Lace, Satin, and Bows, Oh My!

We've talked about matching Christmas jammies, and we've talked about Christmas cards, now it's time to talk about another favorite Christmas tradition of mine... Christmas dresses! Having two little girls, this is seriously so fun for me! I love choosing something festive and dressing the girls up so pretty. It's so fun to curl Oaklyn's hair and have Cambria wear a pretty, sparkly bow. The girls wear their dresses on Christmas Sunday to church and I try to coordinate mine and Hunter's outfits as well to get a festive family photo. This is a tradition I can't go without. Things like this just make the holidays so fun! Oaklyn is really into "spinny" dresses and looking "pretty" so I'm super excited for this year!

The girls got a little test run wearing their dresses for these photos because I just HAD to show you all the gorgeous dresses from Bonnie Jean. I mean seriously, these dresses are literally everything I wanted! They are tiered with the most beautiful lace and have gorgeous satin bonding. They also have a satin bow placed in both the front and the back making it stunning when looking at it from either view. I absolutely love the way these dresses fit on my girls and couldn't stop staring at them twirling and smiling as they had them on. There's just something about matching little girlies that is so so darling! I'm obsessed! 

There are soo many gorgeous options at Bonnie Jean, I'm sure you'll find the perfect holiday dresses for your own daughters! My girls are wearing the Ava dress, but a few of my other favorites were the Korah, The Westly, and the London! I absolutely think it is worth it to invest in holiday dresses because they can be worn and used throughout the year! These dresses are wonderful quality and will fit the girls for a little while. They will be perfect to wear during Valentine's day and would even be cute for the 4th of July! I also love dressing my girls in festive dresses the whole month of December so they can wear them next year before Christmas Sunday when they get their new ones!

If you're looking to start this tradition this year, or are simply looking for the perfect Christmas dress, look no further! Make sure to look at all the beautiful holiday dresses Bonnie Jean has to offer!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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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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Let's Take a Bath!

This post is sponsored by Ivory Soap. All opinions expressed are mine alone. 

You know how certain smells can take you back to a specific memory in an instant? How one moment you're going about your day, and the next you are taken back to a time filled with clear happy memories... There are a lot of smells that do that for me, but one very distinct one is the classic smell of an Ivory Soap bar.  It always reminds me of my grandma's house and the bathrooms that we would shower in. There was one upstairs and one in the basement and there was always Ivory Soap waiting for us. When I smell Ivory, I'm taken back to the moments I spent with family in Maryland and all the happy memories we created. From hiking in the creek to eating a crab feast on the deck, and Christmas cousin shopping to making music videos with choreographed dance moves, those are some of my fondest memories. I love that one smell of an Ivory Soap bar brings me back to such happy moments in time.

Ivory may have a new look, but it is the same pure soap that I have known and loved since I was a little girl. I can remember so many times as little kids, we would be knee deep in the creek wandering through and making up stories about whatever we found. We would get out and head back to the house only to be covered in water and mud.

Nothing felt better after a long day of fun than washing off with Ivory's Soap that has been trusted for generations to provide a gentle clean.

Now that I'm a mom, I'm the one cleaning up dirt, mud, and sweaty little skin and I love using Ivory products because they are made pure to give parents peace of mind. My little Oaks loves to play, just like I did. She loves to play make believe and I often see myself in her. She runs through the yard with her wild hair trailing behind and walks through rain puddles without a care in the world. I want her to always keep that imagination and feel like playing outside is better than sitting and watching TV, but thinking about the cleanup is always the hardest part for me in letting go and letting her have fun. I'm so thankful that Ivory provides a pure, gentle clean for my entire family so I can focus less on worrying about cleaning up the mess and more about enjoying the mess as it's being created. Ivory aims to simplify life so you can spend more time on the things that matter most, like digging in the dirt and jumping on a wet trampoline! Ivory has been a proven and trusted brand for over 130 years and will continue to be loved by parents everywhere!

I grew up using the bars of Ivory soap at my grandma's house and still to this day love them, but I'm also so excited that they have Ivory Clean Body Wash that has a new gentle formula that is free of dyes and heavy perfumes. Not only is it perfect for me and my allergies, but it is perfect for my girls with sensitive skin. I love reminiscing and thinking back to some of my favorite memories as a kid in Maryland surrounded by family. It makes me think of my girls and the memories they're currently creating with their cousins and grandparents. I'm so happy that I can choose to live in the moment and let my kids be kids because I have Ivory to trust to take care of the cleanup.

What are some of your favorite memories as a kid that are brought back through familiar scents??

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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Up Your Baby's Sleeping Game With the Ollie World Swaddle!

Hey Everyone!

Since having Cambria, some of my most frequent asked questions are about what baby products I think are must-haves. 

Every single baby out there is different and will like different things, but there are definitely a few products that I will always recommend to people and one of them is The Ollie World Swaddle!

I'm a huge believer in swaddling my babies and I'm obsessed with this one!

Babies, all of them, are born with a startle reflex that can easily wake them up.

Oaklyn had to be swaddled insanely tight when she was a baby or else she would wake up several times a night thanks to this reflex.

Cambria was definitely born with a more mild temperament and probably doesn't "need" to be swaddled like Oaklyn did, but I'm positive it is still one of the main reasons why she is such a good sleeper.

Not only does a swaddle prevent the startle reflex, but it also just keeps your baby nice and cozy. 

I mean think about it, they were in this warm and cozy womb for 9 months and then suddenly they're expected to be okay with learning to fall asleep without that same environment. 

That's why I love swaddling my babies right from the start... it's a nice little transition for them to the real world.

So why did I pick the Ollie World Swaddle over all the others on the market?? 

Well because this one is simply the best, and trust me, I've tried them all!

The Ollie World Swaddle looks like a regular old blanket, only it has velcro to keep it secure.

It is SO easy to use. I literally just stick Cambria in the middle, pull one side over, then the other and boom, she's ready for bed. 

Some of the really cool features of this swaddle are...

 -The patented moisture-wicking threads interwoven into the fabric which reduce the risk of overheating.

-Velcro that helps keep the Ollie secure and allows the fit to be individualized meeting the need and size of each baby as they grow!

- And the opening on the bottom that makes middle of the night diaper changes a breeze. You can also securely close it with the elastic band.

Basically, this swaddle has everything you need and keeps your little one sooo cozy!

The second I put Cammy in her swaddle, she instantly calms down and will just lay there happy as a clam.

Come to think of it, I wish they made them in my size ;)

All my love,

Aleigh Joy 

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Shopping With Two Littles

Friends! I'm here to tell you about a baby MUST HAVE today.

This product is useful no matter how many kids you have, but it has been a lifesaver so far with my two little kiddos!

So, let me paint a scenario in your head for a second...

You have this cute new little baby who fell asleep in her carseat. 

You also have a little two year old who would be a complete nightmare if you let her "walk" alongside you at any store. 

You also only have one cart and somehow have to fit all of your groceries inside that one cart with the carseat and that two year old sitting in the seat of the cart. 

Sounds difficult right? RIGHT!

I was totally the mom who stacked Triscut boxes on top of Oaklyn's car seat when she was tiny haha!

I mean where else would you put them with that huge car seat taking up all the space?

Despite the fact that shopping with kiddos is already less than ideal, it's also challenging trying to figure out where to ya know... put everything!

Insert the Binxy Baby Shopping Cart Hammock!

You guys, I'm not kidding when I say this thing is a MUST for any momma.

It is amazing and a total lifesaver when you are doing your grocery shopping. 

So what exactly is it??

Binxy Baby is a shopping cart hammock for your little one to lounge in while you fill up your grocery cart. 

It has clips that hook onto the rails of the cart which can hold up to 50 pounds!

It has a infant carseat safety strap to keep the carseat secure, or a secure seat harness to keep your little one lounging comfortably and safe. 

It also has 2 layers of fabric to hold in your little one.

I just keep it rolled up in the back seat of my car so I always have it ready when I need it. 

If Cambria is asleep, I just put the entire car seat in the hammock.

If she is awake, I just put her in the hammock and let her look around.

Either way is so simple to use and makes SO much space for groceries in the cart!

Literally everywhere I go, I get stopped by numerous people asking what it is and where they can get one.

It's just THAT much of a necessity!

I highly recommend this product and I know it can change your grocery shopping experience as a mom. 

Check out the Binxy Baby website to find the design that you like best!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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