Current Favorites with Lorena Canals, Milestone World, & Finn and Emma

Monday, May 22, 2017
As many of you know, I'm all about trying new brands and products.
It's always fun to see if something lives up to all the hype it was given or if it falls short of what everyone says. 
Everyone has their own opinions about different brands and products, and I love sharing mine!
When I find something I absolutely love, I have to share it with everyone!
So today, I'm sharing three brands with products we absolutely love!

First off are these cards from Milestone World. At first, I have to admit that I didn't totally see why I needed these. As time went on in Oaklyn's life, I realized just how perfect they are for a busy mama. I have missed writing down so many important dates in Oaklyn's first year of life because I just didn't make it a priority. With these cards I remember to snap a quick photo of her with each milestone and it makes memory keeping SO much easier! There is also a spot to fill in the date on each card so you can easily look back and remember when each milestone happened. It has been so much easier than making my own scrapbook and I no longer have to feel guilty about not remembering important dates!


Next are the clothes from Finn and Emma. They have toys as well and we love the wood rattle teethers. They are untreated Indian hardwood with a non toxic finish, and are filled with beans. They make the cutest noise and photos ;) However, the pants that I got for Oaklyn from them easily became our favorite. Their clothes are 100% organic cotton, G.O.T.S certified, and made with non toxic and eco friendly dyes. Not only that, but they are SO comfortable! Oaklyn asks for her "comfy pants" during every single nap. I don't blame her! Check out all their awesome 100% organic products!


Lastly, and far from least, is this amazing rug from Lorena Canals! I seriously wish I had known about these way earlier in life! Why? Because, they're machine washable! Yes, you read that right! When it gets dirty you can literally just pick it up and throw it in the wash. No weird cleaners, no going to the laundromat, no beating the rug outside... literally pick it up and throw it in your washing machine. The rug I got when we first got married seriously never got cleaned because it was just way too hard. We vacuumed over it when we remembered but after just one year of use, it was trashed. I want a Lorena Canals rug in every single room because they are everything every mom wants and needs! They are cute, stylish, and SO functional! We have this cute one, but there are so many fun prints and patterns that I really want them all! ;)


I highly suggest going and checking all of these shops out! You won't regret it!

All my love,
Aleigh Joy
0

T W E N T Y E I G H T

Friday, May 19, 2017


Holy smokes, where is time going??
I hit the third trimester this week and I'm seriously in shock that this pregnancy is 2/3 of the way done.
You know when you first hear your due date you're thinking, "that is SO far away!"?
Well, now I'm thinking... "wait, can we push this due date back a little? I'm not ready!"
I definitely am getting more and more excited and anxious, but I've got a whole lot to do to be ready for this little miss!
I also can't believe how little I've posted about this pregnancy.
This has been the craziest and busiest time in our marriage and time is literally flying by.
I thought I'd finally do a little bumpdate though because I was so good about it with Oaklyn and this child should at least have one haha.

These were the exact same questions I used with Oaklyn so here we go!

How Far Along? 28 Weeks!
Weight Gain: I try really hard not to look at the scale at each appointment so i'm not sure ;) I'm also not sure why I left this question on here...
 Maternity Clothes? I have all my maternity jeans from when I was pregnant with Oaklyn and I'm still loving them! However, I was my biggest with her in the winter so baggy sweaters did the trick. This time around I'm having a hard time being comfy in clothes! I'm kind of living in swing dresses. 
 Sleep? Sleep is harder when you have a toddler. I can't just plop down and take a nap like I did with Oaks. But when I actually fall asleep I stay asleep pretty well. As long as i have my legs wrapped around a pillow ha.
 Best moment this week? This might sound silly, but I've been having a hard time with how quickly my body changed this pregnancy. I feel like I'm never fitting in clothes and it's just a pain to get dressed. The other day though, I got dressed and actually felt good in what I was wearing! Silly I know, but was good for my pregnant self esteem. 
 Weird pregnancy moment? Saying goodbye to my belly button... I forgot how weird it is when your stomach grows and your belly button disappears
 Movement: This child is much different than Oaks. Oaklyn was her most active from this point til about 38 weeks. This one will just all of a sudden kick so hard it literally hurts then be done for a while. She really likes to press outwards and dig into my ribs too. 
 Food Cravings: It's something new each week but right now I'm craving a chick fil a sandwich with lots of chick fil a sauce on the daily, shaved ice, ice cold water, dr pepper (thank goodness for caffeine free because I get this craving at like 10pm...), and a fried egg on toast ha.
 Anything making you queasy? Smells. Ugh, my sense of smell is ridiculous. Oaklyn's diapers do not help this situation at all!
 Gender: Last we checked, it's still a girl! Thank goodness too, I hardly have to buy anything!
 What I'm looking forward to: Seven Peaks opening! We got passes and even though I'm dreading being in a bathing suit, I can't wait to float in a pool!
Best Advice Learned So Far: Ignorance is bliss ha! I was so high strung with Oaks and had to have all the best baby gear and latest gadgets. I had a never ending checklist of things I thought we absolutely needed and it totally stressed me out. I've been trying to just not care as much about all that stuff this time and it's helped a ton!

Well, here's to hoping we have a smooth 12 weeks til this lady arrives!
I have a lot to do to get Oaks ready for a little one, but I'm so excited to watch her be a big sister :)

All my love,
Aleigh Joy
0

Thoughts On Two

Sunday, May 14, 2017

The other day I sat in the middle of our last home, moving boxes and chaos spread all around me, and pretty quickly I felt sick to my stomach. 
Here we were, days away from moving to our third home in 8 months and I felt so guilty that Oaklyn's little world would be turned upside down again.
 I looked over at the boxes of baby clothes that were once brand new, just waiting for her arrival.
 Now here they are, waiting for Oaklyn's baby sister. 
I again felt sick, how am I supposed to rock her world yet again in just a few months?

Not much later I thought back to the moment Hunter and I left our home as just the two of us for the last time.
We stood in the kitchen and hugged, tears were streaming down my cheeks from the pain of contractions... but also realizing our little world as just the two of us was about to drastically change.
I was terrified for this new chapter, excited yes, but terrified more than anything.
It wasn't going to be just the two of us anymore, and I just wasn't sure if I was ready for that yet. 



I was pretty much an emotional wreck the first few months of Oaklyn's life as I was trying to get used to my new role as a mommy. 
One day though, I woke up not remembering life without Oaklyn.
Her sweet smile and chubby little hands felt like they had been in my life forever and trying to remember life before her felt so meaningless.
Hunter is smitten by her and my heart aches when I go longer than a few hours without seeing her.
She really is everything to us and though some days feel much longer than others, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

At one point in time, having her in our lives was brand new and took some serious getting used to.
Now, life wouldn't be the same without her in it.
I feel so much comfort in knowing that one day we will feel the same about little baby C.
At first, it'll probably be different and overwhelming for Oaks.
But one day, I'll see them playing at the park together and wonder how we ever lived life without two.
I'll admit that I'm scared to bring another little one into this world, but Oaklyn is getting a lifelong friend in a few months and I can't wait for the two of them to meet.

Oaklyn is my best little buddy. No words will ever be able to explain the love I feel for her. 
We spend every single day together and share some of my favorite memories.
She made me a mother and for that, we'll always have a special bond.
She taught me how to love unconditionally and she trusted me when I had no idea what I was doing.



It scares me to think that in a few months I have to divide my love between two, but I'm also so thankful that Heavenly Father has blessed me with the opportunity to love this much again.
This Mother's Day, my heart is so full of love for my two girls.
I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to love the way a mother does.

All my love,
Aleigh Joy
0

Excedrin Saves The Day + Medicine Cabinet Organization

Monday, May 1, 2017
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MoreMomentsWithExcedrin #CollectiveBias

ex1.jpg

Many of you probably already know that I do photography on the side. I usually just do it for friends and family that want a special occasion documented. I look forward to capturing moments for these special people in my life and hope that I can deliver images that perfectly preserve their memories. I had a friend ask me if I would be able to photograph her wedding this past summer and I was so excited to be there on her special day! The wedding took place in San Diego so I had to make sure to pack everything I needed. While packing I quickly grabbed some Excedrin® from my medicine cabinet because Excedrin® delivers fast headache relief and I tend to get headaches often. When we got there, I went to bed all ready for the big day ahead. It was going to be a full day of capturing every one of the beautiful moments involved in their wedding day. However, I woke up the next morning with a throbbing headache. I was so upset that on the day I really needed to be prepared and ready to go that I had a terrible headache. I knew normal pain relievers wouldn’t do the job so I didn’t even bother. When my husband and I got in the car to drive a half hour to the wedding I was feeling so discouraged and was already wishing the day was over. I went to look for my lipgloss in my purse and that’s when I found the Excedrin® I had thankfully packed! I seriously could’ve cried I was so happy! It was exactly what I needed and knew I could trust Excedrin® for fast headache relief. Headaches demand a solution, and this was the perfect one!



I opted for using Excedrin® Extra Strength (for handling those everyday headaches also known as tension type headaches) because for some, relief can happen as quickly as 15 minutes from the time you take it and I needed this relief fast! Sure enough, by the time we made it to the wedding I was feeling much better and ready to go! Everything went so smooth and I was so happy that I remembered to pack my Excedrin® Extra Strength. Excedrin Extra Strength is indicated for tension-type headaches. I felt like I could really use all my energy on being creative and getting the best images possible for the happy couple. I didn’t feel my headache for the entire span of the day and it made it so much more enjoyable. While Excedrin® Extra Strength came in handy for this special occasion, I also usually have Excedrin® Migraine on hand. Excedrin® Migraine is indicated for migraines. I’ve been getting migraines once in a blue moon since I was in high school. When one hits, I’m down for the count. When I found Excedrin® Migraine I was so happy I found a solution for my migraines that demand a solution. It usually begins to work about 30 minutes in and is such a lifesaver for me! *Disclaimer: Among OTC medicine for migraines. Symphony Health Solutions, 2016.Consult your doctor if you think you are suffering from migraines. I found both of these products very easily at my local Walmart. They were stocked with several different  Excedrin® choices and varieties.

ex5.jpg
Now let’s talk about how you can avoid the medicine cabinet mess. How many of you have needed some form of medicine in the middle of the night, or even the middle of the day, only to realize you can’t find it in your medicine cabinet?? I know I have! The worst part is I end up finding it another day when I’m looking for something else! Our medicine cabinet has always been unorganized and somewhat stressed me out. I never kept tabs on when things expire and there was no rhyme or reason to what it looked like. So, I’m going to share with you some of the ways I have managed to keep our medicine area more organized now.

  1. Find the right way to store it! I know, seems so simple right? Well it took me way too long to figure out I didn’t actually need an entire cabinet dedicated to medicine, I just needed a good amount of space for the container I put it in. When we moved into a place with less cabinets, I went to find the perfect bin to hold all my medicine I could store on a shelf. I ended up finding a shower caddy for about $3 from my local Walmart. What I love about it is the size (not too big or small), the different compartments for better organization, and the handle to easily carry to the person in need. There are several other options of bins out there, just find the perfect one for you!
  2. Keep that Caddy organized! Whether this requires making labels, using a permanent marker to write expiration dates, creating a specific time to update or clean it out, or just simply making better use of your space… make sure you are keeping it organized to your liking! I personally like to keep my pain relievers on one side, liquid medicine on the other, miscellaneous in another compartment (heartburn, allergy, cough drops, etc..), and kid medicine in the last compartment. So far this has worked well for us! We tend to go through medicine quick enough to not have to throw anything out.
  3. Only buy medicine you know works! Throw out the others! Make sure to keep Excedrin® on hand for any moment you need fast relief from your headaches! It’s the worst when a medicine cabinet stacks up with things no one even uses. Save your pennies in other areas and only purchase what you truly need.

ex4.jpg


I’m so glad I was able to save an important day with Excedrin®. When was a time you could’ve used it??

All my love,
Aleigh Joy

2