A Cozy Christmas

This post is sponsored by Sleepyheads. However, all opinions are mine alone

Today marks only ONE MONTH until Christmas! Can you believe how fast that came?? Maybe it doesn't seem fast for the rest of you, but for me this entire year flew by! We're pretty busy planning our move to San Diego so I've been trying to get things ready for Christmas as fast as possible. One of the first things I thought of is one of my favorite family traditions; matching family jammies for Christmas Eve! Generally, I don't post about our jammies until Christmas Eve but this year I wanted to share the cute and cozy ones I found so you can snag some too! 

I found our jammies at Sleepyheads.com and we love them so much! They had so many options to chose from and they are seriously the comfiest jammies any of us own! Oaklyn thinks it is so fun that she gets to match mommy and daddy and cam looks so adorable in hers! I love this red snowflake collection because they had them in every size we needed! I was so nervous that I wouldn't be able to find identical jammies for all of us this year but was so happy when I saw these! I love that they are footed jammies because I know the girls will be cozy sleeping in them. Hunter and I have the feet on ours as well, except ours zip off! This feature was so perfect for Hunter who is really tall. Hunter and I also have a little hood on ours.

So how does this tradition work? Well every year on Christmas eve I wrap up our jammies as one present. I let Oaklyn open it (now Cambria too!) and then we put them on right away! Then we read a Christmas book and get ready for bed. We wake up Christmas morning in our matching jammies and it just feels so festive and fun! We open our presents in our matching jammies and continue to wear them year round because they are just that cozy! I really love this tradition and plan to continue it until our kids find it embarrassing to match their parents, haha!

Because I love Sleepyheads SO much, I can just guarantee that you all will too! So, I have teamed up with them to giveaway up to 4 pairs of these same jammies! This is a quick giveaway so be sure to enter pronto! Comment here with what your favorite gift of all time was! Then head over to my instagram for more entires!

Giveaway will run for 48 hours!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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Life With Two... So far.

This post is somewhat of an update on life and somewhat of a follow up post to this one.

I also haven't blogged like... at all... since Cambria was born so I figured I'd do that ha.

The day Cambria was born I was instantly in love with her. Like smitten, maybe even obsessed? Hunter said recently that Cambria "walks on water" in my eyes because literally everything she does is adorable to me. I was so happy that this time around, the bond was instant. If you've been a reader for a while you know I had pretty severe PPD with Oaklyn and I think that really hindered the bond I had hoped for with her. Luckily it came later and we pretty much became best friends. However, it was so nice to feel the instant connection I had seen so many other moms experience this time around. The hospital was such a dream. She slept in my arms or on my chest the entire time, nursing was fairly easy, I felt mostly calm and relaxed... I couldn't believe how different this experience was. When we got home my mom was there to make dinners, take care of Oaklyn, let me recover, hold the baby while I showered and then my mother in law came the week after to do exactly the same thing. It was wonderful and I even thought to myself, "maybe two kids isn't so hard after all!" 

When both grandmas left, I pretty much became a one man show. Hunter has two jobs and goes to school full time so to be honest, he's not home much... I was tired and some nights were rougher than others, but overall I was shocked at how much smoother the transition from one to two was. Oaklyn was the type of baby that I literally could not put down. So far, Cambria has been a much more mellow baby and that has been a huge blessing. Oaklyn has also gotten a little more used to being home more often. Before Cambria was born, we were only really home to sleep during the night and nap time. Other than that, we were out playing! She loves being active and exploring so I just always had activities planned constantly. With a nursing baby, that became pretty complex. So we're still kind of adjusting to a slower lifestyle. 

As far as sharing the love goes, that has actually been pretty hard for me. I'll be honest in saying I'm not much of a baby person. Generally when babies cry it's a guessing game for me and makes me anxious and nervous. They're sweet and adorable but I'd much rather babysit a 4 year old than a 2 month old. That being said, I can't get enough of Cambria! She gets the hiccups and it's cute, she cries and it's cute, she smiles and my heart could literally burst. It definitely helps that she's such a sweet baby. Unfortunately, Oaklyn is going through a tough age right now and throws tantrum after tantrum all day long. When she's sweet, she's the sweetest. When she's not, well... it drives me nuts. I feel like everything with her is a fight right now and it stretches my patience pretty thin. I feel bad because I have to tend to Oaklyn's constant meltdowns and messes so I feel like I hardly get to hold Cambria. But then I also feel bad because when I am holding Cambria I'm talking to her sweetly and tending to her every need whereas with Oaklyn I expect more of her and get upset when she purposefully acts out. It's a balancing act for sure and while I love them both to pieces, this is just a hard phase. Babies need a lot of constant attention and care, and toddlers need constant stimulation and well, are just a lot for a mom haha. I know that this time is short and they honestly won't even remember it, but I'm always worried they can't feel how much I truly love them both. 

I feel like I get asked quite a bit how the two kid thing is going... and I generally answer with, it's going! I feel like my life is kind of a circus right now and most of that is just where we are in life. Hunter is SO close to graduating and I can't tell you how excited we are for him to be done. No more homework, no more classes, no more group projects... we can't wait! His two jobs also take up a good chunk of time and energy and I'm left feeling exhausted because I'm at home with the kids by myself most days. 

So, if you're nervous to make the transition from one to two kids... In my experience it hasn't been nearly as hard as I thought it would be. It's challenging but motherhood is in general. Getting sleep is hard, doing your hair is hard, and finding time to yourself is hard... but that's just the newborn phase in general. I'll report back when Cambria is sleeping through the night and taking two solid naps a day ;) I'm honestly just trying to figure it all out and hoping I don't totally screw my kids up along the way, ha!

It's still so weird to me to say "my kids" like... I'm a mom. But not just a mom to a kid, but kidS!

Where has the time gone?

Anyways, there's a jumbled post on my thoughts on two, 8 weeks in ha.

I have some other posts that I'm really going to try to work on in the next few weeks that are a little more thought out. 

So please forgive me for my absence in this crazy time of life!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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An Afternoon at SeaWorld, San Diego!

This post is in partnership with SeaWorld San Diego. All opinions are mine alone. 

I had been talking about taking a trip back home for a bit because I wanted one last fun trip with both grandparents for Oaklyn before she becomes a big sister. 

When Hunter finally agreed to the idea and said he would try to get work off, I got so excited and started planning fun things to do!

We decided to take one of the days we were there to visit SeaWorld San Diego.

Growing up in San Diego, I never really took advantage of all it had to offer.

I went to SeaWorld on a field trip when I was a lot younger and again with family when I was still pretty young.

So, while this trip was definitely for Oaklyn... I was just as excited to go to SeaWorld for myself ;)

Most amusement parks are kind of out of the question for us right now because I'm in my third trimester of pregnancy and Oaklyn is just a few inches shy of riding most rides. 

From what I had remembered, SeaWorld seemed like the perfect place for our family at this stage of life.

Boy was I right!

Me, Hunter, Oaklyn, and Hunter's mom all went and that is a very wide range of ages... yet we all had lots of fun!

There was something entertaining and fun for all of us and Oaklyn got to see animals she had never seen before.

When we entered the park we honestly had no idea where to go, haha.

We had a map but just kind of decided to aimlessly explore and stop at the attractions that appealed to us.

The first thing we found was the Dolphin Encounter.

Other than Oaklyn's major meltdown (ohhh toddlers) I thought it was so cool!

You can see the dolphins above water doing all their fun tricks and below water by the glass!

I think dolphins just look so friendly and fun.

They always appear to be smiling and I just love that.

There was also someone over the loudspeaker explaining facts and details about dolphins I didn't know.

I loved that it was fun and educational for all ages. 

After that we tried to map out where we went based off show times.

The first show we saw was Sea Lions Live and it was the cutest thing ever!

I was so impressed with how well they were trained for the show and how clever the script was.

Oaklyn was fascinated by these animals she had never seen before and us adults were cracking up at the hilarious jokes.

That was by far my favorite show and my top recommendation for anyone who visits Seaworld.

We had planned on doing two other shows but ended up just going to the dolphin show and it was awesome!

One thing we all loved is how they personally introduced each dolphin and said how many children they had haha.

I also loved the fun and playful interactions between the trainers and dolphins.

I loved the upbeat and positive vibe of the show.

The dolphins did so many cool tricks and Oaklyn sat pretty still through the whole thing which I would say is a win!

Hunter said he now wants to be a dolphin trainer haha ;)

Okay, let's talk about the other things you can see while at SeaWorld...

There are so many different areas dedicated to specific animals. 

We loved seeing the penguins, sting rays, dolphins, and there are so many others!

This is a perfect teaching moment with little ones to help make the trip a little educational too.

There are always plaques with info on all the animals so I was learning quite a bit as well.

I love how happy all the animals look and how playful they all were!

Now let's talk rides...

Hunter loves rides and I may even love them more than him haha.

Clearly I wasn't able to go on any rides but Hunter had a blast on the two he went on!

He rode Manta and Journey to Atlantis and absolutely loved both!

He rode Journey to Atlantis twice because the line was super short and he thought it was so much fun.

It is a coaster and a water ride combined together. 

You get a little wet going down a big drop and then do the roller coaster part. 

Manta is a roller coaster that soars dives and twists just as a sting ray would.

Oaklyn discovered a new found love for rides this trip to San Diego and kept asking to go on them at SeaWorld.

They have two places for your littles to ride some rides...

The first place is Sesame Street Bay of Play with so many fun things for your toddler to do.

They also just opened a new area called Ocean Explorer and we spent a good chunk of time there letting oaks go on the rides.

She LOVED them!

They were the perfect size and speed for her and it was so fun watching her smile through each ride.

We had such a great afternoon at SeaWorld San Diego and can't wait to go back again!

I can't believe we'll have a second kid the next time we go!

Overall, SeaWorld gets two thumbs up from our family because we loved that there was something for everyone!

What is your favorite thing to do there?

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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

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

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Moore Party of FOUR!

The secret is FINALLY out!

And by finally I mean I'm 16 weeks sooo... yeah I've been keeping this a secret for kind of a while now haha.

We found out the first week of December. 

DECEMBER PEOPLE!

We told family and close friends as we saw them, but I really didn't want to announce until after the first trimester.

Once I hit that mark life got even more crazy (as if that's possible, ha!) and we couldn't find a time that we were all together when it wasn't dark outside or sleeping. 

Since we hadn't announced all this time, this pregnancy hasn't exactly felt real.

It's been hard hiding such a big secret... especially since I've been way more sick this time around.

Hunter was gone all day Friday then came home Saturday at 3:30ish. 

I looked at him and said, "Should we just take the picture now? I mean I'm 16 weeks already..."

So on a whim, we just went for it.

I hadn't even brushed my hair, Oaklyn had been throwing fits all day, and Hunter was sick and exhausted, but it feels mighty good to finally be telling the world about our best kept secret ;)

So now on to a bit about this pregnancy...

We're (mostly me) equally as excited as we are terrified to add another little person to our family.

Most of the time, I'm excited and feeling encouraged that I can do this.

Then other times I'm actually having a meltdown because I'm so terrified to have two kids haha.

I know I can do this and I know The Lord has blessed us with this baby and we are thankful beyond words, but I've also got a whole lot of figuring out to do!

This little one is coming before we were planning on moving out, before Hunter graduates, right in the middle of some big projects, right before football season (Hunt's busiest time), and of course I can't stop worrying about PPD that I had pretty severely with Oaklyn.

However, this little peanut has already stolen my heart and I am beyond excited to snuggle him/her!

I always envisioned us having several kids. There isn't really a definition for several, just whatever feels right. 

I've always hoped I'd have a full house, lots of birthdays to celebrate, and plenty of mouths to feed.

It's just thinking about being pregnant several times that's killin me ha.

As I was saying earlier, this time around has been quite a bit different than with Oaks.

I was definitely more sick in the first trimester, but less tired. 

I've had heartburn like nobody's business since I found out whereas it didn't really start til around this time with Oaklyn.

I'm still having food aversions but a whole lot more things sound good to me than they did with Oaklyn, and sometimes I even crave meat... what?!

Not to mention, my body is definitely changing faster this time around.

I wouldn't say I'm showing yet but I definitely feel "more pregnant" than I did with Oaks at this point. 

All around it's just been pretty different!

As far as gender goes, we're planning on finding out at 20 weeks during the anatomy scan. 

I have sooo much more willpower this time around, ha!

We will be perfectly happy with either gender but if I could plan it out, I would definitely want another girl. 

It would make it SO much easier being that we already have everything for a little girl, and duh... matching dresses haha.

I also happen to like our girl name a whole lot but that's also a secret ;)

Anyways, I'm due in August. August 12th to be exact, my sister's birthday!

I'm not exactly excited to be largely pregnant during the summer months but I'm very much excited to have a baby during a month I can go outside!

Gosh I can't believe I'm having another baby haha.

I think that covers the gist of things, but you'll be hearing quite a bit more about this peanut now that I can actually talk about him/her!

Okay lastly, I've gotten the same question asked quite a bit lately.

I've been asked why I've kind of stopped blogging.

People said they were worried and hoped all was well.

Last time I took a bunch of time off from blogging was when Hunt's dad passed away.

Nothing severe has happened like that, but there are several contributing factors I'll be talking about more soon.

I would say though, the biggest factor would be THIS PREGNANCY!

Gosh it has taken a lot out of me including inspiration and motivation.

Plus, how am I supposed to blog when I'm keeping the biggest secret like ever from you guys??

So, thank you so much for the concern and support.

Seriously, it felt good to know someone actually cared haha!

But I'm feeling quite a bit better and with each new sunny day I'm feeling a little more inspired to work on some big projects I have planned!

Alright friends, that is all for now.

I just figured I should pop in and explain life's current happenings haha.

Now hold me to being better about blogging ;)

All my love,

Aleigh Joy (and the tiny peanut in my belly)

My outfit is old but here's a similar skirt | Lipsense is redwood and you can join my group to see other colors here | Oaks outfit also old but Gap still has peter pan collared onesies! | Balloon from North Star Balloons | Similar shirt to Hunter's  

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The Perfect Christmas Card + Our 2016 Family Photos

We take pictures of our little family often, but about once a year we actually get all dolled up with coordinating outfits and have a photographer take our photos rather than using a tripod ;)

Since living in Utah, our good friend Kiely has taken them and I love them all!

Kiely started her business not too long ago but it's super easy to tell she should've started a while ago!

She has such an eye for capturing perfect moments that you will want to remember years later.

Oaklyn was a complete stink this year while taking our family photos and Kiely still managed to capture pictures I love!

I remember getting in the car and thinking, "there has to be at least one I'll like... hopefully."

Turns out there were so many "favorites" I couldn't even decide which ones to put on here!

But here are a few that will definitely be framed :)

Check out more of Kiely's work (and her new little baby!!!) on her instagram and book a session with her by going to her website!

 Just had to include this one haha!

 We also love that family photos mean updated pictures of hunter and I!

When it came time to pick out a Christmas card, I knew it would have to fit a ton of our family photos since I seriously couldn't just choose one!

I've always made my own card because it's so fun for me to design... but as my days just get busier I realized it was time to let someone else do the work for me ;)

The choice of which company to choose was so easy for me!

I've always loved every card I've seen from Tiny Prints!

Their designs are always the cutest and there are so many options it's insane!

You can customize just about anything over at Tiny Prints and it made sending my Christmas cards this year an absolute breeze!

Seriously, with everything I already have going on, just thinking about addressing envelopes stressed me out.

I couldn't believe how easy the process was getting my cards from Tiny Prints.

I found my favorite card from their digital catalog within a matter of minutes.

It stood out to me the most and I knew it would be perfect with the color scheme of our photos this year.

Some of my other favorites included gold foil and glitter! 

I loved that this card had a ton of space to fit all of my photos I loved and the tri fold gave it so much dimension and personality. 

We have gotten so many compliments on this card, but all credit goes to Tiny Prints for making it a breeze on me!

We also opted to have all addresses and return addresses printed on the envelope which saved me SO much time!

Not only that, but we even got personalized stamps!

You guys, how awesome is that?

We chose these stamps and they turned out sooo cute!

Our order came so quickly and I was able to get our cards out in record time! 

Seriously, I cannot say enough good things about Tiny Prints.

We will definitely be using them in years to come and I just can't wait to design another card :)

If you still need to order you have til Sunday to get THIRTY percent off your entire order with the code HOLLYJOLLY so RUN, don't walk ;)

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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Within the Walls of My Home

Photo credit to Kiely Ro Photography 

Part of me is saying it's not worth my time to write this post, but the other part of me is saying "hey wait, isn't this why you started a blog?" 

Sooo... here goes Nothin!

I'm not going to tell you who I voted for, because to be honest that shouldn't matter.

If you liked me before the whole voting scene went down, why should that change?

I won't define you by who you voted for, and I sure hope you won't, me. 

We all woke up this morning and went about our lives per usual, correct?

Maybe a few were celebrating, a few were crying, and a few were upset, sure... but we all lived the same Wednesday we always do.

Because that's the thing... this country will not change over night.

America has undergone some pretty rough things in the past, if you paid attention at all in school you'll agree with me there, and somehow we survived it all.

If you aren't a fan of the new president, that's fine, but please don't act out irrationally.

The United States of America is and should be just that... United.

With each other, with our neighbors, with our families, and our president.

I get it, you don't agree with everything he stands for... but will you ever agree with everything a president stands for?

Probably not.

I didn't agree with quite a few things our last president changed and believed in, but my life still went on and I chose to focus on the bigger, more eternal picture. 

If you're planning on moving tomorrow, so be it.

But as for me, I am entirely proud to be an American no matter who is in office.

Our country is not defined by our president, it is defined by our people.

So try, and try hard, to be a people of love, compassion, and empathy.

You may not agree with him, me, or her... but you can still choose to represent yourself in a respectful matter.

Alright, now that those thoughts are out... 

I want to ask you to think about what is most important to you.

Think real hard.

I hope more than anything, you are thinking about your family.

Whether that be your immediate family, extended family, or those that are "like family," those are the people we should truly be thinking about right now.

I encourage each of you that are reading this to stop scrolling through Facebook and posting your differing opinions on people's statuses and to think about what you can do to create a stronger family focused on Christ. 

Because that is what matters, and if you have faith in The Lord, you have faith in our country. 

So as for me, I'm not freaking out about this election.

I can't believe we ended up with those two candidates... but I knew I could live with either one of them in office because they make temporal decisions, not eternal. 

As for me, I'll be using these times of disagreement as a time to teach my children what really matters.

And, I'll be doing this within the walls of my own home; where only mine and my husband's opinions matter.

My goal is to make our home a sanctuary that my family looks forward to coming home to.

That will only happen if I teach them correct principles, not those of hate and judgement.

I'll teach them that racism is two sided and can be demolished if we have the pure love of Christ in our hearts.

I'll teach them to respect others even if they have a differing opinion.

I'll be teaching them that women are strong and important, but men are too. 

I'll be teaching them that love conquers all hate and to love as they wish to be loved.

I'll also be teaching them that the going will get rough, but it's how we handle ourselves in those moments that defines us.

I'll teach them that we will always respect our president because he/she is an imperfect person too, and everyone deserves a chance.

I'll teach them to pray, in all things and through all things.

Last but absolutely not least, I'll always emphasize that the world we're living in currently is not forever. This world is in control of our Maker, and he has a plan for us that will make every trial and hardship worth it to experience pure and complete joy. 

So if today, yesterday, or tomorrow you're having a hard time, try a little harder to remember that all that really matters, is what happens within the walls of your own home.
If you really want to make a difference, raise the next generation of voters to have a little more love, understanding, compassion, honesty, and faith in their hearts.

All my love,
Aleigh Joy

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