2018 Christmas Cards!

This post is sponsored by Shutterfly. All opinions are mine alone. #partner 

If you've been around here long, you know that Christmas cards make me sooooo happy! Like giddy happy. There's just something so fun about getting tons of happy mail from friends and family during the holidays. It seriously brightens my day getting each card. I love seeing how kids have grown, reading about what everyone did that year, and seeing the different photos and designs everyone chose. We have sent a Christmas card every year we've been married and even though it is a hassle trying to make sure photos get done, I have never once regretted it. I love having updated photos of our family over the years, and I make sure to keep a Christmas card from each year so we can look back at those too. I love pulling the book out each year and remembering what each card looked like. I also think it'll be so fun to show the girls all the cards they were in over the years. 

For a while I chose to design my own card. It was fun to get creative and make it different. Over time though, I realized how much more convenient it is to order them from a company. There are a million companies to choose from, so how are you supposed to pick just one? Don't worry... I've done all the research to make it easy on you ;) After looking into several companies, I can hands down say that Shutterfly is the way to go! They have SO many designs to choose from that there is something for everybody's style. I promise! From gold foil to marble, and gate fold to glitter you are bound to find the perfect card. Once you've selected your card literally all you have to do is upload your photos and then drag them into the desired spot. You then have the option to use your address book and let Shutterfly address all your envelopes for you! They have cute designs and fonts and it makes it so quick and easy. Plus, your envelope will look SO cute! After that, you can order personalized stamps and have them delivered right to you. Then, you're done! I mean seriously, a few clicks and your cards are completely done! How cool is that??

Now I'm sure you're thinking it's too good to be true... but trust me it really isn't! The card quality is lovely and they arrive in a timely manner. You will definitely not regret choosing Shutterfly. This year I used a Tiny Prints design which is owned by Shutterfly and can be accessed through their site. I chose a tri-fold card and I seriously love it! Make sure to order your cards this weekend to get their Black Friday deal of 40% off everything! They will be having a Cyber Monday sale too! 

I hope you have fun sending and receiving cards this year!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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Moving Tips and Tricks With Duck Max

Duck Brand sponsored this post. All opinions are mine alone

We have officially been in San Diego for 2 months!

Honestly, I can't believe how fast the time is already flying by and how quickly everything happened when we were moving.

I absolutely hate moving. It creates clutter, it's difficult to find anything, and figuring out which things should go in which boxes is annoying!

We knew moving while Hunter was in the middle of working two jobs and finishing college finals would be crazy but throwing a crazy toddler and a tiny baby both with colds in the mix made it pretty much impossible ha.

Most nights we stayed up til 1 or 2 am just trying to get things done while both girls were asleep.

This was our first time ever doing a "big" move instead of just across town or something, and to be honest, we felt completely clueless!

I kept calling my mom for advice and we kept learning the hard way how to pack up our lives smoothly.

So, I have decided to create this post to help any of you first time movers have a slightly smoother experience than we did ;)

Here's a few tips and tricks that will help if you plan on doing it all on your own.

Tip 1) Use quality packing materials! Since the entire process was stressful enough, we wanted to make sure our packing materials held up well so we had one less thing to worry about. We chose Duck Max Strength Packaging Tape to ensure our boxes successfully made it from one state to the next in one piece! I was so worried about boxes opening when the moving truck went over bumps or that everything would fall out the bottom when people were carrying boxes to and from the truck. I know that stuff is just that, stuff, but I just wanted to make sure we weren't going to have to replace a million things after this move. So why did we choose this tape over others? Well, it is 100x stronger than acrylic tapes for maximum adhesion and we definitely noticed this to be true! Since we aren't currently in our own place, we have been storing our boxes and opening them to find things we need constantly. It is so nice to be able to re-seal them since it is ideal for heavy duty shipping, moving and storage applications. We were also trying to move on somewhat of a budget. We weren't able to throw thousands of dollars into this move so it was awesome knowing we could get a Value-8 Pack of heavy duty, clear tape for under $20 at our local Sam's Club in the office supplies aisle! Hunter luckily worked for a moving company so we were able to find quality boxes but that is huge too! Make sure those boxes are firm and stiff so your valuables don't get smashed by other boxes. We used plenty of bubble wrap, packing paper, and cushion foam as well! All of this combined with the Duck Max Strength Packaging Tape, made for a smooth move. 

Tip 2) Let people help you! You guys, I had so many people reaching out to me asking if I needed help with the girls, help packing, help cleaning, etc... and I kept turning them down because I didn't want to be a burden. That created a lot more stress on me than I needed and a lot more work for me. I kept complaining about how difficult it was and it wasn't until I let others help me that I realized how much smoother it could have gone. So when someone offers to help, take them up on it! Trust me, it'll help a ton. 

Tip 3) Stop trying to wait until the last minute to pack your kitchen stuff. Oh my gosh, packing a kitchen is a complete nightmare! I was beyond annoyed trying to make dinners and realizing I had already packed something I needed. Or, just leaving things out that could have fit in boxes because I wasn't sure if I needed it. Just do away with the guessing games and pack that kitchen up. We ended up getting plastic cups, spoons, forks, and knives, and paper plates to use the last week so we could pack our dishes. We also got a lot of frozen microwavable things or things that didn't need to be heated up to save the trouble of waiting to pack pots and pans. I tried waiting as long as possible, but once we decided to just pack the kitchen, it made a huge difference. We had the whole thing completely packed and were able to clean it ahead of time. 

Tip 4) Make a plan for moving day. Oh moving day, it's the worst. Basically, just don't plan a single thing other than moving on that day. Trust me haha. Find someone to watch your kids or they will be running mad. We finally just gave in and let the iPad babysit Oaklyn and Cam was little enough to just lay in the swing most of the day. I had wished we were more prepared when things started to get crazy and I could feel myself getting frazzled. Plan which boxes can be taken out first and which furniture can be taken out at which times. Instruct friends on what you need help cleaning and when. Look over your cleaning checklist and make sure you plan appropriately. (we forgot that we needed to run the self clean on the oven and it took several hours, oops!)

Tip 5) Be prepared when everything is gone! Oh my gosh this was comical! We had so much on our minds that we completely forgot we still had to sleep in our empty apartment one more night. Luckily, we had little portable beds for the girls and I kept all of their bedtime stuff out to ensure they were comfortable, but we managed to forget that we had to sleep that night too! I ran out to Walmart and had to get an air mattress, we each had one little blanket because it was all we could find, I was holding up a towel while Oaklyn showered because we didn't have a shower curtain, Hunter had to attempt to fit in the bath, oh it all was just getting to the point of being hilarious. So basically, if you plan on staying another night in your empty house/apartment just make sure you're prepared!

I'll definitely be using these tips for moves to come, but luckily I think that was our biggest move we will have.

We are still unpacking and repacking boxes as we need them and I can't tell you how helpful it has been to have Extremely thick tape for heavy-duty box sealing on hand.

Make sure to head to your local Sam's Club to purchase your Duck Max Strength Packaging Tape!

So, what are your best tips for packing??

I'd love to hear!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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Why Holidays Are So Much More Fun With Kids

This post is sponsored by Carter's; However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. 

I have always absolutely loved holidays. I can remember as a kid sitting by my window late at night, just looking at all of my neighbor's Christmas lights. I would sit there until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer because I just loved the magical feeling the lights brought. I remember waking up Christmas morning giddy with excitement because it was such a special day. I remember not being able to sleep the night before holidays because I was just SO excited. As a kid, the excitement of holidays can't be beat. I still loved holidays as I got older but noticed the magic start to fade. I no longer felt like the little girl I once was. However, that magic suddenly came back once I had kids of my own.

I remember hearing it all the time, "holidays are so much more fun with kids!" But, I never really understood what that meant until I had a child of my own. Oaklyn was almost a year old on her first Christmas and even though she didn't really understand what was happening, it was still so much fun for me. The next year was even more fun as we watched her tear open presents exclaiming "ooh's and ahh's" each time. This year I can hardly wait for christmas morning just so I can watch her experience the magic of Christmas. So why exactly are holidays so much more fun with kids? Let me explain...

First things first, you get to start as many holiday traditions as you want! I am kind of a tradition crazy person. I couldn't wait to have a family of my own because I was so excited and ready to start traditions. A few of my favorites are visiting Santa, watching Christmas movies, looking at Christmas lights as a family (to make it even more fun look up "the polar express" on pinterest!), making and decorating cookies, reading Christmas books, advent calendars, and matching family jammies! Did you know that Carter's has an amazing selection of children's pajamas in all different sizes?? Carter’s has the best holiday pajamas, not just because they’re affordable, but because they’re comfortable and stylish!

Second, you get to experience that same magic you once felt as a child all over again. It has been so fun to watch our kids experience the magic of holidays. Watching Oaklyn's eyes light up when we turned our Christmas tree on this year, literally filled my heart with joy. I couldn't stop smiling as I watched her eyes get big with excitement. I felt that same joy I once did as a child only now, it's ten times greater. Oaklyn can't wait for Santa to come and she asks if it's Christmas time just about every day. I am loving how excited she is and it's making me that much more excited as well.

Third, you get to plan a Christmas card! I don't know if this is as exciting to others as it is to me... but I literally am obsessed with Christmas cards! I get so giddy when they start showing up in the mail. I also love having it as a keepsake each year. I save our Christmas cards each year and love looking back over the years. I started the first year Hunter and I were married and have done one every year since. It has been so fun seeing our family change each year. It also forces you to take an updated family photo! With family pictures, comes planning coordinating outfits! Carter’s has a variety of styles perfect for every holiday moment, and they definitely have you covered in the family photo category! There's adorable clothes in several sizes at their store and online. Carter’s clothes and PJs are equally cute and comfy – at an affordable price point that doesn’t sacrifice quality.

Lastly, holidays with little ones means the opportunity to feel the joy of giving. I love receiving presents... who doesn't? But, I've learned over time that the joy of giving is even more fun for me. I love finding holiday gifts for my kiddos and feel so much joy when I watch them open up a present I got them. Oaks is a true girl and loves getting new clothes! Carter’s will have can’t-miss Black Friday deals beginning 11/17 so you can get your little ones some cute new holiday clothes at an amazing price! Carter’s and OshKosh B’gosh are giving away over $700,000 in Dash Cash to the first 100 people to visit their local Carter’s or OshKosh B’gosh store for the Dash In to Win Sweepstakes.  The Sweepstakes will be held on Black Friday (11/23 or 11/24 – depending on when the store opens after Thanksgiving). Plus, customers will receive a gift from Shutterfly on their $40+ purchase that day! SO many reasons to head to Carter's for Black Friday shopping! Also, you can take 20% off your purchase of $40 or more in store or online through 12/31/17! The in store code is: 070716 and the online code is: CART4198. So many great deals at Carter's!
It's also fun to teach your children why giving is important at a young age. Carter’s believes that every child deserves a good night sleep so they are partnering with Pajama Program, an organization that provides children new pajamas, from November 1st – December 31st. Customers can help by donating a pair of new pajamas in store or make a monetary donation at check out (in store or online). Carter’s will match up to 100,000 pairs of pajamas. Your local community benefits directly from your support and your children will learn that the holiday season isn't all about receiving... it is about giving as well.

Being a mother has been the hardest thing I've ever done... but it has also brought me the most joy. Children are a lot of work and a whole lot of fun! It has been so fun having kids during the holidays and I can't wait to create more memories with them this year! Now tell me, what do you look forward to most during the holidays??

All my love,
Aleigh Joy

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I'm Gonna Pop Some Tags

Back in the day, (more like before getting married) I loved shopping at thrift stores.

Like seriously, I think I went once a week.

I love the treasures you can find in a thrift store and that they feel more "one of a kind."

Not to mention, nothing beats the price of shopping second hand.

With my style preference and wardrobe wants changing with every season, I can't justify spending hundreds of dollars every few months on the latest and greatest.

While I really enjoy a crisp new shirt, I might like getting "new" thrifted clothes just as much!

There's always such a sense of accomplishment when you find something you absolutely love, for pennies.

I haven't gone as much since having Oaklyn and moving to Utah because a) I couldn't find a thrift store I really liked and b) I just don't have much time these days.

However, that all changed recently.

A bit ago, I took a visit to the Uptown Cheapskate location in Sugarhouse, Utah.

I walked in not knowing much of anything about the company and left with a ton of beautiful clothes for an amazing deal, and a love for my new favorite thrift store. 

I'm so happy that I now know about this company because they have over 40 locations in the US.

Yep, you read that right!
The founders of Uptown are actually the children of the founders of another one of my favorites, Kid to Kid.
They are both opening franchise opportunities all over the US.

I was pleasantly surprised by their selection of clothes and I was seriously, beyond happy with what I found.

I tried on Hudson jeans, J crew sweaters, Steve madden shoes, Free People tops, and several other well known brands for over half off the original price. 

Everything was in great condition, no stains, rips, or tears.

It was also really organized inside which is huge for me, and the staff was more than helpful.

Seriously though, I had about 3 loads of at least 20 items I took into the dressing room and the guy helping me didn't even mind.
In fact, he was there to give me a second opinion if I wasn't sure about an item!

I got 5 sweaters, one cardigan, a necklace, and a pair of leggings for under $80.

Can you say score??

I'm so excited to go back and find more treasures!

So obviously, I no longer have an excuse to not buy secondhand with Uptown Cheapskate here in Utah.
Not only have I found a used clothing store I love, but I actually have time for this one!
When I think of a thrift store, I think of clutter and crazy.
As you can see by my photos, Uptown in Sugarhouse is very well organized and they make it so easy to find exactly what you are looking for.
I went to every sweater, shirt, and jean rack because those were the items I was searching for and was overall very happy with what I found!

So if you couldn't tell by this post, I give Uptown three thumbs up ;)
I was pleasantly surprised with how good of an experience I had shopping secondhand with Uptown!
Hope to see you all at one of their locations sometime!

All my love,
Aleigh Joy

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Master Bedroom Makeover

Happy Friday!
Although, for me, it's been a really stressful Friday...
But, it's still Friday!
I am beyond excited to share our bedroom makeover reveal with all of you tonight.
We worked on this room literally all summer and it turned out exactly how I had envisioned it.
If you follow me on instagram, you probably saw I said we put our blood, sweat, and tears into this room and I'm not even exaggerating!
All of it, was so worth it though because we absolutely love the results!
If you follow me on instagram or snapchat you probably also saw that we moved... right after finishing the room... and that's unfortunately true too.
I'd be lying if I said there weren't tears shed as I was packing it all up.
However, life happens and this was what was best for our family.
Plus, I now have so many great ideas for our future home! Whenever that may be ;)
I also cannot say thank you enough to our amazing sponsors that helped bring this room together.
We had a blast working with Devine Color, Ikea, Tuft and Needle, Cariloha, and Hayneedle to bring this vision to life!

So without further adieu, here's the before and after!!

And After!!

(Please excuse my terrible panorama skills)

I knew I wanted grey and white to be the main colors and who doesn't love a good distressed shiplap accent wall, right? As time went on, I was able to find some gold accent pieces that fit perfectly in the room and I absolutely love the way it all came together. I worked with Devine Color by Valspar which you can find at your local Target to get the perfect color on the walls. We used Mirage as our paint color and only used one can to do two coats on three walls! We were so impressed! Devine Color also supplied the amazing Distressed wood wallpaper! You guys, this is easily my favorite part of the room. Every time I looked at this wall, I instantly got happy. It's just so pretty and the absolute perfect accent wall. Not to mention, it's adhesive wallpaper so it was incredibly easy to accomplish! The first strip definitely took some time for Hunter and I to figure out, but once we understood what we were doing, I was so impressed with how simple it was to apply. I definitely give two thumbs up to Devine Color!

For the majority of our bedroom furniture, we worked with Ikea. I actually grew up with this dresser in a different color and loved how much storage it had so it was incredibly easy to pick out a dresser. I chose the matching nightstands to go with it and I just love the sleek look of them. White is my absolute favorite color when it comes to decor so it was also super easy for me to pick the color. Ikea furniture does take a little while to assemble, but you seriously cannot beat the price and the quality is wonderful! Hunter and I actually enjoyed our date indoors putting together our dresser and nightstands. As with any dresser, make sure you secure it to the wall so an accident doesn't happen with your little ones. We managed to score our bed off of Craigslist and I used Waverly chalk paint to paint it in only two hours!

Our mattress is a little piece of heaven. We worked with Tuft and Needle on the mattress and I could not be more happy with it! First off, Tuft and Needle is an amazing company with great values and even better customer service. They even thanked us with cute shirts! Now that's a company that values their customers. Tuft and Needle was started after the owner went shopping for a mattress and was pressured into buying an overpriced mattress that was far less than comfortable. After this experience, they vowed to create an exceptional mattress at a fair price. I can honestly say that they have accomplished just that! Our king size mattress has been amazing and we are blown away at how they shipped it! It comes right to your doorstep in a box and it almost "inflates" when you take it out. It was so fun!

Our bedding was supplied by two amazing companies that I would hands down recommend to anybody! Our heavenly sheets, pillow cases, and the grey throw are all from Cariloha. The white bamboo bed sheets are the softest sheets I have ever felt. They are thermal regulating and are soft and smooth because of the box stitched seams. I honestly don't know how else to describe these sheets other than sleeping on a cloud. They fit the bed perfectly, came with a fitted sheet, bed sheet, and two pillow cases. I loved the customer service they provided and they made sure to fit every one of my needs. The bamboo throw blanket is my absolute favorite blanket to take a nap with. It is also thermal regulating, has a cute herringbone pattern, and is beyond soft. Our comforter and decorative shams are from Hayneedle. I was so in love with this comforter from the moment I saw it on their website. If you know me, you know I love ruffles! The ruffles on this comforter are so cute and the perfect statement for your bed. It is also very comfortable! I was very impressed with how comfy it is. I thought it was sort of feminine at first, but my husband actually loves it, win win! I also got this white pillow from Hayneedle and think that it's the cutest little accent pillow. The super cute gold striped bow pillow is from Target and it just so happens to be on sale!

As far as the small decorations go, I got things from all over the place! The lamps were from Burlington and I got a great deal but these ones from Target are very similar. I made the prints for our night stands and put them in dollar store frames I already had. The glass jars are from Michaels with dollar store faux flowers. On my dresser I did a little DIY with the jars and used Mod Podge  and Gold Glitter to add a little flare. The bird candle holder I already had but I think I'll add these candle holders at some point because I love them! I'm such a sucker for a cute vintage white frame and found mine a few years back but I'm loving this one from Target. I got the white mirrors as a wedding gift but these ones look almost identical! In the middle I hung two of my favorite wedding pictures in poster frames from Target. I bought my bird cage picture frame from Hobby Lobby but it was on clearance and this gold one  is seriously dreamy! I used a milk crate to set my mirror on top of and loved the way it turned out. The canvas hanging next to the mirror was my mothers day gift a year ago, but if I could choose another one, I would get this one in a heartbeat! My mom also gave me her old curtains, but before she did that I was totally eyeing these ones!

 

I really loved putting this room together, and like I said before, I was so sad to leave it! However, these pictures will always bring me nothing but good memories and I'm so glad we had the experience of being able to act like Chip and Joanna Gaines for a summer ;) I now have so many ideas for our future home, the countdown to Hunter's graduation is so on! I hope you guys enjoyed this post and really hope that it gave you some fun ideas for a little makeover yourself. If we could do it, you totally can! If you have any more questions about how we did things, feel free to ask me! Feel free to shop some of my favorite farmhouse bedroom styles below too! Now go have yourself a fun Labor Day Weekend!

All my love,
Aleigh Joy

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