how we talk

The words we say can change the world.  They can lift someone up to cloud nine.  They can bring someone down to below zero.  We know that.  That is nothing new.  But what I’ve been reminded of lately is it’s not just the words you say that matter, it’s how you say them.  It’s really not hard to say nice things.  The hard part is meaning them and conveying that.  Ever received a back-handed compliment?  Where the words coming out of the other person’s mouth are pleasant, but the context and tone are not so much.  Or ever be in a busy store, people all around, and hear a child ask for a candy bar while waiting in line?  Only to have the parent roll their eyes and nod a, “whatever, sure” while he/she continues on an important phone call.  Or ever ask your spouse, mother, sister or friend a simple question during a stressful time and be shocked when their response is not what you’d expected.  The words seemed fine, but the way they talked to you left a sour taste in your mouth.  Or, better yet, ever been the one to snap at a loved one during a stressful time (or even not so stressful), only to feel horrible the minute you see their surprised face?  Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  I have been on both ends of every single scenario listed above and I will probably be on both ends many more times.  I’m not perfect that’s for sure.

But what I hope to be more intentional about is the way I talk to people.  I hope to look deep into their eyes when listening and remain fully engaged when possible.  I hope to stop before I respond and ask myself, “Am I conveying what I want or is my bad day getting in the way of that?”  Basically, I want to speak in love.  I not only want the words out of my mouth to speak love, but the tone and the context.  All of it.  It’s really easy to be sweet and sincere and loving with I’m on a romantic candle-lit dinner date for two with my hubs.  But when it’s 4 am and we’re dead tired, scrambling around to heat up milk and change diapers, it’s a little harder.  And life is full of 4 am times.  Boss yells at you at work – boyfriend broke up with you – child tests your limits one too many times – crazy lady in front of you slams on breaks.  There everywhere. 

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So I hope to pause in those 4 am times.  Pause and be grateful for the moment I’m in.  Whatever that moment may be.  Because it will soon pass.  They all do.  And I hope the words out of my mouth convey love.  That’s my prayer for Georgia.  That when she sees Mommy frustrated with Daddy, that Mommy chooses the hard choice of love.  When she is asking a frazzled, late Mommy a million questions, that my answers will convey love in their tone.  And that when she sees Mommy annoyed by some crazy driver, slow sales clerk, or hurt by a friend, that Mommy chooses to speak words of love.  Not because she always wanted to.  But because we are called to. 

So I urge you to think about how you speak to your loved ones and the strangers on the street (or that annoying teenage trick-or-treater who rang your doorbell way to late and actually expected candy!).  We’re all fighting a battle.  And don’t just grit your teeth and utter some pleasant, meaningless line, that will probably pacify most.  Speak intentionally.  Speak with sincerity and love.  Even with it’s the hard choice.

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just some life ponderings

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i've been thinking a lot about this.  about how our problems and hardships are really so small in comparison to the big picture.  now i know some struggle with more serious problems then others, but this quote reminds me that me and my little family of three?  yea we've got it pretty darn good.  even with a sick mommy, a sick daddy and a baby who refuses sleep these days (daddy is on the up hill and mommy was just attacked but the fever/sore throat bug and baby.  well baby believes there is too much life to be had for sleep.  why sleep when you can play?  she's got a point i suppose.)  yesterday i was feeling all sick and tired and gross (i had just "sweated out" a fever - ew) when sweet princess awoke from her usual 30 minute power nap.  her smiling gummy smile.  it gets me every time.  she really is the best.  then we headed outside to sit on our porch and listen to the birds chirp.  my little lady loves the outdoors.  the sounds, the smell, it puts her in the best of moods and i have to say it does quite the same for her mommy dearest.  nature cures a lot.  and i hope to remind my tiny human of that as often as possible.

oh and ps - how is she 13 weeks today?!?!  her 3 month birthday is tomorrow and i can't even handle it.  time, please slow down.  i'm grasping at each minute as it passes and holding on to those snuggles as long as i can.

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an Honest review

I have mentioned my use of Honest products a few times on here and since then I’ve received numerous emails and messages asking how I like their products and the company.  So my sweet friends, here it is.  What I think of my Honest experience…

I've always been a pretty health-conscious person.  I like eating things that are good for my body and help me feel my best.  I’ve learned in my 27 (almost 28) years of life that my choices as to what I put into my body have an immense effect on my mind too.  Now that isn’t to say I don’t loooooove my sweets.  Because I do.  I have chocolate every day and usually ice cream too.  It’s part of a food group somewhere I swear.  But overall, I make healthy choices for myself and my family. 

When I became pregnant last December, I became even more aware of the choices I was making.  All of a sudden I felt responsible for a little life.  A life that was not my own.  An innocent little life that depended on me for its every need and well-being.  I wanted to be the best vessel I could while carrying this precious gift.  So I became even more aware of what I was eating and kicked my walks into a consistent stride.

But there was more.  I am a big believer in eating organic whenever possible.  My college roommate used to say, “You will either pay the grocer or the doctor.  You choose.”  And I couldn’t agree more.  Now we don’t eat everything organic over here, and trust me, my pantry is full of all of the inorganic necessities like pop tarts, popcorn and chips.  But we try to stick with organic fruits and veggies when possible since those are the hot ticket items when it comes to pesticides.

But unfortunately pesticides and nasty chemicals don’t just spend their days latching on to your fruits and veggies.  They can weasel their way into almost all of your every day home ingredients as well.  I mean the chemicals in our lotions and detergent can irritate our skin on contact - ew.  That knowledge left me feeling overwhelmed and kind of hopeless.  I mean, how can I protect myself and my baby from all of these nasty chemicals?  Well I bought Jessica Alba’s book, The Honest Life, and really related to her approach.  Do what you can when you can.  She recommended started small but starting somewhere.  So that’s what I did.  I was stricter about buying organic fruit and veggies and even started using some organic face products.  But still, I wanted to do more.  So I researched The Honest Company and decided to give it a whirl. 

I just tried a few of their cleaning products to see if I liked them first and now I’m hooked and on a regular 6 week delivery system.  I love them.  Their plant-based ingredients left me feeling more comfortable about what was touching my body, what I was inhaling and ultimately what I was putting into my body and my growing baby. 

Now before I continue with some of my favorite products, I want to say this.  I feel like so many people think “organic living” is too expensive.  In this day and time, with the economy like it is, you need to cut costs wherever possible.  I fully understand that.  But I think what a lot of people don’t realize is, when planning ahead and shopping smart, organic foods and products really aren’t that much more.  And I believe in making sacrifices in other places to be able to afford in others.  I mean what’s more important than your well-being?  I think that’s worth the investment.  I’ve also found that Honest products are not that much more than my other regular household products either.  And you can pick and choose what you need, when you need it, and how often you get it.  So if you spend 30 bucks one month on 6 cleaning supplies, chances are you won’t need more of them for at least a few more months.  That’s another thing I love about this company.  Some of my friends shy away because of the automatic thing.  They think that once you enroll, you’re “stuck” like a lot of other automatic shipping companies.  But Honest is different.  You can pause your shipments at any time, change the dates for your deliveries and change the length between your auto-shipments if you want.  I currently do not need anything from Honest so I changed my next shipment date to December 1.  Then about a week before that I will get an email reminding me to go online and update my shipment with the products I need.  So at that time, I’ll reassess if I need anything and if so, what I need.  If I still don’t need anything, I’ll reset my shipment date for February 1 and re-evaluate again then.  So the automatic-shipping thing is %100 in my control. 

So to answer all of the emails and messages I’ve gotten since mentioning these products on here, yes.  Yes I love Honest products and yes I love the company.  I think it’s an affordable and convenient way for families to eliminate the nasty chemicals in their home, while still getting quality, affordable products.  I’ve listed my three favorite products below for ya’ll to check out and I’m excited because we just started using Honest Diapers so I’ll let ya’ll know what I think of those soon!  Interested in checking out Honest? CLICK HERE.

Detergent – I love this.  So so so much.  I washed all of G’s clothes in it before she arrived and not only does it smell amazing, it does the trick of other, harsher, detergents.  I do wish the bottle wasn’t so tall though because it doesn’t fit in my laundry cabinet, but hey -  I pick my battles. – OH and the stain remover is amaze too!  But in an effort to only highlight 3 of my faves, I’ll move on.

All Purpose Cleaner – I use this alllllllllll the time.  I wipe down my kitchen counters nightly with this.  I also use it to quickly clean bathroom sinks and bedside tables.  It smells yummy too.

Bug Spray – I know this isn’t cleaner or anything, but I love this stuff.  It smells good and isn’t sticky.  I haaaaaaaaaate bugs.  Ew.  Gross.  We live close to the water and mosquitos are a real problem around here.  I even got G a mosquito net for her stroller.  Paranoid?  Maybe.  But I also loooooooooooove being outside.  Enter bug spray.  It is a safe and smell-good way for my family to enjoy life outside without pesky bugs!

So friends those are my favorite three!  But truth be told – there are so many I didn’t mention.  The fruit and veggie wash?  Yes yes yes.  The toilet cleaner?  Amaze.  Hand sanitizer?  I have it at my sink, in my car and in all of my bags.  So go check out their other products HERE.  And no I wasn’t paid or given anything in return for this post.  Although I do wish Jessica Alba would shoot me an email every now and then… Jess play date soon?  Haven and Georgia would be the best of friends I just know it!

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dance parties are a must

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I saw this print on Pinterest and immediately thought I needed it ASAP.  At first I thought about Georgia's room... then I thought it'd be much better suited in my living room where we can see it every day.  You see, G and I have daily dance parties.  I usually have the classical radio station on from Pandora all day but when it's time to cook dinner, the classical music is thrown out the door.  G is a huge fan of Whitney Houston and Cindy Lauper, a girl after my own heart I swear.  So I strap her on in my Solly Wrap and away we go.  Because life is just too short not to dance.  

So happy Tuesday!  It's a perfect day for a dance party.

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my fall to do list

My Fall To Do List:

Take G to her first pumpkin patch.

Carve our newly acquired pumpkins.

Make something pumpkin-y. Possibly these delicious looking things.

Get G outside every single day.  Multiple times.

Purge my closet.  Then give to someone who needs it.

Take some pretty family pictures.

Go to Charleston to see one of my best friends say “I do.”

Take G on her first vacation to Pinehurst.

Celebrate my hubby’s 30^th birthday!

Add some new yoga pants to my wardrobe (after I purge of course)

Make time with Jesus a priority.

Wash my hair at least 4 times a week.  Ok fine, maybe 3 will do.

Drink more water.

Drink more wine.  Red, red wine that is.

Curl up on our screened-in porch with a blanket and a book.

Encourage more tummy time with G, even though she hates it.

Go on some dates with my handsome hubs.

Give my pup more kisses (so she doesn’t feel quite so neglected since G has come into the picture).

Make this yummy salad and this tasty-looking casserole.

Be present.  Relish each moment.

What are you hoping to do this fall?

xox

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oh hey i still blog

hey sweet friends.  don't worry, i still blog.  it's just this week was a weeeeeeee bit crazy.  i was out of town monday, we introduced a new sleeping method to G (she used to sleep on an incline until this week) and i'm making some big life changes over here - details soon!  so between the unpacking, laundry, lack of sleep thanks to G's sleeping adjustment and tying up lose ends - i've let the week get away from me!  so here are some snaps of what i've been up to this week.  blog posts next week i prooooomise :)

xox

hanging with aunt sarah while my daddy and uncles watch football

sissy love

watching this babe sleep.  obviously.

best friend sheena had her baby boy mason! yayyyyyyyyy

can you find my pup?

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birthday weekend here we come!

two nights before our wedding!

how is already friday?  seriously.  this week has flown by!  and last night kicked off a multiple-night celebration of my sweet hubby's 30th birthday (i truly believe more in birthmonths instead of birthdays).  so babe - i love you more today at almost 30 than i did when we got married when you were just a sweet, young 26 year-old.  you're my best friend, my support, my everything.  thank you.  thank you for not only loving me but for the way you love me.  and oh, the way you love our baby girl.  melts my heart.  i love you and can't wait to continue our celebrations this weekend!

hope y'all have a great weekend too!  xox

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auntie love

Lately my baby girl has been getting lots of love from her sweet aunties.  I'm so thankful for my friends.  And I pray a lot for G's friends.  That she will find good ones.  True ones.  Friends that lift her up and encourage her.  Friends that share her values and faith.  Friends like I have found.

But for now she is being spoiled by my friends and sisters and well, she's pretty much soakin it up!

hey aunt anna banna.  i heart you.

dont you and uncle caseyman want one of me?  c'mon....

yay my aunt anna elizabeth is getting hitched in march!

oh heyyyyyyyyyyy bff lawson

just having a quick chat before heading back to wilmington

hey aunt jen!  cant wait for more playdates with my cousins!

just discussing the details of our upcoming trip to pinehurst with aunt sarah.  they are making dinner arrangements.

sleepy and wrapped up with aunt V and my cousins

cant wait for girls' weekend when i visit my aunt mere in dallas!

lots of auntie love from mere, ashe and kris

spending a little QT with my aunt mallie before she goes back to mississippi with my pilot uncle kyle.

come on uncle brent and aunt kk.  you know i need some more cousins....

aunt emmie thanks for coming all the way to nyc to see me!  when can we hit the city?

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some photos and a winner!

YAY YAY IT'S FRIDAY!  In honor of our breastfeeding combo pack winner, I thought I would share some of my favorite Pinterest inspirations.  Because that's what I looooove to do during my 3 am pump sessions.  I sleepily search Pinterest for encouraging quotes or verses on pretty backgrounds.  That way as I stumble pack to bed, I'm left feeling motivated and hopefully can will some good dreams.  It's the little things in life right now that I will look back and miss and definitely laugh at - like my inspiration-seeking 3am, pumping self.  So I thought I'd share last nights' findings.  Enjoy!  We all need a little pep in our step right?  Annnnnnd the winner for the Mrs. Patel's giveaway is below!
Happppppy Weekend!  xox

(you can follow me on Pinterest HERE)

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AND THE WINNER IS.....

Ana Davidson

Congrats Ana!  You should have received an email already :)

If you didn't win, I hope you'll still try their amazing products!  

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