featuredblogger – Trials Bring Joy

Happy June! This has been such a full summer so far! I don’t get to share updates often, so here’s a few summer highlights followed by our June faves and crushes!

I traveled with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law to Washington DC for our annual girls trip! Josh and his dad crushed the twin parenting game back home, and I so enjoyed the time away to refuel and adult! Trip highlights: seeing Waitress, yummy food I didn’t have to cook, lots of laughing, time to connect with family, and sightseeing!

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We made our first trip to the library to get library cards! They had a ball seeing all the books and other little people!

We started a Keto lifestyle in efforts to lose weight, gain more energy, and help with PCOS. I have been using this book for recipes and tipsand have found it INCREDIBLY helpful. Nearly 3 weeks in and it’s been going great!

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Kirsten and Logan got their first real bad bug which landed Kirsten in the ER and doctor’s office within a week span. I got it too, but good news is we are all better now!

Cali had her last day of school, hehe! (We LOVE our new letterboard from Rustic Rooster Home Goods … grab one on Amazon while the price is discounted and in the process, support a small business owned by our good friends Andrea and Ricky!)

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We celebrated Father’s Day, grateful that K & L have the best dad in all the land.

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My cousin Brittany and her husband Brad, and their 2 year old son Hudson came up to stay with us for a few days! The kids LOVED the time together. SO. MUCH. FUN.

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My sister entered her 3^rd trimester and we are getting closer and closer to welcoming our NEPHEW into the family!

This post includes affiliate links which means if you choose to use a link below to purchase something, our family will receive a small commission. In no way does this affect my opinions or crushes! I thank you in advance because twins ain’t cheap! :)

Now time, for some June favorites! Click the bolded title to check out the links!

1) LifeDinnerPDF: My friend Maria from @RiaRambles shared this amazing tool (LifeDinnerPDF) her and her husband created and use for date nights and I LOVE IT. One thing Josh and I have learned quickly, is that if we aren’t intentional to keep up with our marriage, parenting together gets a whole lot harder. We love to invest in date nights and these PDF’s outline an awesome way to do that, whether it’s monthly or quarterly. Send it to your significant other and get a reservation on the calendar and CONNECT!

date night in june!

2) Day Designer Monthly Planner: For those who use academic planners, I love this Target collab from Day Designer and Blue Sky Planners. The monthly is perfect for our family to keep out and share and it’s only $6.99. Hard to find in stores because it goes fast, but in stock online. This is my third year using it as a simply monthly planner in addition to my normal bulky daily one.

3) Soft summer feet: My friend Jana told me about this foot cream and these loose heel socks for sleeping and it has done WONDERS for my heels, especially in the summer when we are wearing flip flops and going barefoot more often. A little goes a long way and it has softened some ugly cracks and dry spots overnight!

4)My Soul Sings Out album: My church Eagle Brooke released a worship cd and me and the kids love singing along and praising Jesus! One of our favorites is “No Not Once.”

5) Starbucks at home – Keto style: My friend introduced me to this drink and I am in love! I make a big pot of Tazo Passion Iced Tea (grab the bags here for cheap!),and then add alittle lemonade Mio drops (find them here)and then I love to add some La Croix for a little fizz! (Berry is delish, but Tangerine is fun too! I don’t discriminate, they are all great!). OR to make it a Keto pink drink, sub the La Croix for a little heavy whipping cream! You may want a touch of Stevia to sweetened … or not! But it’s SO yummy!

6) Native Deodorant: Okay, months ago I reached out and asked for suggestions for a natural, well-working deodorant because mine was NOT cutting it. And you guys gave me soooo many suggestions, a repetitive one being Native! Well, months later, I’m here to say thank you! I have been using it for months now and it reallllly works. Paraben free, cruelty free, aluminum free, free shipping, and they even offer mini sizes perfect for your perfect or diaper bag … I have been so impressed. If you want to grab some to try – free returns if it doesn’t float your boat.

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Now onto the kiddos recent favorites!

1) Stack and Tumble Elephant: My kiddos got this toy for their birthday from family friends and it’s a daily staple! We have so much fun putting the rings on and taking them off (repeat x 1000) and making them fall off, and twisting the ears, and kissing it’s nose … they LOVE him!

2) Little Tikes 4 in 1:The kiddos have been loving their bikes this summer! Bonus for us – there’s an adjustable handle and cup holder so we can strap them in and push them. Since they can’t reach the peddles yet, there’s a foot rest that comes off when they can. It will adapt itself all the way into a little trike for them as they grow. An investment but so well worth it!

3) Matching shirts: Because is anything cuter than matching kids? Girls tank here and boys tee shirt here. We got to match our cousin Hudson too! So fun!

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4) Just a Handful of Olives:My kids love olives and I love throwing these Trader Joe’s packs in my purse to feed on the go (cut in half so they don’t choke.) .99 cents a bag and delish!

5) Declan Roe: We just found out about this adorable boutique that sells children’s clothes and also, donates 15% of profits to IVF and adoption families. Check out these PRECIOUS outfits my kiddos wore this weekend from them!

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BONUS: Hanna Andersson jammies … because we just love the quality and well, matching. Lemon jammies are a must! Here’s a coupon for 20% off your order. Don’t forget to use your Ebatesto save even more (and if you’re a first time user, get a free $10 cash with this link!)

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Whoa, that’s long. If you’ve stuck around, thanks for reading!!!! I appreciate you! Sometimes I just need to brain dump!

Upcoming posts this summer in addition to the What It’s Like series:

– surviving exclusively pumping – tips, tricks, and how to manage.

– traveling guide for Washington DC

– tips for teething toddlers: what we’ve learned

– favorite books + resources for quiet time as a busy mom. What does it look like?

– marriage tips + transitioning into parenthood … as we celebrate 13 years of marriage next month!

Thanks for staying along for the ride!

Another Friday on the books! Is it mind boggling to anyone else that somehow it’s OCTOBER already? I feel like this entire year has slipped through my fingertips. Excluding today, we have 12 Fridays left in 2014. Gulp. Let’s make the most of them! Okay, without further ado ….

Favorite Honor: Guess who is the Featured Blogger for the month over on FertileThoughts.com!? This girl! For those who aren’t familiar with Fertile Thoughts, get familiar. This site is the world’s largest social networking site focusing on fertility and infertility and provides education, support and resources for people building their families. If you could support me and check out this link to see my feature (plus a mini post) and their page, that would be awesome. A big welcome to anyone checking out my blog as a result of this feature as well, thanks for stopping by! (Feel free to share it too using the link: http://www.fertilethoughts.com/fertile-thoughts-blogger-month-chelsea) Jump into the forum boards and connect with me too!

Favorite Celebration: Josh’s grandma turned 80 this Saturday and I loved that we were able to gather as a family and celebrate her! She is one of the strongest, toughest grandma’s around and when she says a book made her cry, you know you better plan a trip to Costco for Kleenex before you open the first page. We love you Grandma Jones! Here’s to many, many more birthdays!

birthday tierras are a must at a party, right?

Favorite Thing I’m Looking Forward to: My trip to Savannah with Josh’s mom and sister-in-law is finally almost here! I can’t wait to peruse the south with my fake southern accent and take in all of the history and beauty Georgia has to offer. (I also get to sneak in a lunch date with a dear friend and I can’t wait for that!). Any last Savannah must-see’s? Make sure to send them my way!

Favorite Quote: “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” -Charles R. Swindoll

I heard this quote during a podcast by Craig Groeschel (Part 1 – Contentment) this week and loved how true it is. I often find myself wanting to blame my circumstances on my attitude – I’m tired/stressed/hungry/pms-ing/acting this way because … you get the excuses. However it’s our reactions that alter how our day goes. When I respond short and snippy with Josh long enough, his attitude begins to match mine and then we waste an evening where we are just off kilter and quiet. I hate those kinds of nights! (And this totally happened last week so I am preaching to myself here!)

I usually have really good excuses too. I mean, trials and hardships make it sooooo easy as a back-up reason, but I have to remind myself that life is made up of the up’s and down’s. There’s a quote that says all of us are either in a storm, just coming out of a storm, or headed for a storm. Comforting, right? But because we live a world that’s messy and imperfect and can’t always be a highlight reel, it’s our choices, our attitudes and our decisions to embrace what comes our way and make the best of it that alters our daily realities. Yea, we may shed tears along the way and fail at trying, (me!), but we are still trying and I believe that the more we flex that muscle, the better we will get at managing our reactions.

Favorite Launch: Our next infertility exchange launched last Sunday (see all the details here!) and the response has been overwhelmingly exciting! In the last few days we have had almost 200 women sign-up and I anticipate many more to come until it closes on the 13^th. I love this community! (And yes, anyone who is in any stage of infertility, including those waiting for a baby, pregnant with a baby, holding a baby, adopting a baby, (you get the point), is invited and welcome to participate. Check out the post for everything you need to know.)

Favorite Hallmark Moment: No, really, this is a moment that actually happened AT Hallmark. I was browsing cards on Tuesday when the word ‘infertility’ caught my eye. Hallmark actually has a card – okay, just one card, but still, a card – that offers words of encouragement for those suffering with infertility. I felt like fist pumping in the aisle but Kenny G was playing overhead and it just didn’t seem appropriate. But in all seriousness, it’s encouragement that keeps us going and the thought that Hallmark recognizes this as ‘card worthy’ makes me happy.

Favorite “First”: The Starbucks a mile from my house just opened this week! *insert flashing caution signals here* It is dangerously en route to nearly all of my commitments and even has a drive thru. Cheers to endless caffeinated possibilities! Hehe!

Favorite Flashback: Okay, so you all know I love Harry Potter, right? Well the movie theater nearby is rerunning ALL of the Harry Potter movies in their reserved theaters for $5 a ticket. SCORE! Courtney and I had a sister-date this week and saw Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on the big screen. We relived the 2001 acting skills and movie quality and loved every minute of it.

Favorite Funnies: Gah, I love all of these and nearly cried from laughing while saving them. Enjoy and hope that this dose of laughter brightens your Friday.