We celebrated Echo’s third birthday! One thing I love to do after his birthday every year is write a post about what we have learned and positive things from this past year. So here we go!

1. Holy Rollercoaster of Emotions! This was definitely the year that E found more of his voice. That meant that he was using more words and talking more (YAY!), but there was also the tantrums and testing. I’m going to speak to our situation for a minute and share what worked for us. Pretty early on when he was yelling at me, flat out saying no to me, and having complete meltdowns, I realized that Echo responded better when I was firm but calm. He didn’t respond to me or my husband yelling at him. We were just basically telling him that yelling was okay by doing that. Not to say I don’t have my bad days and lose my patience completely. For us, I give him the “mom look” (you know the I mean business look) and firmly correct him.                                                                                                                                                                     
2. Next Level! To go along with the first point, Echo found a whole other level of energy. He is always doing laps around the house, his school, and exploring outside. This is honestly something that I love. We can go to the park, play outside, go on errands and E is totally up for it. Sometimes it can get him in trouble (point number 1), but I honestly love that he is an active energetic toddler. We have daily dance parties, and love being outside.
3. Unique! Each kid has their own personality. E has always been very observant and slow to warm up to people. That’s just how he operates. I was so happy that he has made friends at school! It took a little adjustment period, but he loves playing with his friends now. There are still moments where he gets overwhelmed and will pull back. For the most part though he is becoming more social. We just had to take it at his own unique pace.
4. Treasure Each Moment! This is a personal one. A few weeks ago I wrote about our losses in 2017. I think it just made me treasure each moment with Echo more. He is our first baby, so every moment is a first with him. Time is going by so fast! I love our little adventures, everyday moments, the rare toddler cuddles, and conversations with him. Everyday I try to be present with Echo and soak up these moments.                                                                                                                                                               

I really enjoy doing these recaps of our year. Sharing little thoughts as we head in to the next one as a family. I’m ready for more firsts and learning lots! What was your favorite thing this past year? Comment below.

I have struggled with the right way to write about this subject. What do I say? How do I encourage other women and families that are going through this same thing? My number one thing with this blog is that I want to honest, authentic, and encouraging. Beyond this point is the raw emotions and words of what I have gone through this past year. I’m not looking for pity, I am hoping that in sharing my experience I can let other women know they aren’t alone in this.

Why was the first time so easy? 7 months into marriage, Sterling and I got pregnant with Echo. I gave birth to a happy, sweet baby boy and we were over the moon. We went back and forth for a bit as to whether we wanted to have another baby. It has now been over a year and half since starting to try and conceive. January and May will be forever in my heart. Though I lost the pregnancies very early (at 5 & 6 weeks), I hold onto the thought of meeting those babies one day.

I struggle to find the right words and even questioned whether I wanted to share anything about this. My family never talked about infertility or miscarriage. They always talked about how easy it was for women in my family to get pregnant. In January when I got the positive test and then lost the pregnancy, I was not sure how to feel. I was confused, sad, and overwhelmed. I thought I did something and it was my fault that the pregnancy didn’t stick. How was I supposed to cope with losing a pregnancy? I didn’t cope well. Then in May having the same situation happen again, really took a toll. Just after the second loss  I met with my midwife where we discussed it all. She referred to the pregnancies as “chemical pregnancies”. I walked away from the appointment confused and frustrated again because I felt like my losses were minimized and brushed off. It is really tough getting a positive pregnancy test and then have that taken away. The highs and lows of these emotions have taken its toll on me.

It is now January, and I still don’t know how to feel. I don’t have the right answers. We have not gotten pregnant. And I’m emotional. I tell my story and share my emotions in hopes that I can encourage other women who are going through loss. Each story is different, but you are not alone. You don’t have to grieve alone. One thing that really helped me was sharing all this with my closest friend. Knowing that I wasn’t alone, and that I had my husband and my friend in my corner. You are so strong, and this hurt will be healed.

I started this blog to take you through my journey of going green, and to share family life with you all. This is my real life. It’s hard, not perfect, and crazy. I really hope that in sharing my struggle and hurt, that it helps you in some way. If you are feeling depressed or hopeless please talk with a doctor or counselor.

Thank you so much for reading! How have you overcome loss in your life? Comment below.

Shopping for outfits, toys, and gear for our little ones is so much fun… until you see the hefty price tag that comes with it. Have you ever walked into a kids clothing store, just to walk right back out the door? I totally have, because I refuse to pay a ton of money on clothes that will be outgrown in no time at all. Well I found the perfect solution to this issue! The “Just Between Friends” (JBF) sale!

JBF is a consignment sale, of gently used or new items, that has many events all over the nation. You can head to jbfsale.com to find your local event. Here are just some of the things that may be available at the sales: clothing (infant-teen, as well as maternity), diaper bags, pack & plays, strollers, toys, items for feeding, nursery gear, and so much more. I love going to my local sale because I can get clothes 50-90% off retail, Melissa & Doug toys 25-30% off retail, and pretty much anything Echo could need at a deep discounted price. I have gone to every JBF Issaquah sale since finding out I was pregnant with Echo. It has helped my family stick to a budget while still getting Echo super cute clothes.

Here are some of the items I picked up at the March sale!

$90 for so many clothes and shoes!

My favorite shirt I picked up for Echo, rhino shirt.

Osh Kosh Tan Skinny Jeans

Tucker & Tate black sneakers

If you sign up to consign or volunteer, you get to shop a pre sale before the public is able to. This is a great opportunity for families to make some cash for all of their gently used or new baby gear. I would definitely encourage any families with lots of clothes, toys, or gear to consign.

If you live in the Seattle area, come shop the Issaquah sale! I am giving away a Primetime shopping pass for the Issaquah sale which starts at 4pm on Wednesday October 4th. This is an opportunity to shop before the public. I will give one ticket to 2 winners and will announce them on Friday September 29th! Here’s how to enter: sign up to my email list (click the “follow” button and enter your email), like “Just Between Freinds Seattle East” on Facebook, like “The Lil Things Blog” on Facebook, then come back here and comment “done”. Super simple! Good luck!

Thanks so much for reading this! Share this with your friends so they can enter too. Hope to see you at the JBF Issaquah sale!

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!

Do you shop consignment sales? Comment below with your experience. Remember to subscribe to my blog for email updates on new blog posts!