was tucked up against me with her blanket. The three of us were lazy as the snow fell outside my bedroom window creating a beautiful winter scene.

Fifteen minutes later, my daughter was impatiently ready to hit the ground running and suddenly my sleeping son began to cry, and the crying didn’t stop.

I felt like I was teetering between two worlds. One moment motherhood felt almost romantic with euphoric highs and in a split second, I was left feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and emotional over our current reality.

The newness of two children is still an adjustment. Trying to juggle these little beings, our home, my marriage, and my well-being leaves me even more exhausted than the current weeks of sleep deprivation.

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Baby Nursery Reveal

January 29, 2019

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We have a new little scrumptious baby to love on. Our son, Luke was born a few weeks ago and I while I will wait on his newborn pictures to share details on his arrival, I wanted to share a peek inside his nursery space.

I knew exactly what I didn’t want for this space more than what I wanted for some time. I knew I didn’t want the typical baby boy is arriving blue. I also didn’t want any characters, or strong boy ties like hunting, fishing, sports, or cars themes. Instead, I wanted a space that was peaceful and calm with neutral colors and soft textures.

After some design scrolling on Pinterest and through Project Nursery, I decided on the gray and white color scheme. It felt relaxed, clean, and calm. You know, three words that do not typically describe little boys!

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So God Made Your Brother

January 23, 2019

As previously shared on the Backwards N High Heels Facebook Page.

And on the eighth day, God looked down on this planned family and said, “I need to widen this circle of love.”

So God made your brother.

“I need someone who will make them remember what it is like to lose sleep. To remind them that life still exists in the wee hours. That the world continues to spin and people need and depend on you even when the time may not feel convenient. That magic does still exist at 4 am, even if it wakes your slumber.”

So God made your brother.

God said, “I need someone who will divert attention, create additional needs, and push little buttons. Someone who will one day knock over the Barbie Dream House and take Skipper hostage. Who will disagree when it is your night to pick the dinner location, but then find his way to snuggle in beside you when you get home and put your pjs on. Someone who you will boss around, bicker with, and love and protect all at the same time.”

So God made your brother.

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Hospital Bag Must Haves

January 21, 2019

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Hello, friends. It has been a while, and even when I did find myself here last year writing on the Blog, most of my posts were sporadic. Apparently having a second baby in your thirties, while working full-time, and managing a toddler… beat me down. Clearly, it wore me thin.

They just don’t make bodies like they use to. 🙂

We have been home for almost three weeks now since our second child’s birth and a million ideas have run through my mind on things to share – Things You Should Know About a C-Section, My Favorite Third Trimester Items, Top Breastfeeding Must Haves, and so much more. These thoughts usually hit me in the middle of a nighttime feeding, or as I stand over our stove boiling bottles for the 100th time, or when I am tracking how many poops and pees in a 24-hour period, but then it ends there.

Hopefully, I will find the time to share my experiences on the Blog, but the reality is learning to juggle two has been a bit more challenging than I expected, so I take one day at a time. Scratch that! More like hour by hour.

Today I challenged myself to share the items you need in your hospital bag because let’s face it, that bag will be one of the most important bags you pack in your life.

Two nights before our son was born, I was in Labor and Delivery. I was sure I was having a baby that night. I was 37 weeks and needless to say, I hadn’t packed my bag, which was just silly considering our daughter was born at 37 and a half weeks. I should have known better.

We rushed around the home throwing things into my bag, a bag for our daughter who was going to my mom’s home, and a diaper bag for our second born. Once we were sent home, and those bags brought in, I took the next 48-hours to unpack those chaotic bags and really, truly think about what I needed and to pack our bags.

Thank goodness, because our son came two nights later.

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