New Year's Party for Kids

It has been five years since we went out for New Year's Eve. Now that we have kids, staying up late to party and then waking up at 5:30a.m. (when our kids wake up) is just not how we like to start 2017. We would much rather start the new year with a full night of sleep, but that's not to say we don't love a good party. 

Instead, we just party at 5pm (midnight in England), and say "Happy New Year" then. We have friends over with their kids, and make it one giant pajama party. I love these organic cotton PJ's from Skylar & Luna if you're looking for some cute PJs for your kids. All of the kids are wearing them in the photos.

I serve pigs in a blanket, cinnamon rolls, fruit and other breakfast goodies. It's super easy, fun for all and a great way to ring the New Year in with friends and kids with no fuss.

For decorations, I keep it simple. I just blew up 30 balloons and a got a couple special ones from the party store. The kids spent the entire time throwing the balloons around. I also got some horns and party hats, and called it good.

For activities,  we just push the furniture back and have a big dance party (we are loving the Trolls soundtrack on Spotify right now). You can also ask the kids what their resolution (or their parent's hope is) for the new year and write it on a chalkboard. It makes for some super instagrammable moments. 

Most importantly, make sure to just have fun and not worry about getting all gussied up for a party. Stay comfortable and make amazing memories with your family and friends.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; Pajamas provided by Skylar & Luna

REAL TALK REAL MOMS: BIRTH STORIES

As a Christian, this time of year is a season of contemplation of my faith and the reliance I have on Jesus Christ. And now that I'm a mom, each year when I think about Jesus being born over 2,000 years ago, I often think about Mary, and all of the feelings she must have experienced becoming a new mom, carrying the Savior of the world, and birthing him in less than desirable circumstances (in a barn, no family around, and during a time when young boys were being slaughtered by King Herod). Regardless, of whether someone believes that Jesus was the Messiah, giving birth like Mary did is a victory alone. When I compare it to my my birth stories (they were hard just because it's frickin' child birth), I can't imagine how any person could get through that experience without a greater power to rely on. In this installment of The Real Mom Series, we are sharing our birth stories. My religious beliefs are my own and this topic just happened to fall during Christmas, so be sure to read everyone else's stories and experiences.

REAL MOMS: Thoughts by Natalie, The Effortless Chic, A Daily Something, Design for Mankind

Elle and Levi are opposites in every way - gender, interests, ages, personality and even their birth stories. 

Elle was my first. We took the classes and read the books. I went into the idea of birthing not wanting any pain medication and having a set birth plan (like many first time moms). Everything was as planned as I could make it be. And then my water broke three weeks early in the middle of the night just after celebrating Ryan's birthday, and, well, that wasn't in the plan at all. We went to the hospital, and once we were admitted we needed to make sure we had a baby within their set timeframe or it was straight to c-section. Looking back on it, it was definitely not an ideal birth situation. I didn't progress, so they hooked me up to pitocin (grrrr...I HATE that stuff). My contractions got super intense without dilating past a 3 cm for quite a while. I was in sooooo much pain and the contractions were coming so fast I couldn't catch my breath. I finally opted for an epidural, but since it was Labor Day weekend (ironic, right?) no one could get to me for an hour. I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that I got stadol (worst drug ever). I don't remember much that happened when I got that, but I know I said some CRRRAAAZY things to the doctors and Ryan. I finally got an epidural after that, but then my body started shaking non-stop, and the epidural didn't take right. My legs were numb, but I could feel every contraction. So, several hours of labor, without being able to walk and shaking made for super fun times at the hospital. 17 hours of labor total, and two pushes and then she was in my arms. And then the world just melted away because I became a mom in that moment. 

For Levi, it was text book for the most part. I labored at home without really knowing I was laboring for the majority of it. It was about 5:30pm on a Saturday night when things started getting more intense, but I was still functioning through it and doing my usual tasks. I had a feeling it could be "the day," so I told Ryan to go take the dog and Elle over to his parents' house. During that short hour that he was gone things intensified quickly. When I realized that I was actually in labor I wobbled upstairs to take a shower (knowing it would be awhile before I could do that again), and then packed my bag. I was huffing, puffing and screaming through it all. Finally he came home, and when I couldn't even have a conversation I knew it was time to go the hospital. There were so many swear words that came out of my mouth while driving to the hospital. I seriously thought I was going to have a baby in the car. When we got to the hospital I was already at 8 cm. It was crazy! They rushed me back into a delivery room, and told me that I was going to have a baby in the next hour. By this time it was 8:30pm, and there was no one at the hospital. I had such great care and attention by the staff. I ended up being able to get an epidural, and I'm thankful that I did because the only snag in the perfect birth experience was that the cord was wrapped around his neck. It took two and a half hours of pushing to get that guy out. They had to put me on oxygen because his heart rate would drop with every push. I don't think I realized how scary it was for the doctors until afterwards. They were just trying to keep me focused, and I was. He finally arrived at 1:21 a.m. on a Sunday. It was perfect. He slept forever, and we just snuggled. (Read more of his birth story in a past post here).

My post-partum experiences with both of them were the hardest part of it all, but that's for another Real Moms installment! Merry Christmas everyone!

2016 FAMILY PHOTOS

Every year, no matter what, I make sure we take family photos. I think it's really important to have documentation of our family over the years, and I'd like to think that the generations that come after us will treasure them. 

Since we have been sick a lot it was hard to plan a big photo shoot out, and, honestly, I'm kind of over all of the outdoor family shoots. Just like in any industry, new trends emerge and shooting families in their homes in a more "real life" setting seems to be where the family photo session trend is going. But, for us, it was also just about convenience. 

So, since we planned to do it in our house we thought wearing our PJ's would be fun. We had Rennai Hoefer come over just before Thanksgiving and take pictures of us putting up our tree. Funny enough, our tree never got decorated beyond a couple cereal garlands. Haha, but, hey, minimalist is "in," right? 

We found all of our jammies at Target this year, and chose gray and white because of our interiors colors in our living room. I thought bringing in our blue velvet sofa would make it feel a bit more holiday-ish too. We just put it by our blank white wall and had some fun. 

Of course, the kids didn't really cooperate like you hope, but that's real life, right? It made for some good pictures for us to cherish. Like this one above where Elle was choking her brother (yeesh). 

We put them all together in a photo collage for our Christmas cards that we made with minted. And, we actually got our cards printed, addressed and mailed this year, which was a big win for me. 

If you're looking for a great family photographer in Arizona be sure to check out Rennai Hoefer! She is amazing!

From my family to yours, we hope you have a very merry Christmas that is filled with hope and joy, and hope that 2017 brings much blessing to you. 

A ONE STOP AMAZING SHOP

This post is sponsored by Bed, Bath & Beyond.

The holiday season is always a bit nutty starting with Halloween through New Year's Day, but this year feels beyond nutty. We're talking a hurricane of madness where most plans have fallen through due to sickness and work deadlines. Throw in birthdays, hosting guests and doctor visits and you can find me with the door closed practicing deep breathing. So, leisurely shopping for Christmas gifts around town as I sip a latte is but a dream. In reality, I need one stop, amazing shopping to tackle Christmas, and that's why all of our gifts for our family are from Bed, Bath & Beyond this year. They have something for everyone including our golden-doodle, Wendy. I guess you can say I've sleighed the holidays, well, at least Christmas gifts.

You have to see what I found. I even bought myself the best gift of all...(a gift that keeps on giving, of course). And, we opened up our gifts early this year, so that I could share why we love them.

ELLE: Ice Cream Maker / $19.99 - This isn't a traditional gift for kids, but it really should be. Elle's favorite food is ice cream and she loves to bake with me. This ice cream maker does all of the work for you. You just add your ingredients, and then theres a little slot to add in any mix-ins. So, this is something that your kids starting at 4 years old can pretty much do themselves with a bit of assistance measuring. It has a little storage bowl inside the machine that you can pop out and place in the freezer for easy storing. To complete the gift, you can buy a kid's apron and chef hat.

LEVI: Vtech Smart Wheels Treasure Mountain Train Set / $49.99 - Levi is really into trucks, cars and anything he can roll across the floor. This Treasure Mountain Smart train set takes things with wheels to a whole new level. It comes with a battery operated train that goes its own. The set comes with balls that he can plop through different parts of the mine onto the train. It's SO cool! Elle actually loves it just as much as Levi and she is 4. It has really is a gift they can share.

RYAN: Top Shelf Bevel 3-Piece Whiskey Set / $89.99 - Ryan is a whiskey man. We started a bar set when we were first married with a shaker, ice bucket, etc., but he didn't have a decanter for whiskey or old fashioned glasses. I thought this would be the perfect, sophisticated way to grow his tools. The beveled glass makes for a beautiful display too. We look forward to doing some holiday entertaining in the coming days, and this is perfect for it.

WENDY: Pawslife Orthopedic Step-in Dog Bed/ $59.99 - Truthfully, Wendy has not received a Christmas gift since the kids were born (yikes). Not even a special bone (oops). She is seven years old, and the dog bed we first got her is just as old, but ragged and worn out. This year we got her a new bed that is more cozy than the first. And, even though I don't like to think about Wendy getting older, I know that one day she will, and this bed will make it easier for her to get up and out of it.

ME: Nespresso Maker Bundle / $187.49 - Though this may be the most expensive gift on the list I must tell you this is a gift for the WHOLE family. Okay, more so me and Ryan, but good coffee is truly the gift that keeps on giving because I then have energy to get through my day with a smile on my face vs. a frown. Plus, we have a bit of a bad habit of frequenting coffee shops regularly, and we're really trying not to do that. Since using this Nespresso and automatic frother I haven't even thought about going to Starbucks in the past five days. It's that good, and it's going to save us money in the long run.

I also got myself this "Awesome" mug to help start my day on the right foot.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; this post contains affiliate links. 

REAL TALK REAL MOMS ON A BRIGHTER FUTURE

There's a lot division in our country right now, especially after the presidential election. So, we've decided that the Real Mom Series needs to tackle what it means and looks like to raise a bright future for our country and our world. Please be sure to check out the takes on this topic: Design for Mankind; The Effortless Chic; Apartment 34; The Life Styled

I'm a white, upper-class, suburban mom raising white, upper-class, suburban children. When I pin on Pinterest, scroll through my Instagram feed and read posts on Facebook I most often see white middle to upper-class, able bodied men, women and children staring back at me. It's not wrong to live in the suburbs, to have money and to be white by any means. But as I write these words out something feels wrong, and that's because I'm lacking the rainbow of diversity this world has to offer in my personal life, in my work life and in my virtual life. And, if I'm not intentional in showing my kids that people in this world live differently than we do, worship differently, love differently, act differently, etc. then they will grow up not knowing how to love their neighbor that is different. And, they will not see that it is equally their responsibility as an American citizen to act just-fully for those that are not like them. 

So, I must confess that I have unintentionally created a bubble for myself and my family. And though I am aware that discrimination exists in our country and world, I haven't really done anything about it in that way that I should. The biggest way I can fight racism and discrimination against women or people with special needs is to raise the next generation to think and act differently. But, that's only going to happen by setting an example. 

Here is a list of actionable ways I can be an example for my kids and I can also show my kids the beautiful, diverse world we live in.

1. Acknowledge injustice when we see it and try our best to help rectify it when we can. I don't want to teach my kids to look the other way even if a problem doesn't "involve them." So, if we can solve a problem on the playground, stop and help if we witness an accident, talk about current events that are unjust.
2. Vote, take them with me, and talk about who and why I am voting for. (I did this year.)
2. Spend time in difference parts of our city playing. Phoenix is the 6th largest city, and each suburb looks different than the other and has something different to offer. 
3. Involve them in service projects that they can do at a young age. Serving food pantries, donating their toys and cleaning up our city. 
4. Buy children's books that show people of other ethnicities, cultures and abilities. It's easy to paint the world white and able-bodied without being intentional. After looking at our kid's books I realized we don't have any that show kids that are asian, black or who have special needs.
5. Buy toys that show different skin colors and abilities. Elle loves playing with Barbies and dolls, but they all look the same. 
6. Show them different places of worship and learn about different religious holidays. We are Christian and often talk about Christian holidays, but we haven't ever talked about other holidays her friends celebrate. 
7. Make and eat meals from all over the world.
8. Travel to other countries
9. Pro-actively share content on our social channels that is diverse in gender, race and ability.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Please comment below.