Down Home America kid at the fair

Animals, vendors, free samples, greasy food...

lights, people, sounds,

colors, rides, cotton candy, pickles on a stick...

these are all some of my favorite things all put together in one place.

We spent time at the county fair this weekend, and we had such a great time as a family.

Just the three of us, and even though we were absolutely exhausted from the walking after it,

we had such a refreshing time being together just as a family.

It was Lux's first time at the fair, understanding what things were and being excited about what she was seeing. 

She went crazy with the animals at the petting zoo, loved the food and drinks, touched and saw things she'd never experienced before...i'm sure her brain was processing a zillion things at the same time. 

She's super curious about this world and all that's in it.

Down home american kid...

that's what she is.

and loving it.

which is why the raglan she's wearing is absolutely perfect for this spunky girl who likes to have fun.

 Dancing to the music of the carousel.

Printed on American Apparel, this shirt is the softest that they come. super comfortable whether its hot or cool out. (which we totally experienced both during our time at the fair!)

I couldn't think of a better avenue to wear this than the fair grounds as this kid discovered the joys of rides, cotton candy, unicorns, dancing bears, and games that win you prizes;)

Ahoy Amigo is a growing shop with super sweet designs, printed on the best material.

They don't only have awesome tops for tots, they've got great legging as well.

I pretty much squealed out loud when i saw it, because, well, its just a super sweet design.

Do me a favor and check out this shop.

grab a tee, a raglan, a pair of leggings.

and then let me know how much you love their apparel. 

Because you know you wanna see this coolness on your kid. 

Thanks to Ahoy Amigo for allowing me the privilege to feature them on Lux! 

We're super thrilled with our amigo!:-D

Lannie B. Handmade

So, if you know anything about me, you'll know one major thing...

i adore COLOR.

Bright Colors.

Neons.

Mixing and matching colors and patterns..

It's just my thing.

So when Lannie B. Handmade gave me the opportunity to collaborate with her,

I was beyond ecstatic.

I'm gonna gush for a second because I am the least creative person in the history of the world.

I mean, i painted a birdhouse neon blue in high school...do you think any bird in it's right mind ever went near it?

nope.

not a one.

Lannie B Handmade is the talent behind beautiful garlands, skirts, and apparel. 

She asked what I was thinking for a garland, and all I did was show a picture of Lux's room, and she came up with the perfect decor for Lux's reading nook. (which also serves as a backdrop for many of Lux's shoots!:)) 

Can you say "perfect" for Lux?

 They're really well stitched together.

and the individual shapes aren't flimsy like felt. 

Here are some close ups of the stitching.

 As I'm piecing Lux's room together, we might be revolving everything around these garlands, because they are just. that. perfect. for Lux's personality.

Here's our test run for pics with the touch of color from the garland.

It might have been successful if Lux wasn't such a goofball:).

I think you might be seeing many more pics of her in front of these goodies.

Lannie B Handmade  makes all sorts of garlands, 

Christmas, Halloween, shapes, glitter, glamour, the works.

It's one of those shops that makes you swoon for decor.

String em all over the house if i could.

Head over to Lannie B Handmade for these garlands, but also to get geared up for football season, as she makes the sweetest little skirts for girls to cheer along side their daddy's favorite football team!

you'll be seeing quite a bit of this lady's talents on my blog.

Now please check out the shop and support this small business! (the prices are awesome too...did i mention that yet?!)

To the Moon...KIDS

I've become a small business and handmade shop supporter.

I have great admiration for those that start up something that just begins as a dream, and evolves into something much great and bigger than ever imagined. 

One shop I'd like to highlight is To the Moon Kids.

This shop exists because of a super sweet stay at home mom of two is also a born again believer! 

She has a passion for fashion, and after staying home with her two littles, she started her own shop, that is full of shimmery, unique accessories, leggings, and shorts. 

To the Moon Kids is a minimalist style of kid fashion, The prints are simple, clean, and fun. its not wild and crazy, but the simplistic design and style of it, gives these clothes that cool and collected edge. I mean, look how you could pair up some of these prints and patterns! 

I think the one thing that really stuck out to me about this mommy led shop, 

was that Ashlee is very much about helping small businesses, bloggers, and shops.

She has a heart, a ministry, a will, to want to see young bloggers and shops, blossom into something bigger, and widely spread.

She does this, all the while, while tending to her own shop, doing photoshoots for boutiques, and raising her family. Busy mama, but she's doing super quality work. 

and guess what? Ya'll, my readers, get to reap the benefit of this shop's hard work of not competing with other shops and brands, but working along side of them.

To the Moon Kids is having a fabulous, i mean FABULOUS giveaway with 16 awesome shops. You must head over to her blog today and check out the details!

http://www.tothemoonkids.com

Pretty amazing.

When you support a small business or handmade shop, you're supporting a family and a dream of someone who decided to take a leap of faith and do it!

So what I'd like you to do, is check out the shop and find something you think your kid could totally rock. (and you'll definitely find something!) and the mama of this shop is being incredibly wonderful and offering my blog readers, ig followers, and Facebook friends the special coupon code for 20% off your order.

Use the code below for your discount and support this shop!

Might as well send your kids to school looking super fly and stylish in some To the Moon Kids Threads!:)

Loving this shop, everything the woman behind it stands for, and the style that she's putting on our kiddos. 

Head over to her shop and blog now to find check out that giveaway!

To the Moon Kids Shop and Blog

More than Enough

Recently, Lux and I have been working on sleeping without a bottle.

She's always nursed to sleep those days when I was breastfeeding, and when she moved on to the bottle, we continued letting her suck to sleep. It's one of the best parts of the day for me, when i get to hold my little active mover, and snuggle her as she drifts off to sleep.

Now that she's hit one, our doc encouraged us to start getting her off the bottle to sleep.

Blah.

I didn't want to do that.

I love the time that I get in the rocking chair with Lux, Naps her monkey, blanket, and her bottle.

I started giving it a try though.

She was not happy.

For her naps, we read some books and then i brought her to the rocking chair.

She looked at me expectedly waiting for the bottle to be brought to her mouth.

When it didn't, she started to cry.

and i mean, CRY.

She wanted the comfort of the bottle.

Wanted what was familiar to her.

But i wouldn't give it, so she kept crying.

I held her, trying to snuggle, as she's wriggling around demanding her bottle.

Finally, i placed her in her crib frustrated, and she cried wanting that security of the bottle.

I left, listening to those cries, wishing that I was enough.

I tried again, picked her up, and tried to hug her to sleep.

Nope. 

Still not having it.

I was kinda heartbroken, realizing that I wasn't enough for Lux to stop crying.

I wasn't the one she wanted, she wanted the bottle, even though I was the source that the bottle came from.

"I'm here, Lux."

Still not enough.

I listened to her cry herself to sleep that day, and my heart was broken as i thought about her desire for something that wasn't me.

Made me think about my relationship with God.

So often, we can desire our own "bottles."

Something that we long for, find comfort in, or desire more than God.

We might insist that we're not idolizing, or choosing something over God, but in reality, those things are hindering that relationship with God.

"I'm Here."

how often do we say, "nah, you're just not enough for me, God?" 

It struck me. 

I wanted so badly to be what comforts Lux. 

Just me.

Just my hug, my hold, my touch.

It drove me nuts that I wasn't enough to comfort Lux. 

She didn't want just me.

How do we make God feel when we choose anything or everything other than Him to hold us, comfort us, or love us?

How often do we break His heart by crying out in our times of needs and turning to anything other than Him?

Yet, He's always there.

A constant presence. 

He sees us, knows us, even created us...

Why wouldn't we allow Him to be enough for us?

(p.s. Lux learned super quickly. we now snuggle and read two books before she goes to sleep in my arms. Win win...i get to snuggle with her even without a bottle. So thankful. Mommy's touch is enough for Lux.)

Miracle Baby

When you're pregnant with your first, you really can only just imagine what life will be like when that baby is born.

I didn't know the kind of love that would embrace me when Lux Ann joined our family. 

It's different.

It's that piece of your heart that is outside of you.

It's that joy that can only be experienced when that miracle is placed in your arms and your breath is taken away by that teeny tiny human being.

She's a miracle.

Only God can do something this magnificent, this awesome.

My miracle baby.

Tink and Key is a brand that uses their tees to share the powerful message of God's perfect love.

They have tees full of encouraging and uplifting messages, one being the "Miracle Baby" raglan that Lux is sporting in these pics. It's a shop unlike many others, and it offers a positive message straight from the Bible. For someone in passing, these powerful messages might be just what they need that day.

All their shirts are American Apparel, which means they are beyond the best quality of tees for your littles. Super soft and comfy too! 

They make faith tees look super cool and not cheesy:-D I pretty much adore every single one of their designs, especially with the meaning behind every single one.

Especially my miracle baby one.

As every baby is a miracle, as they are created fearfully and wonderfully by God.

This shirt  can pertain to every person you know who's got a little one (and they've also got mama tees!!!) 

I want you to think super hard for a second for someone you know with a little.

and think about how lovely it would be to have this raglan (or any of the others with positive messages) for that little of your own kids.

So here's the deal,

Go to Tink and Key right now and check out their prints.

Notice their super awesome prices, 

and then if you notice below, 

Lux has an awesome code to share with you for 20% off your purchase.

Tuesday, July 29th only, so purchase one today for you or your friend, or for both of you!

Thank you Tink and Key for your faith based tee ministry.

I am all about small businesses and I'm a full supporter of this shop!

(so much so, that after seeing Lux in her raglan, i just HAD to buy a shirt for her new born friend...shhhh, don't tell her mom though!:))

Fever

 This girl has a fever. 

She is currently asleep in my arms and I have no desire to put her warm little body down. We've been doing lots of snuggling, reading, and more cuddling all morning. She usually doesn't have a problem being laid down in her bed but today she just wants mommy to hold her. I don't mnd at all baby girl. 

Here's my attempt at blogging on my phone. Just curious to see what it looks like and how it turns out. 

tidbits

-Lux is fast. Like really FAST. one second she's there, and then next she's gone. Wonder woman i tell you.

-Had a middle school girls' camp all last week-super awesome week.

-Played the djembe and cajone all week during camp, and it reignited my love for playing the drums. I need to own a cajone ASAP.

-my dear old friend, my five year old canon rebel xsi, fell to it's death during camp.

I was heartbroken.

-My super hero, prince charming husband, surprised me with a brand new canon rebel t5i yesterday, which I can't get over-so so so excited about my new toy!

-I'm counting calories again, because in the last three weeks, i seemed to have gained five pounds.

-Lux got picked up for three more online shops, one being Heritage Youth Company, a new brand that celebrates kids of all heritage, while recognizing the needs of youth all around the world. quite the privilege.

- Ryan's looking good...real good.

-Tried co-sleeping with Lux cuz i desperately want her to sleep with us...total fail. took her about an hour to get over the excitement of being in our bed, and turns out she moves constantly the entire night, which gives me little anxiety attacks thinking she's fallen off our high bed. Neither of us had a good night's sleep.

-Went through the thrill of World Cup soccer for the first time in my life. Super fun. 

-Doing a lot of brainstorming of what to do during the cold winter months with a toddler. I think we'll be having some fun this winter, just the two of us:)

So much is happening right now, at the same time, I can't think of enough. All through the week I have brainstorms of what to blog on, and then when i sit at the mac, i can't remember. 
So you get these tidbits.
Which at least is something;).

Have a great weekend ya'll.

Through the year: birth to a year old.

How did this even happen?

My baby girl...