Our Favorite Afternoon Snack + Printable Valentines!

Thank you to Cuties for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions written are mine alone.  #100daysofsunshine 

I don't know about the rest of you, but the afternoon munchies hit hard in our home. It's that time in the late afternoon when we've already had lunch and it isn't quite time for dinner, but Oaklyn and I just really need a snack that satisfies. The absolute perfect snack solution that won't spoil our dinner is Cuties! They are perfectly kid-sized and adult-sized!

Oaklyn is in a "I can do it myself" phase where she wants to be independent and do everything she's able to, on her own. There are definitely times when it's helpful, and others when it proves to be more difficult than beneficial. You know, like the times she wants to help make cookies and somehow flour ends up all over the floor... sigh. Luckily, Cuties are easy to peel and her little hands love being able to unwrap them. Not only are they easy to peel, but they are also easy to eat! Foods that involve a spoon, or any utensil for that matter, create quite the eating challenge for my little 2 year old. Cuties are sweet and seedless making them the perfect kid-friendly snack. Lucky for all of us, it is Cuties season and they are back in-store, ripe, and ready to eat!

Not only do Cuties make the perfect snack for your little ones, but they also make a for a great activity to pass some time! We love sitting outside in the sunshine and peeling several of them together. Oaklyn would honestly rather peel a Cutie than play with half her toys, ha! The other fun activity you can do with your kids and Cuties, is make Valentines! I personally don't think my child needs an ounce more of sugar on Valentine's Day, so I'm guessing other moms must feel the same way. For that reason, I think passing out Cuties make the perfect Valentines! Have your child help place a Cutie in a bag, let them choose some special festive ribbon, and then attach the Valentine card that I made! All you need to do is download the printable here and then print! I personally selected the option on my printer of 4 images per page but you can do one large Valentine, or even smaller with 8 images! Whatever you fancy ;) Have your child sign their name on the back, hole punch it, then attach to the ribbon. Now you have a festive Valentine for your child to give to all of their friends!

February 16th is "Random Acts of Kindness Day" and to coincide with it, Cuties created their 100 Days of Sunshine Campaign! This campaign is meant to inspire others to spread sunshine within their communities and families. True happiness can be felt when you lose yourself in serving others and Cuties wants everyone to feel that joy and love. We will be taking our Cuties Valentines to local service men and women this year!

So, whether you need a snack on the go, a Valentine for your kid to bring to school, a snack in between meals, a tasty gift to bring to a friend or neighbor, or a side for a meal, Cuties are the perfect healthy and tasty option!

Does your family love Cuties as much as we do? Head over to buy a bag today!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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A Letter To My Forever Valentine

Hunter Miles,

We've almost been married 3 years and known each other for 8.

That sounds like a pretty long time to me, but I guess I've only known you a third of my life.

The funny thing is, I can't really remember what life was like before I met you.

Since the moment I laid eyes on you, I couldn't get you out of my head.

You know our cheesy little story, how you dove in the pool right as I walked into the backyard and I was completely love struck ;)

I wanted nothing more than to be yours, and I can't believe I somehow fooled you into marrying me, ha!

Falling in love with you was instant. It took hardly any time and absolutely no effort.

I knew I was in love with you when I was only 15 years old, and even though our lives are quite a bit less care free now, I still love you the same way.

Getting married at the ripe ages of 19 and just barely 21 was an easy choice for us to make, but life has sure done it's best to make it harder than we anticpated.

Between you working two jobs and going to school full time, having a vey fussy baby who turned into the cutest needy toddler, and me dealing with post partum depression... I think we can both say it hasn't exactly been a wallk in the park. 

As you put it the other night, "Sometimes life isn't all rainbows and skittles." ha!

But the coolest thing about going through all of this together, is that our love always overcomes each trial we're given.

It takes a real man to love a woman through the hard times and somehow you do it with ease.

I'm always amazed at the love you offer me, how you can literally forget the world just to lean over and kiss me.

I know you have a whole lot on your plate, but even when your plate gets overly full... you take the time out of your day to show me you love me.

Thank you for always forgiving me, for learning with me, and trying your hardest to understand me.

I'm so beyond happy we promised forever together. You're the only one I want to go through it all with.

Remember when we had the world's worst road trip together?

It was the middle of summer and we were in your little jeep going through death valley without air conditioning... ha!

I was newly pregnant, and your contacts dried up from having the windows down the whole time.

Basically, it was rather unpleasant.

I remember a few days after when we could finally laugh about it and our ears stopped ringing, you looked at me and said "yeah that was rough, but I wouldn't want to go through it with anyone else."

There have been so many moments I've thought that to myself, you really are the perfect man for me.

I've written you a whole lot of love letters in our time spent together, but I'll never stop because you deserve to be told how much I love you day in and day out.

So Hunter, you're the best decision I've ever made.

Life has handed us quite a few sour lemons, but with you, it always turns out sweet.

You're my very best friend, my confidant, my forever valentine.

I love you with all that is in me.

Even though I'm tired most days when you come home now, I still look at you with the same lovey dovey eyes I did in my teenage years. 

My heart will never stop beating twice as fast for you Hunter.

I was made for loving you :)

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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A Letter To My Little Valentine

I don't have to worry about kissing my babe with my lipsense!

My sweet Oaks, this Valentines Day is the first that I really feel like I have a second little Valentine.

I loved you tons last year, but our relationship together has grown so much in the past year.

You're my best little friend, my favorite shopping buddy, my perfect little girl.

One day, you'll probably find this blog of mine and read a little about what your life was like growing up.

I hope you find that I love you to pieces and that I've never felt like I had more purpose on this earth until I became your mother.

When I woke up that Tuesday morning with a sore chest and slight nausea, I absolutely knew you were there.

I still snuck a test into the second bathroom to make sure it was true.

When those two pink lines appeared, I think I felt every emotion in the book.

I covered my eyes and started bawling.

I was excited and scared all at the same time.

It didn't feel real, but I absolutely knew you were there.

As time went on and I felt your little kicks I began to love you in a way I'd never felt before.

When you entered the world I took one look at you and knew I wanted to give you the world.

I felt inadequate to say the least, but all I wanted was to be the mother you deserved.

We had a rather difficult first year of your life filled with little sleep and lots of crying on both ends.

You were figuring out life and I was figuring out my new life as a mother.

With each runny nose, milestone, and meal thrown on the floor... I realized why this love was a different kind of love.

A mother's love is selfless, and it is never ending.

Even when I fall to the floor after sticking you in time out because I feel like I'm failing you, I couldn't love you any more.

You came up to me the other day, put your hand on my shoulder and said "Mama nice, mama fun, mama yov me."

You didn't see it as you walked away, but I brushed my tears away from my eyes because just those 7 words you said in your tiny toddler voice, made me feel like super woman. 

I want you to know I cherish all the moments I get to spend with you, just me and you.

You've become the best friend I didn't know I was missing.

Sure you yell and scream when you don't get your way... Sure you demand a lot of me and test my patience... but when it comes down to it, you're the only one that doesn't judge me for my imperfections. 

You stand by me with pride because you love me despite my flaws, you forgive when I make mistakes, and you trust me when I have no clue what I'm doing.

You reach for my hand as we walk across the street, look to me when a stranger says hello, and giggle when I do something silly.

Oaklyn Joy, this year and all other years, I want you to know that you are my Valentine too.

Because on a day for Lovers, I can say that I love you with the most selfless and unconditional love out there. 

I love you sweet baby.

All my love,

Mama

Photos taken by Tiel Photography

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Valentine's Weekend

I have quite a bit of catching up to do on past events.

Planning Oaklyn's birthday party took over every bit of my energy the past few weeks. Or months. I've practically been planning since the day she was born, ha!

So, let's start with Valentine's Weekend, shall we?

As many of you know, if not all, my husband and I are LDS.

On Sundays we don't do much other than go to church and hang around our house.

Often times I'll make a big, yummy dinner and we'll watch a movie.

It's a day of rest where we refrain from doing the things we usually would throughout the week.

We spend time with family and "keep the Sabbath Day holy" by not working, spending money, intensely exercising, etc...

I'm sure a lot of you are thinking, "How boring!" but I'm feeling happy just typing this.

I look forward to Sundays.

I love going to church and I love spending the rest of the day at home with my family. 

That being said, Valentine's Day this year fell on a Sunday.

So, all of Utah celebrated on Saturday haha ;)

We started the day by sleeping in, my favorite!

When I woke up, Hunter had a bouquet of flowers on the counter for me. I love fresh flowers!

We don't really exchange gifts on Valentine's Day and I'm okay with that. Flowers are perfect :)

We then got ready for the day, ate some brunch, and went for a walk with Oaklyn.

We love going for walks because she is so content in the stroller and Hunter and  I get to talk the whole time.

Later, we put Oaks down for a nap and got ready for our date night!

Savannah, Hunter's sister, watched Oaklyn for us while we went out to Olive Garden.

Not only was everyone eating at Olive Garden in Provo, but there was a school dance that weekend too... it was an hour and a half wait!

We made the most of having a baby sitter by going to Provo Beach Resort and playing arcade games together.

It was actually tons of fun and we won lots of tickets that we used all on candy ;)

It was fun to laugh and focus all our attention on each other.

We held hands the whole way back to Olive Garden and then enjoyed a yummy meal.

I think Hunter had like 15 bread sticks haha!

After dinner, we headed home and played with our little Valentine until she went to bed.

After putting her to bed, Hunter and I watched the movie Valentine's Day snuggled on the couch.

On Sunday, we went to church per usual and just spent the day together.

Around 5 our friends Isaac and Kiely came over and we made homemade heart shaped pizzas!

It was so fun! And pretty darn good.

Kiely also brought strawberries and cupcakes and we played with Oaks all night. 

We then played the game Heads Up when Oaks went to sleep.

I really enjoyed this year's Valentine's Weekend.

Next event, our anniversary!

What did you do this Valentine's Day?

I hope it was a great one!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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My Two Valentines

Last year, Hunter and I spent our last Valentine's Day together, just the two of us.

I was convinced Oaklyn would make her debut right in the middle of our date... or maybe hoping?

But, she didn't. Stubborn little thing.

Hunter and I enjoyed that night together. 

We spent the evening going out to eat, walking around the mall, and watching a movie.

It was laid back, and just what my pregnant body needed.

I remember that day clearly, not because it was anything super significant, but because I remember wondering how I could possibly love another human being when I loved Hunter with all my heart already.

I know it sounds silly, but I was actually worried that I wouldn't be able to share my love.

I still struggle with this on occasion. It can be difficult dividing up the love.

I constantly feel like I have to give either Hunter or Oaklyn more attention because I've been more focused on the other one.

Obviously, Oaklyn steals most of it, most of the time... and I go to bed wondering how it will even be possible for me to split up my love among the other children we will one day have.

But somehow, I always find more love to give.

So here's to you my two sweet Valentine's :)

Hunter, I hope you know I'll always love you first. When all my attention is on our crying, teething baby, my mind is on you. You were the first man I ever really loved, and you will be the last. I'm sorry I easily get stressed and overwhelmed and most of the time take that out on you. You don't deserve that, but thank you for loving me anyways. Thank you for being there. For always being there. For writing me weekly on your mission and staying awake to text me in high school even though I knew you were tired. Thank you for supporting our family and working so hard to let me stay home with our baby. Thank you for comforting me during the trials and celebrating with me during our triumphs. Most importantly, thank you for promising to love me forever. Hunter, I couldn't ask for a better husband. I may not always express this, but I'm constantly in awe of the man you have become. You're my one true love, my rock, my forever, my eternal Valentine. I love you beyond words, and I always will.

Oaklyn Joy, you have given my life meaning. I know you won't be reading this anytime soon... if ever, but I still need to get it out. Thank you for being so patient with me during my first year of motherhood. I'm sorry you have to be the guinea pig, just know you will also always have a very special place in my heart because of it. I'll always treasure all those moments we spent together in the middle of the night just looking at each other and trying to figure each other out. I used to study your profile in those moments. I was always in awe of your beauty. I couldn't believe Heavenly Father could fit so much perfection in such a tiny body. I am so thankful He trusted me to nurture and raise you. I feel like the luckiest mama. The moment I became a mother, I understood my purpose. You have filled me with so much joy, love, heartache, happiness, fatigue, and empowerment. You have caused me to feel a love I didn't know existed. I love you to the moon and back, my tiny Valentine. 

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

(mama)

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