Month: May 2014

My Best Breastfeeding Advice

bestbreastfeedingadvice

Breastfeeding was not easy for me, but I’m so glad I did it. I struggled with tongue tie, too much lipase, and recurrent mastitis, but still managed to have beautiful nursing relationships with both kids. Before having the Bear, I thought nursing would be so easy and natural. It is natural, but it isn’t always easy. So many of my friends have struggled as I did with feeding their babies, so I thought I’d share a few things I learned along the way. The journey we went through has given me much grace for others, so please don’t hear any judgement if your choices are different than mine. It isn’t there. Read more about our breastfeeding struggle here and here, and about all I learned about breastfeeding here.

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Frugal Living: Our Top Five Tips for Saving Money with a Baby

savingmoneywithababy

We live debt free on a tight budget and don’t do debt or credit cards (thanks to Dave Ramsey‘s Total Money Makeover). When each of our two children came along, we knew there would be added expenses but did our best to minimize them. Jed and talked through our favorite frugal tips for saving money with a baby to share with you today. You could easily spend a fortune on baby gear and clothes, but you don’t have to. Having a baby will completely change your life, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. We are not experts, just a family thriving on one teacher income and living life to the full without spending a ton.

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Happy Mother’s Day! {Free Printable}

easterkids2014

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you mamas out there! I hope you feel blessed and loved today. I am thankful today and every day for my precious babies and am grateful for the gift they are in my life. I do not take the challenge and responsibility of motherhood lightly. The role of mother to these darling babes has been the greatest challenge and reward of my life.  Being at home with them full time is not something I ever thought I would want, but I can’t imagine life any other way. I’m thankful for and content in this place of joy, messes, frustration, and play, where the Lord has me right now. To each of you who are mothering a child through birth, adoption, foster care, or circumstance, thank you for the important role you play. I cannot imagine what my life would’ve been like without the love and care of my precious mother, my grandmothers, and the many women who stepped in to mentor me when I needed it.

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Simple Ways to Bring Jesus in to Your Marriage

simplewaystobringjesusintoyourmarriage

Marriage is the best, hardest, most challenging, and most fulfilling life relationship. My husband is an amazing man and his love is a blessing to me every day of my life. We’ve been married six years, so we are still total beginners in the grand scheme of things, but we’ve picked up a few habits that help keep our faith in Jesus in the center of our marriage that I’ll share with you today. Much like my post about Simple Ways to Bring Jesus in to Your Child’s Daily Routine, I’m not coming to you from a place of having anything figured out. I write this more as a fellow traveler on this journey of marriage who wants to share and encourage and protect marriages. Everyone wants their marriage to succeed, and I think that best happens when both partners are on the same page about faith, money, and family goals.

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Create a DIY Silhouette Portrait Painting with Tutorial

diysilhouetteportrait

At a local high-end department store they feature a silhouette portrait artist a few days a week who will create a silhouette of your child while you shop. These darling portraits are outrageously expensive, but really cool. I decided to create one for our living of the Bear back when he was about a year old. I started it, then it sat in my craft closet for TWO YEARS while I had another baby, forgot about it, etc. I finally finished it and I love it. It was easy, though a bit intimidating. I’ll walk you through the process I used so you can make one of your own. I think it would be fun to do the whole family, pets included. It only cost about $5 to make, and would be cheaper if you made more.

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