If you have seen my Instagram stories, you know that last night was the “Just Between Friends” (JBF) Sale. Every fall and spring there is a sale near me. It allows me to get good quality clothes for 50-90% off retail prices. There are sales all over the Puget Sound area and the entire nation. To find a location near you, check out Just Between Friends.

My mother-in-love and I go to every sale to stock up on the upcoming season’s clothes. The one last night was the sale that I shop for spring and summer clothes, which Echo had none of. We spent a total of $83 on clothes. All the clothes and shoes were gently used and in great condition! I even scored a few designer brand items for super cheap. Below I will go through a couple of items that i picked up and what I saved.

I am obsessed with this rhino shirt! So cute and different! It is from EGG baby and retails for around $50. At the sale I snagged it for $3, seriously. That comes out to 94% savings. It takes time to look through everything but there are such great clothes at the sale.

We are a Vans and Converse family, so I really liked the style of these sneakers. They look like good shoes for church, since they are a little more dressy than the usual sneaker. At the register, the cashier was like “Oh! Tucker & Tate, good find!” and I had no clue what was so special about them haha. Well then I looked it up and these are sold at Nordstrom for $45+. They are in great condition and I only paid $9. That’s 80% savings.

Along with Converse and Vans, we are a skinny jean family. These Osh Kosh skinny jeans would retail for around $28. At the sale they were $3! That is 90% savings.

As a whole, based on this receipt, I saved 78% by shopping through a consignment sale. All the items would come out to around $400 at full retail price, but I paid $86 total. Children can totally dress fashionable on a budget :). Honestly, if I paid the full price for a lot of these clothes I would be paranoid about them getting dirty. I feel like I can relax and let Echo be a kid in his clothes!

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My favorite advice I got from a mom (before I was even married or had a baby) was “the days are long and the years are short, so soak up every moment”. A year feels like it goes by so quick! It’s my baby boy’s birthday and I like sharing the good and the not so glamorous moments from each year. So here we go!

• Pets are great!

This year I noticed how good it is for Echo to have a furry friend to play with and adventure with. As Echo became mobile, started walking and running, Beefy and him had so much fun throwing the ball around or playing “tag”. They love each other, and I can’t wait to see what adventures they go on in the future! I would definitely recommend having an animal in the home whether it’s a cat, dog, or whatever animal you prefer.

• Cuddle Often

Babies grow soooooo quick! Enjoy the infant stage, and then in the toddler stage soak up those cuddles. Echo isn’t the cuddliest child, but every now and then when he wakes up from his nap he will sit on my lap and snuggle with me. Take those moments! The to-do list can wait, it may only be for a minute or two, but these are times you’ll cherish as they grow.

• Say I love you often

Your child needs to hear that you love him. I feel like I say “i love you” all the time, and nothing beats the little smile i get because Echo loves hearing it.  I also feel that if you are married your child also needs to see you and your spouse being loving and affectionate. I think it was in September or maybe over the summer, but Sterling and I were laughing and kissing and Echo was watching us from his high chair. Sterling’s mom came up and said it is so good for Echo to see that. It just stuck with me. I want Echo to see love and respect between Sterling and I.

• Have Patience

This is one I remind myself of daily! I am your normal mom that struggles with having patience and keeping my cool in frustrating situations. The toddler attitude/tantrum stage is no joke. Pushing buttons, whining, throwing objects, throwing tantrums, pinching, and doing things that he was just told not to do, are all a part of my day with Echo. In these moments, I discipline when needed but remind myself he is learning how to handle his emotions and I need to have patience with him. I literally remind myself, whether in my head or out loud, because I don’t want to yell or get caught up in the moment (which still happens).

• Every child is different

I said this in my “The First Year” post, but it is so true that every child is different and develops at their own place. Echo is struggling to say words or meet the amount of words he should have by now. It’s so easy for me to get discouraged and compare him to kids that had a ton of words super early, but that is not beneficial for him or me. The best thing I can do is continue to encourage him to say things and focus on helping him develop the way he needs. Every child is unique.

What have you learned this year with the two year old in your life? Comment below 🙂

 photo by Brittany Copenhaver

Having a child changes your life in so many ways! Some changes are amazing, but others are the most challenging things you will ever face. I’m a normal mom just like you and am constantly learning how to be the best I can be in this new season. In this blog post I wanted to share some of the things I have learned from the first year since having my son.

• Enjoy the “lil things”!

Mom life isn’t always glamorous. You get thrown up on, blown out on, are exhausted and run on coffee, BUT nothing beats the little smile and the love that your little one gives you. Stay positive mama, and enjoy all the small moments of each “first”, take every cuddle your little one gives you, and shower your baby with unconditional love!

• Everyone Has An Opinion

There is value in taking advice from people around you. However, when I got pregnant and after having my son, I was overwhelmed with people telling me “to do this and do that”. Everywhere I turned someone was telling me their opinions on how to raise my son. Whether that was breastfeeding, vaccinations, everyday activities, sleep training, etc. Do what YOU feel is best for your baby! I honestly thought I wouldn’t know a thing about taking care of a baby, but I was surprised that I naturally knew what to do. You’ve got this! You were made for this! And if you ever have questions, ask someone you trust.

• Every Child Is Different

It is so easy as a mom to say “my friends baby was doing this by such and such an age, why isn’t my child doing that [?]”. Or “your child is so calm and well-behaved, I have a rebellious little one”. Do not compare your child to another little one! Instead, recognize that every child is different and grows/develops at their own pace, in their own unique way. Hang in there, your child will sleep through the night, gain weight, get teeth, start walking, start talking, and learn what “no” means. It will be at his or hers own pace.

• Life Really Does Change

Having a baby changes your schedule and activities (an obvious one, I know). Going into motherhood, I don’t think I grasped just how much everything would change. We were late to everything or missed activities completely because our schedule revolved around eating and sleeping times. We struggled getting date nights because we didn’t want to leave our son, I started having health problems, and we were just exhausted. I also started feeling lonely because I wasn’t a social butterfly anymore. Give yourself time to adjust! Just like when people get married and are learning to live with your spouse, this season of parenthood is learning to live with and care for your sweet little one. It takes time to adjust and work through different emotions. Embrace the change, it is just a season. Family is the most important thing.

These are just a couple of things that I learned through pregnancy and year one. Just want to encourage all the mamas reading to enjoy this season and keep positive! You can do this! What are some things you have learned through pregnancy, the first year of being a mom, or the many years of motherhood? Thanks so much for reading!

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December 5th was the 1st birthday party for my adorable baby boy! I cannot believe that a year has gone by already! I love seeing my son grow and love his cute personality that is being shown more and more everyday. In this blog post, i wanted to share the pictures from the party and what I have been working on the past couple weeks! 

We had about 30 guests so we held the party at a small local event hall. Everything that I planned for the party was done keeping cost down and turning up the creativity. My first DIY aspect to the party was this “happy birthday” banner. I used a cardboard box (FREE) and cut out each letter, then I covered it with scrapbook paper, and duct taped the letters to twine. It cost less than $5 to make.

I bought balloons (blue & yellow) and really liked the idea of attaching photos, from the past year, to each balloon. I then needed to tape the photos to the wall so that they did not twist around. Balloons were probably the most costly decor item ($50 for 30). The photos were a promotion by shutterfly for 101 free prints ($7 s+h).

Table centerpieces were made up of a paper mache “1” which I painted blue and yellow, then we attached a balloon to create height. We also scattered coloring pages on the table with pictures that related to different things in our son’s life (Bulldog, beekeeper, trains, etc.).

For food we did a baked potato bar, YUUUUUMMM! The toppings included butter, bacon, cheese, sour cream, chives, chili, sauteed veggies, and steamed broccoli. There was also a spinach, feta, avocado, almond, and craisin salad. We offered coffee and spa water as beverages.

MY FAVORITE PART was the milk & cookies bar! My family loves cookies so we decided not to do cake, and we went with cookies! Nom nom nom! Our baby boy loved his chocolate chip cookie with lots of whipped cream on top! I created each chalkboard that was scattered around the room from canvas or wood and chalkboard paint. So much fun being creative and making the large chalkboard that displayed info about our son.

Lastly, as favors we did a package for kids that consisted of animal crackers, bubbles, and a toy. For the adults, i made small vanilla natural soy candles in baby food jars.

The party went so well, and we are so thankful for everyone who came and showed our baby boy some love on his birthday! Follow, like, share, & pin. Thank you for reading my blog!

To start off my blogging experience, I wanted to share what made me decide to go on this journey. I have been married to an amazing man for a little over two years, and in December 2014 we welcomed a beautiful baby boy into our family.

In April 2014 I found out that I was pregnant. I had absolutely no clue what the pregnancy process entailed. When I went in for my first appointment, I was scheduled to to see an OBGYN. It ended up that the OBGYN I was supposed to see got sick and one of the hospital’s midwives was filling in for her. I ended up really liking the midwife, but did not know much about the differences between a doctor and a midwife. After a little research and thinking about what I actually wanted from my birthing experience, #1 on my list was a natural childbirth. I chose to go with the midwives at the hospital, and plan for that natural/unmedicated, intimate, and personal experience. We accomplished just that!

Natural childbirth got me thinking about everything else in my life. I love my family and want the best for them, so why was I doing things and using products that would hurt them? That is what brings me here! This blog is following my family on our journey to become healthier, happier, and stronger one step at a time! Join me as I discover natural ways to enjoy “the lil things” in life!