Happy Weekend!

Source: belljarsf.tumblr.com via Morgan on Pinterest

Eric and I are away for a few days, so I'll have lots of pictures to share with you on Monday!

Have a happy weekend, my friends!

Small Style {Park and Ice Cream}

Bow- Adornme Girl, Sweater (in first picture)- vintage, thrifted, Sweater (in second picture)- Zara, Jeggings- Walmart, Long Sleeve T-shirt- via Zulily, Shoes- See Kai Run via Zulily

Although the weather is cold again here, a few days ago it was sunny enough to eat ice cream before a trip to the park and wear shorts (for the boys). I know we'll be spending many, many afternoons just like this in the months to come. It was pretty much perfect! Miss Finley decided on her ice cream not by flavor, but by color. Everything is pink these days and I mean everything.

Don't you love Finley's new sparkly gold bow? I love every single thing in the Adornme Girl shop (and, this isn't a sponsored post or anything, I just adore Kendra and everything she makes), but I think these might be my favorite. I love all of the sparkly bows, but I'm especially loving gold right now.

Gold for Spring makes me happy. What are you loving for Spring?

Link up here:

New Motherhood -Guest Post from Keshet of Over The Rainbow

I'm so excited to have Keshet from Over The Rainbow posting here today. Keshet is a new mother to a beautiful baby girl and is sharing a little bit about what those first few weeks are like. Thanks so much for sharing, Keshet! Don't forget to visit her beautiful, inspiring blog!



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I read an article once that sums up how I feel about being a new mother.

I was a great mother, it said. And then I had a baby. Truer words were never spoken. Mind you, I was well aware that my new baby would be a big change. After two years of infertility treatments, “easy” was not the word I associated with parenthood. But as much as I paid lip service to the idea that my entire life was going to shift, deep down I expected it to stay the same—turning as always with me as the axis, plus a cute little well-dressed baby on my hip. Needless to say that’s not quite how it has turned out!




I’ve been a mother for almost eight weeks now, and those weeks have included some of the hardest days of my life. There was the day my daughter vomited, peed, and projectile pooped on me (thankfully, she missed the nearby scrapbook supplies). There were the nights my husband and I spent stumbling through thirty minute shifts, until I awoke at the crack of dawn to find them both asleep in the baby’s room, my husband spread out at the foot of her bouncy seat with a blanket. And not to be outdone, there was the day that will live on infamy, where my daughter started screaming at about 12:30 in the afternoon and didn’t stop until 11:00 that night.

Those moments have tested me, and I don’t always like what I see. The tired, disheveled person who stares back at me from the mirror snaps a little too often, and complains far too much for being someone so lucky. I’ve wondered if I’m really cut out for this, or if this asking too much of what I can handle.

But the other thing I’ve learned about being a mom is that every day begins fresh. Even on little sleep, even after a frustrating night, I wake up each morning knowing that I love her and that I’m going to try my best to make it a great day. And when she falls asleep on me after a feeding, leans her body into mine and parts her tiny lips? That’s just icing on the cake.

Marriage Series: Communication

Source: rocktheshotforum.com via Morgan on Pinterest

As a new bride I knew very little about men. I knew close to nothing about marriage and communication and how to resolve conflict. When Eric and I disagreed I took it personally. I felt rejected and unloved and in return I would cry, sulk, go silent, get angry, and do anything I could to try and get my way. This was all subconscious. I wasn't being manipulative and intentionally mean, but my immaturity hurt Eric and my marriage a lot.

I didn't come into marriage with the tools I needed to have healthy communication during conflict. I didn't know what it meant to fight fair and healthy. I didn't know what my husband needed from me or how to effectively communicate my own needs. It's taken a lot of trial and error, practice, therapy, discussions with friends and mentors and I can't even tell you how many marriage books I've read (the verdict is still out on how much they've actually helped) to help us grow in our communication. We haven't arrived and we're not perfect, but things are a lot different now.

One thing that I've learned is that no matter what I'm trying to say, what we're trying to discuss, or how sensitive the topic is my husband needs to feel respected.

I can't even tell you how many times Eric has told me that he wants to feel respected. I used to be, like, what? What does that even mean? Although we may never fully understand our husbands' thoughts (or lack thereof, I still don't get how a man can literally be thinking "nothing") I think we can learn to show them a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Here's a few things that have helped me when communicating with my husband:

Watch your words. I think I came into marriage with the assumption that men are tough and they don't get easily hurt. I'm sensitive because I'm a woman, but (I thought) Eric's not. I could say mean things and it would slide right off of him and he would know that I was speaking out of emotions. Well, he can and does get hurt and I've learned it's important for me be deliberate and gentle with my words.

Also, watch your tone, inflection, facial expressions, and body posture. Now that I'm a mother to a daughter, after three sons, I see first hand that girls are sassy. As a woman, I'm still be sassy. My sassiness, in conflict can be interpreted as disrespect when it comes out in eye rolls, hand on the hip, fingers pointed, sighs, etc. You may not even notice yourself doing it, but pay attention to your body language in conversation.

Make him feel like your hero. They may not ever say it out loud, but our husbands want to know that we think they're brave and strong and we appreciate them protecting, providing for, and taking care of us.

Don't be led by emotions. Emotions aren't a bad thing. I feel things deeply and compassion and empathy come naturally for me. Those are good things, but I've also found myself say or do things out of hurt or anger and regret it later. I want to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. I've looked back on too many conversations and am embarrassed by what I've said (and not just with my husband), I want my words to be intentional to build those around me up.

Remember, your husband is your husband, not your girlfriend. I've been disappointed many times when Eric didn't want to recount an event over and over, that we've had lulls in our conversation, or that our communication didn't look or feel like my girlfriends and I. Our husband's are guys and we have to allow them to act like it (and appreciate and love them for it)!


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Today is our last official week of the marriage series. I have so appreciated doing this with Gina and Courtney, two beautiful, amazing, and godly women. I hope you've enjoyed reading our posts and, for all of you who have linked up, thank you so much!

I'm passionate about marriage and I want to continue to post on the topic (although, the posts won't be weekly). I'd love to know, is there anything else you'd like me to write about? Or, to go more in depth on a topic we've already discussed?

Have a lovely day, my friends, and don't forget to check out both Courtney and Gina's posts!


Link up here:

What To Wear: Spring Wedding

I'm officially out of wedding season. It's been a while since Eric and I have been to a wedding, unlike the ten or so we attended the Summer we were married. Most of our friends are married, most have had babies, and many of them are done having babies. I'm old. (Just kidding, I know 29 isn't old!)

I love weddings so much and one of my favorite things about them is picking out what to wear. If I were attending a wedding in the next few months I'd definitely be wearing a pretty Spring dress.

Lately I've been drawn to separates, they're just so much fun, but nothing beats the simplicity of a dress. Throw it on and you're done. Add a few accessories (bracelet, simple earrings, your favorite heels) and you look a-mazing with just a little effort. The Shabby Apple dress (above) is beautiful. It's reasonably priced, I love the scalloped detailing, and the color is spot on.


Topshop


Modcloth


Shop Sosie

Do you have a What To Wear question? Email me!
Congratulations to the winner of the Large Ad Space from Putting Me Together #12, Amanda!

Featured Small Style {Olive Ann of flannery o'kafka}

Sweet Olive Ann is so lovely (even after her fall...oh my, we've had several similar incidents around here!). I love her mustard tights. That pop of color is so on trend! flattery o'kafka is such a beautiful blog filled with inspiring image after inspiring image.

I'd Love To Have You!

I'm so excited for April! April is going to be full of fun in my life and on Mama Loves Papa: Easter, two of my favorite boys' birthdays {both Samuel and Silas have April birthdays!}, and lots of Spring style and projects!

I would love to promote your blog or shop next month! For more information email me at mamalovespapablog@gmail.com

Also, don't forget to enter to win an ad space at Putting Me Together! Tomorrow is the last day to enter!

Crochet Toms Refashion

After seeing Ashley's Toms refashion I knew I had to do something with my own sad pair of Toms. I'd been thinking about buying a new pair, but I'm sure I'd have the same hole in the toe problem again. I mostly wear my them at the park and running around town, so I don't need a brand new pair. (Besides, I have a loooong list of other shoes I'd like to buy first! Just check out my Shoes Pinterest board!)

Someone had given me this adorable crochet shirt about a year ago. It was too short and didn't fit right, but I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of it. I'm so glad I saved it because it was perfect for this project. I also have a pair of jeans with a big hole in the knee that I plan to turn into shorts. I cut two small squares off of the bottom of them and used Liquid Stitch from Joann's to glue the patches on.

After the glue was fully dried it was time to add the pretty crochet. I lined up the hem of the shirt with the middle hem on the shoe. As I glued I held the fabric into place and cut as I went along to line up the crochet with the bottom half of the shoe. I considered covering the whole front toe area of the shoe with denim before adding the crochet, but because I wanted this to be a quick project and I wasn't too concerned with them looking perfect I skipped it.



I think they turned out pretty cute! After only wearing them a couple times I've already gotten several compliments and people asking me where they can buy them. Success!

Small Style {Barnes and Noble}

On Finley- Hoodie: Kohl's, gift from my mom, Tutu- H&M, gift from my sis-in-law
On Silas- Shirt: Gap, gift from my mom, Pants: Target, Boots: Target, gift from my grandma
On Samuel- Shirt: Target, gift from my mom

Wow, every single thing the kids are wearing (at least what's in the pictures) are gifts. The kids are so lucky to have a lot of people around that love them (and buy them clothes)!

The other day while Judah was in school (Don't worry, we do fun stuff with Judah, too. I just don't always use those pictures for Small Style.) we headed over to Barnes and Noble. My dad met up with us and then we all had lunch at In N Out (YUM!).

The kids and I used to go to Barnes and Noble almost every single Wednesday to story time. We'd meet up with friends, I'd drink coffee, and a lot of the time we'd go to lunch afterwards. Those days seems so long ago and just yesterday, at the same time. I started going to story time when Judah was six months old just to get out of the house and be around other moms. Now here we are, seven years later. When we do go to Barnes and Noble the big boys are more interested in checking out the legos than playing at the train table. They're not so tiny anymore.

(Don't forget to enter to win a large ad space for April at Putting Me Together!)

Link up here:

Lately

Marriage Series: A Strong Marriage While Parenting

I am a mom. As much as I'm a wife, I'm a mom.

I got married at 20 years old and gave birth to Judah at 21, just one month before my twenty-second birthday.

At the time I found out I was pregnant Eric and I had been married only seven months and those seven months had been difficult.

I've never regretted getting pregnant so soon or giving birth to Judah. Quite the opposite, actually. I've always considered becoming parents something that solidified our marriage. Not only were we two people trying to figure out life and marriage, but now we were a family. We were the parents of this precious baby and our relationship would always be a critical foundation in his life and the process of him becoming a man. During difficult times in our marriage, where I might have given up (and there have been moments were I've wanted to), I've trudged on. So much more than that, we've blossomed. Knowing that we're not only a couple, but a family, has given me a sense of purpose in clinging to my marriage vows.

Eric and I have grown up together. We married young and were selfish and immature. We've changed a lot, we've struggled, we've celebrated and along the way we've had four kids.

You've probably heard the quote, "The best way for a wife to love her children is to love their father" (or, vice versa). To love Eric is to love my children and to love my children is to love Eric and to figure out how to do that well, well, I'm still figuring that out. Sometimes loving Eric is natural and easy and simple and sometimes I show love to Eric to teach my children how to love.

I often think about what my children's marriages and lives will be like. While living out our marriage Eric and I are setting a foundation of patterns and habits and beliefs that our children will bring into their own marriages. I hope and dream and, most of all, pray for them and their somedays every single day.

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Don't forget to read Courtney and Gina's posts for today. We also want to invite you to share your thoughts on Parenting and Marriage. Remember, this is a vague topic and open to interpretation. You don't have to have kids. You could write about infertility, planning for kids in the future, etc..

Link up here:

{Giveaway} One Month Ad Space on Putting Me Together

I first met Audrey of Putting Me Together last Summer at the home of mutual friends and we totally hit it off. We realized we have so much in common including our love for fashion and blogging. Audrey's home on the web has been a hit and has grown so much in the short time she's had it and not surprisingly so. Her San Diego style is polished and classic with just the right amount of trendy.

Besides just dressing adorable herself, Audrey teaches her readers how to find their own style, remix their wardrobe, and love how to love what they wear. I love her Building a Remixable Wardrobe Series, the most recent post is all about Layering Pieces.


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Audrey is giving away one month of Large Ad space at her blog. Such a great way to promote your blog or shop!

To enter to win visit Putting Me Together and come back here and leave a comment with your favorite blog feature.

For an extra entry tweet this giveaway and leave a separate comment here.
Example tweet: Win an ad space on @puttingme2gther from @mamalovespapa for April!
http://www.mamalovespapa.com/2012/03/giveaway-one-month-ad-space-on-putting.html

You have until Sunday, March 25th to enter. Winner will be chosen using random.org.

Also, visit Putting Me Together for a chance to win one month Large ad space on Mama Loves Papa!

Featured Small Style {Chois Boy from Chois-R-Us}

Oh.my.goodness. Could "Chois Boy" from Chois-R-Us be any more handsome and stylish? I think not. I love the colored pants, striped shirt, and cap combo. And, Tiny Toms? My fave! Thank you so much for sharing your adorable boy with us, Grace!

Homemade Baby Shampoo by Jennie from Our Adventure

Hi there, Jennie here from Our Adventure. I'm so excited to be guest posting today for the lovely Morgan. I really enjoy DIY, cooking, gardening and everything homesteading. Here is a bit about making homemade baby shampoo for your little ones.

My son has extra dry skin and usually gets an eczema like rash whenever I use regular baby shampoos and occasionally during weather changes. We switched to the California baby brand and it works well but I wanted something even better. When I started researching making more homemade products it made sense to try and make some for him too. I found a recipe for eczema cream and converted it to use ingredients I already had on hand. The ingredient it contains that helps relieve the eczema is the avocado oil, so I thought hey why not add it to the soap that he uses every other day to help relieve the dry skin/rash even more and maybe even prevent it from happening.

I found a recipe for homemade baby soap that contains bar soap flakes, that you melt into water and then add to water and an essential oil. It sounded great and easy but why not skip a step and just get liquid castile soap...right? So I chose my favorite brand of castile soap that I have been using for years and use in my homemade shampoo, Dr. Bronner's!

Dr. Bronner's products are wonderful, they have been around since 1858! Their labels contain the moral ABC's, and all products are:

Completely Biodegradable and Vegetable-Based
Made with Certified Fair Trade and Organic Oils
Simple, Ecological Formulations Based on Old-World Quality and Expertise
No Synthetic Foaming Agents, Thickeners or Preservatives
100% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Cylinder Bottles and Paper Labels Simple

I chose to go with they baby mild/unscented for my little guy but they also come in peppermint, eucalyptus, almond, rose, citrus, lavender, and tea tree. Since I am up in Portland, I hit Whole foods to pick some up. I was pleasantly surprised that they had it in bulk pumps! I grabbed a blue bottle and pumped in about 1/3 of the bottle full. It was only 36 cents per ounce which was cheaper than buying it in a pre-packaged bottle, plus I needed to buy a bottle to put it into anyway. When I got home I was pleased to find out that I had pumped exactly 1/4 cup of the liquid soap, I wish I had counted how many pumps it took. The soap and the bottle only cost $2.21 (I'm in OR, no sales tax!).



Recipe:
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp avocado oil (optional, you could also substitute olive oil, vitamin E oil, etc.)

Mix all ingredients into a bottle and shake well the first time. Then swirl it around before each use and use as you would regular baby shampoo.

It soaps up way better than the California baby I was using, plus I can see an improvement in his skin already. I am really pleased with it and I am hoping it prevents the rash from coming back, maybe I won't need our homemade eczema cream anymore.

Thank you Morgan for having us!

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I not only love Jennie's blog, but she's also a friend in real life. We've known each other since high school! Thank you SO much for sharing this recipe, Jennie! I can't wait to try it. Seriously, I'm going to go out and buy the ingredients today!

Don't forget to visit Jennie's blog, Our Adventure, more recipes, info on green living and Jennie's adorable little boy!

Small Style {The Green Coat}

Coat- vintage, gifted, Jeggings- H&M, Boots- Target


Coat- vintage, gifted, Dress- mine as a little girl, Tights- Target, Shoes- c/o See Kai Run
The last few days have been rainy and cold, so we've been stuck inside. While it's dreary today, Finley many not have too many more opportunities to wear this coat for the rest of the year. We're ready for the sun to stay!

I know we need the rain- we really need the rain- but, it's so much easier when we can spend most of our time outside. The kids love to run free and I'm a firm believer in the fact that a little sun and Vitamin D makes happier kids who sleep better.

Have you been able to spend time outside? The next few days are supposed to be rainy around here and then the sun and warm weather will be back!

Link up here:

For Spring

Here are a few things that I would love for Spring: 1. Pastel Blouse, 2. Feather Earrings, 3. Colorblock Flats, 4. Gold Watch, 5. Scallop Shorts, 6. (For Finley) Sailor Swimsuit