I AM AN ALLY

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I wrote this blog post back in May (in my Month 2 update while I was away for 6 months from instagram to focus on my faith and family) but I plan to keep resharing it every few months so it never loses steam. The May update was viewed over 20,000 times, which is one of my highest viewed blog posts ever!!!!

PEOPLE ARE READING, and so I have to keep sharing.

Because maybe, just maybe, that one person who wants to change will read it.

And then - it will be worth it.

As a woman of Faith, I will always turn my eyes to the cross and my heart to the bible when in despair.

I hope you feel His spirit, hear His whispers, and see His face through my prose.

Excerpt from the May blog post :

“And finally, to end our month of May, I wanted to share a few images this month that really made me stop, reflect, and breathe. I obviously haven’t been on social media, so I don’t know the extent of what’s been said, not said, acted on, not acted on, etc. I also haven’t been watching the news much, simply because it’s been a VERY busy few weeks for us with moving to a new home.

But I do know that this country is in pain.

I know that my Black brothers and sisters are hurting.

I know our Nation is hurting.

I know our communities are confused, scared, anxious, fearful, and quite frankly losing hope.

Here’s my promise to you for my personal community on Instagram, my blog here, as well as with our business for The Ever Co:

I will never, ever, ever stand for racism or division in this community. Neither will my family.

We will do our part to spread the good Lord’s message, and we will also do our part to end the hatred. We will continuously look for ways to donate to minority group organizations within our community and beyond.

Because I know we are privileged to be where we are, and to come as far as we have. We will always seek to amplify voices within the Black community and beyond.

We have preached since day one of this company that inclusion is incredibly important to us, and representing People of Color (POC) will always be a mission of ours, because we want to include everyone in this community.

It’s not for our brand. It’s not to check the box once a month.

It’s because we believe EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU BELONGS HERE.

But sometimes, just reaching for inclusion isn’t enough. No, IT’S NOT ENOUGH.

Sometimes quoting MLK on significant days isn’t enough. No, IT’S NOT ENOUGH.

So right now, I specifically want to speak to my Black brothers and sisters. My Black People of Color. (BPOC)

YOU MATTER!!!!!!! DO YOU HEAR ME!??!?! YOU MATTER TO ME. TO OUR FAMILY. TO THE EVER CO.

BLACK LIVES DO AND WILL ALWAYS AND FOREVER MATTER. PERIOD.

I will scream it until the day I die.

This is not a political statement. This is not a religious statement. This is not a social media trend. This is not a statement about an organization.

THESE ARE PEOPLE’S LIVES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. What more needs to be said?!?

Racism is a system, not a trend.

Systemic racism is brutal and real, and oppression is alive. WE DO NOT STAND FOR THIS.

I wish BLM weren’t considered a trend or fad, because that makes it seem like a temporary thing. Rather, this “movement” should be our every day lives. FOREVER. That is how we end racism.

And I pray that when these “hot topics” sizzle out, that this desire and passion for inclusion and the desire to end racism continues for all, long after our favorite influencers are posting about it.

IT STARTS IN OUR HEARTS, IN OUR HOMES.

And to any of my friends, family, or followers that don’t understand the BLM phrase or are confused by that phrase, let me give you a scenario that spoke profoundly to me this month.

Hadley has been throwing tantrums nonstop lately. She’s 3.5. It’s going to happen, I know.

She is still learning how to best speak her words without being punished and how to act without getting into trouble. But when she doesn’t get acknowledged, when she doesn’t get the response she’s hoping for, when she isn’t heard, SHE SNAPS. She acts out because she wants to be treated a certain way. She wants to be heard. As do most toddlers. As do all humans.

Right before I took the picture of she and I below, the one where I wore the HOPE shirt, we had a long talk about her crying and I was telling her that she can’t go to the big girls’ school if she acts like that, and she looked me straight in the eyes and said,

“BUT MOMMY, YOU’RE NOT LISTENING TO ME!!!”

Woah. Gut check.

She was right. I wasn’t listening to what she wanted, and why she was throwing a tantrum. I was specifically focused on the tantrum itself. How I didn’t want to hear the whining, bickering, crying anymore.

Since then, I’ve been trying to focus on the “why” of her tantrums. And ya know what? IT’S WORKED!!!

And I relate that situation to our current state of affairs.

BLACK PEOPLE WANT TO BE HEARD!!!! They want to SEE and FEEL action. They want to be a part of progress.

It is NOT ON THEM to teach us how to change. To teach us what to do. To teach us how to take action.

WE MUST TEACH OURSELVES.

And they’re “snapping” now, because they’re sick and tired of NOT being heard. There are thousands of peaceful protests happening, yet the media portrays the dark and ugly side of things. The side that makes so many throw their hands up in disbelief when they see Targets, and local mom and pops, and barber shops on fire. But think about little Hadley in her tantrum. The more I don’t listen, the more painful it gets.

OUR BLACK BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE IN PAIN. AND THEY HAVE BEEN FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.

I am not for non peaceful protests or destruction of property, but unfortunately I get it. And I can say that if I were in their shoes, maybe I’d be the same.

The point is, I’m not in their shoes.

I am (seemingly) white.

I am privileged.

Ironically, I have actually never identified as white or caucasian. I’ve always considered myself Other or even Asian in some instances. But I look white, talk white, dress white, and sound white, and if it barks like a dog and walks like a dog, then it’s probably a dog.

When I go to Target with the girls to pick out barbie or baby dolls and pajamas, I don’t have to look far. The ones that look like them are all right there in front of me.

When I say bye to my husband when he goes to work, I don’t have to remind him to be safe to and from, in the sense that something bad’s going to happen to him because of his skin color.

When I go to Disney with the girls, I don’t have to search all over for the one Black princess in the park. The ones that look like us are all over. I don’t have to look far.

When I go to the store by myself in oversized clothes and jackets and a big purse, I’m not followed around and watched like a hawk. EVEN THOUGH I was arrested in my teens for shoplifting…nobody would ever know or care because I don’t fit the part.

This is all white privilege. And WHO ARE WE to say that Blacks don’t experience these things if we are not Black. If our Black brothers and sisters say they feel this way, THEN WE HAVE TO LISTEN AND TRUST THEY FEEL THIS WAY. And really? I mean who wouldn’t?

This is a system. Racism is a system. and when a system is broken… we fix it.

Have we come a long way? Yes sure. But good golly we have soooo far to go.

We have not been doing our part to listen. We collectively have so much work to be done. It’s not their job to teach us, guide us, lead us.

We have all of the tools needed right at our fingertips.

WE MUST TAKE A STAND FOR THEM. WE MUST DO THE HARD WORK AND EDUCATE OURSELVES.

So here I am friends.

I, and The Ever Co, are here with open arms welcoming you into our lives, our hearts, our homes, our community, our conversations, our church, etc. and we want to help.

We want to do our part to make you feel heard and understood.

We promise to not use Black children in our feeds JUST to check the box or just because it’s the thing to do in 2020. That is performative and we won’t stand for it.

It is not okay to just post quotes in stories and take no action beyond that. It’s performative.

It’s not okay to pull out black baby dolls and books just in the month of February. It’s performative.

If we are going to lessen white privilege and racism, these need to be year round actions.

I realize I am not black. I realize I do not understand the depths of pain you have been through since you stepped onto American soil. I, and my children, will never experience the overt racism that my Black brothers and sisters experience.

But that doesn’t mean I can look away. That doesn’t mean I can see horrifying graphics and videos and say “oh that’s so sad” and do nothing beyond that.

As the daughter to a full Asian woman (100% Korean) I do understand the depths of racism and how painful it is. She can’t relate to much in America with the lack of Asian representation, so I know she feels it to her core.

I also know that I was raised by a father who was born in 1940. Who lived during some of the most racist times of our history. And I PERSONALLY had to help him overcome weaknesses of his own throughout my childhood, because he was biased based on when and where he was raised. Not because he hated POC. He was the sweetest, kindest soul. But he was raised in a different time, and he just needed to UNLEARN so many things.

AND PEOPLE, THAT IS OKAY!!!!!! We can unlearn things, just as well as we can learn them.

One of my favorite moments when I think about memories of him was around 2015. He called me to tell me he met a black man at the local Waffle House that was now his best friend. My dad was about 77 at that time. I will never forget that conversation. 77 AND STILL LEARNING, PEOPLE!!!

And there’s the proof. It’s okay to mess up, misstep, and fall.

Just get back up and try and try and try again. Even at 77 years old.

I am so passionate about this for many reasons.

One because I do not stand for injustice and hatred.

But mostly because I have so many CLOSE friends hurting right now. I can’t see them cry anymore.

I’ve dated black guys. Most of my best girlfriends growing up were black as well, and some still to this day. I’m grateful for being from Radcliff, Kentucky cause the diversity was EPIC. Being raised on/around a military base, I was so fortunate to have been exposed to so many races/ethnicities from an early age. It was truly a cultural melting pot. And to this day, Blake and I serve with countless Soldiers of color who fight to defend our country.

My dad always knew how important it was for me to know he accepted all of my friends, boyfriends, etc, and that was why even at 77 he called to tell me that.

WE CAN DO BETTER PEOPLE. He’s proof.

So let me go back to the story about Hadley.

While this shouldn’t be about our family, I hope this simple story can help put things into more perspective for anyone not understanding the pain of others or the statement Black Lives Matter.

This moment in our history isn’t about us hurting. It’s about them hurting.

When she yelled that “BUT MOMMY, YOU’RE NOT LISTENING TO ME!!!” I immediately started holding her and comforting her and showing her so much affection.

Everly watched me do this and I could tell she was getting jealous of how much attention Hadley was getting.

I explained to Everly that “Yes, I do love you too, but this moment in time is not about you. This moment is about Hadley and how much she’s hurting. It’s about acknowledging her and seeing WHY she’s throwing tantrums. And trying to help her and make things better.”

That does NOT take away from my love for Everly. That does NOT mean I love Hadley more than Everly.

It simply means I am focusing on my child who is hurting right now.

And honestly? I think that’s what Jesus wants. I KNOW that’s what Jesus wants.

He wants us to help His hurt children.

Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

WE MUST COMFORT THEM NOW MORE THAN EVER.

He COMMANDS us to love thy neighbor.

So let’s take it to the altar.

Hadley wasn’t saying “I matter more.” She was saying “I matter. Period.” Isn’t it ironic?

Our black friends are not shouting “BLACK LIVES MATTER, MORE.” They’re shouting,

“BLACK LIVES MATTER. PERIOD!”

What if when Hadley was crying, and Everly got jealous, I looked at Everly and said, BUT HADLEY MATTERS MORE TO ME! No…that’s not what I said. I told Everly I am focusing on Hadley right now because she is hurting. She is in pain. She needs me more right now.

And so…here’s my point to all of this:

Do all lives matter? Yes, of course, absolutely. Every life matters because Jesus died for every life.

Every police officer matters. Every Soldier matters. Every doctor matters. Every homeless man/woman matters. Every teacher matters. Every firefighter matters. Every white, asian, latin, Indian, middle eastern etc etc etc life matters.

Our Black Brothers and Sisters have NEVER once said they matter more than any of those listed above.

As I’ve heard many say, “their house is on fire, and they just want us to help them put out the fire!” They want to be heard.

SO LET’S HEAR THEM OUT! LET’S GIVE THEM THE PLATFORM TO SPEAK. Let’s do our part, white friends, to amplify their voices and give them the floor.

It’s our time to change history. It’s our time to step up and collectively acknowledge their pain and to say BLACK LIVES MATTER.

And ya know what? When something happens to one of us, I guarantee you they’ll have our backs too.

BUT we HAVE to prove to them we have theirs first. Let’s do this.

Let’s be the change.

My struggles:

I’ll be honest, I’m not really proofreading this and just kinda rambling and typing my words as they come to me. For so long I’ve tried to audit my writing to make sure I didn’t strike a nerve or cause controversy.

But not anymore. Now, I will write from my heart, and hope and pray that it speaks to maybe even just one of you reading. That’s where change takes place. When raw, real, transparent, and vulnerable conversations happen.

And while I’m being honest, let me tell you my greatest personal struggle that I’ve had to overcome with the phrase “Black Lives Matter”, because maybe it’s something you’ve struggled with too. I’ve spoken to many of my black friends about it, and I just want to share the conversation notes. Maybe it’ll change your outlook.

Often when I used to hear Black Lives Matter, my immediate thought was that it was synonymous to “Anti Police” which don’t get me wrong - I am STRONGLY against police brutality, but I am not against the good police. And my greatest struggle was that I have so many friends that are police officers, and so many friends’ parents or spouses are LEOs, and friends and family who have lost their lives in the line of duty, and it just breaks my heart because of how this is affecting the entire police community. I’ve listened to so many police officers beg to not be labeled as “bad” and phew it breaks me to my core, because so many would die for us; they are protectors for our streets, our children, our communities, our homes, our country. I’m nearly brought to tears every time I see a police officer on the streets now doing good things, because I just have so much passion for them and our military service members.

BUT…It took a lot of soul searching, and a lot of research and listening to black people speak to realize that they are not synonymous. Wanting to lift the voices of Black people and to listen to them doesn’t mean we hate police officers. At all. We can LOVE AND LIFT UP BLACK VOICES while also LOVE AND LIFT UP LEO’S TOO. Because you love one doesn’t mean you hate the other and vice versa.

So if you too struggle with those two ideas, then know you aren’t alone, and most importantly ASK QUESTIONS and have honest, open dialogue with friends, coworkers, and your community so that you can walk a mile in other shoes and try to understand their battles too.

Additionally, as the wife to an Active Duty Army Officer and as a current Army Reservist (who could very well go back to active duty), I refuse to share my personal political beliefs on my social media platforms. I choose not to provide my political stance in these spaces, in order to honor the sacrifice my family (and thousands of other families) make to serve our country regardless of who is in office. Military law also doesn’t allow participation in partisan activities such as soliciting or engaging in partisan fundraiser activities, serving as the sponsor of a partisan club, or speaking before a partisan gathering. With that, I consider my social media platforms a place that I’m unable to express my political beliefs based on my families current military status. My husband is in charge of hundreds of Soldiers at a time, and he could very well go to war with them. He will serve and protect the brother to his left just as well as he’ll serve, protect, and lead the Soldier to his right, because in the military that’s a matter of life and death. So I choose not to jeopardize his position in leadership in the military to honor and respect him and his Soldiers.

I wish we collectively could stop making “Black lives matter” a political statement and more of a statement about LIVES DYING. Then maybe it wouldn’t be as controversial. What is really so hard about saying “Black lives matter?” I mean truly? It boggles my mind.

So I urge you not to write someone off that says “Black Lives Matter” because you feel it’s a political statement or a statement about an organization. Instead, how about we look at our Black brothers and sisters in their faces, and start the dialogue now. Ask them what we can do to help them. Ask them what we can do in our homes to end racism. And take action.

I have used my platform since day one as a “to each their own” and “everyone is welcome” place. And, I do still mean that. But I know many of my followers and friends don’t feel the same way.

I think the Lord created us all differently, and there needs to be some of us who are the more confrontational “go get them and run up the hill” kinda people, and then there’s those of us who need to continue fighting for peace and moderation and unity.

I CHOOSE TO BE A BRIDGE BUILDER. I choose to fill the gap. I choose to be a peacekeeper.

I am not a fan of cancel culture. I don’t agree with it. Because I know what that can do to someone’s mental state when they are canceled. I know the depths of mental illness and depression, so I choose to give second chances. I always will. Just as Jesus does.

Wanna know why? Because if I was canceled when I made some bad mistakes in the past, I’d probably be dead. I would’ve taken my own life if nobody grabbed my hand and held onto me.

So I will be that person for you. If you have felt a certain way on this all of your life, if you’ve had racist thoughts before, if you’ve said bad things before, I know some will never forgive you. And believe me, it hurts me too that you felt this way. I am ANGRY that you have felt that way. But let me do the dirty work for you. The hard work. Let me help you so that I can try and help you change. I will lay my life down for you to change, because I want to see more black lives live.

I will not give up on you, and I will help you rise. Because I know it’s possible. I’ve seen it.

I will always strive to love like Jesus. I will pray for you, and I will help you rise out of the ashes of your past.

I choose to see the good in people, and I choose to be an eternal optimist. I physically cannot give up on humanity. The Lord didn’t wire my heart that way.

But Black friends who are hurting, I know many of you can’t extend that hand. And quite frankly I don’t blame you. You don’t need to. Let me do the hard work for you. Let my white friends do the hard work for you.

I may be soft spoken and kind in my approach, and I realize the world needs realist (my husband) and those who will loudly and boldly shine light on negativity so that change can happen.

I’m a big advocate for both of these kinds of people. And I try hard to find a middle ground.

I won’t fail you. My family won’t fail you.

I refuse to live in a divided world, for the sake of my kids, and my kids’ kids. And so forth.

I will never stop fighting for a world that locks hands and loves one another, through the good and the bad.

I WILL NEVER STOP FIGHTING FOR EQUITY AND EQUALITY.

For any of my friends stuck somewhere in the middle, know that neutral in a broken system gets you nowhere. Whether you’re a democrat, libertarian or republican, and whether you’re a Christian or an atheist doesn’t matter. You don’t have to be loud, you can be soft, as I’ve chosen to be, and you can still take a stand against racism. You can still be FOR Black lives.

That’s the only way this system gets fixed.

And hey…the more we bicker at each other about politics and how much we hate each other, the less action takes place.

Stop fighting, and let’s do the hard work.

LET’S GO!

I’ll end with this…Thank you Hadley for teaching me such a powerful lesson.

***Blake and I have both read “White Fragility: Why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism” and I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it for anyone struggling with this topic. It’s been eye opening for us.

Additionally, I’m often asked how I teach the girls about racism and inclusion in our daily lives, and how we ensure they are exposed to all races at their young ages. Here’s what we do:

  1. We ensure the girls have toys and dolls of all races.

  2. We ensure their books display kids of all races. NOT just during Black history month. Not just on Juneteenth. BUT ALL YEAR.

  3. We ensure the girls (and ourselves) surround ourselves with friends of different races.

  4. We do NOT teach them to be color blind. Rather, we tell them to recognize our differences and how uniquely God created us, yet he loves us the same. “Jesus loves the little children” is a phenomenal tool for younger kids!”

 
 

So where do you go from here? Let’s just take it one step at a time.

You don’t have to know what to say or how to say it. I KNOW it’s hard. That’s called white fragility and it’s okay!

Slowly, little by little, take a stance. Make changes in your heart, and in your home.

I believe in you.

May I end this post with one of the most powerful songs to me in 2020. It has changed my soul, shaped my spirit, and truly refined me.

“I wanna be tried by fire
Purified
You take whatever you desire
Lord here's my life.”

I had this long talk with God recently that went something like this.

“Lord, you told me to step away from Instagram to rid myself of “drama” and controversy. To focus on my family and my Faith. To rid myself of jealousy and competition. To find my joy in this space again.

And God, I obeyed. I stepped away and selfishly wanted to stay away longer - but I listened.

I was obedient.

So am I opening up old wounds by labeling myself as an activist, even if it’s what I stand for?”

And you know what I heard loud and clear -

Would you rather die tomorrow knowing you stood up for what you knew was right? And for what I stand for? Would you rather die knowing you said Black lives DO matter?

Or would you rather die knowing you stepped down out of fear of the enemy. And inadvertently said they don’t matter.

Because your Black brothers and sisters are watching your every move.

And they’re crying at the loss of another ally if you choose the latter.

I CHOOSE TO STAND.

And I won’t be shaken.

I don’t think it’s ironic that Jesus gave it all and died on the cross to save us from these very sins.

And here I am saying I’m laying my life down for you, whoever you are, to help you change.

To rid you of this sin.

You are worthy. I believe in you.

I won’t let my Instagram simply be a place for cute clothes and home decor.

That’s not the influencer I want to be.

There’s this sad stigma…that you can’t be a White Christian and for Black Lives.

I am a Christian, on FIRE for God.

I am an ally for Black lives.

Please don’t let anyone ever tell you you can’t be both.

God Bless you friend, whoever you are.

TAKING A SIX MONTH BREAK OFF INSTAGRAM - THIS IS MONTH 6

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Well friends…we’re here.

It’s been 6 months since I signed off the gram and…wow. I can’t believe this break is over.

I’ll be super duper duper duper honest…

Last week this post was going to look a lot different.

I was going to hop on here and let you know that I’d be continuing this break for 6 more months. I was sick to my stomach to have to share that, but it felt right.

…but God has a way of working in the most mysterious ways, and after speaking to my old Pastor this weekend, I heard the Lord loud and clear:

“YOU ARE READY AMY. IT’S TIME. AND YOU CAN NOT LIVE IN FEAR OF THE FUTURE.”

I’ll be sharing ALLLLLLL about what I learned, how I felt, what the Lord taught me, what He spoke to me, and so much more here in about 2 weeks when I gather all of my thoughts, so be on the lookout for that.

Until then, let’s share what all we’ve been up to this month!!!

 
 

First things first…who’s missed #HawthorneGirlsChalkArt ?!?!?

I think it’s time to start that back up!

And now we have another 4 paws to join in on the fun!

 

We started the month off with Nona’s trip to come visit Texas from Washington State!

With the unexpected wildfires and smoke, the timing of her trip couldn’t have been better. We are so thankful she got to experience TX!

 

We got to show her one of our FAVORITE areas of Austin, The Domain! I didn’t think anything could compete with The Plaza in KC, but Domain definitely gives it a run!

 

The girls’ outfits are from No Small Miracle!

 

And here’s some fun pics from her trip!

Shopping with the girls, lake trips, lots of Korean food + more!

 

And of course, we watched Derby! So so weird experiencing it in the fall, and with no fans in the stands, but as a Kentucky girl…Derby day will always be special regardless of the circumstances!

 

I always make a charcuterie snack tray for Derby day, and the girls love it! We also play with their toy horses all day too!

 

With the weather cooling down a bit, we haven’t had the chance to go to the lake as often or set up the water slide…soooo….we’ve had some “pool parties” in the shower and the girls have LOVED it! I talk it up a bunch and we wear swimsuits and it’s been a ton of fun making the most of what we have!

 

This is the kids’ body wash and shampoo that we use all the time!! We love all of their products!!!

BE SURE TO USE THAT LINK CAUSE YOU’LL GET 15% OFF THERE!!!

 
 

Andddddd HOW BOUT THEM TIGERS!!!

Oh what I’d do to be able to talk to my daddy about that game! I’m so excited to see football again!!!!!

And so thankful for families who get to experience their hometown Friday Night Lights.

It’s been so fun seeing the girls light up about Auburn when they play. It’s music to my ears hearing their little “War Eagles”! ;)

When I signed off in March/April, I had a big wish to see some football come fall. Here we are, ready for kickoff. Be still my heart.

 

Speaking of my daddy. September 25th was the 3 year anniversary of his passing, and it stung so bad waking up that day. But…ironically…that same day, this purse arrived in the mail from his ex wife. I don’t know if she meant to send it that day (I don’t think she did) but it was the purse he bought her when he was married to her. And she wanted me to have it. 😭😭😭😭😭 Oh bless it. I can’t even deal! It is now SO SO SO special to me!

 
 

I got these sweet pictures on National Daughters Day, and they mean the world to me. How lucky I am to have these babes, and how lucky I am to be their mama.

Tops are from my girl Ford and Wyatt!

 

Our sweet pup is still doing AMAZING and he’s truly just the perfect addition to our family!!!!

He’s so attached to his big sister Bella, and it’s just the cutest. Everywhere she goes, he follows. And he always pushes his nose into her neck. It’s just the cutest. My heart!

Heres the bed linked here

 

Here’s some more backyard updates!!! We have a roof, a patio, and now some landscaping back here! It’s all continuing to come together!!!

 
 

Just some cute pics of the girls before Everly’s therapy one day.

 

If you haven’t tried apple cider mimosas, do it now!!!! Just apple cider + your bubbly of choice! The perfect fall adult beverage!

 

The girls were playing outside one day, and they set up all of their barbies on daddy’s scrap wood pile, and I had to get a pic of this cuteness.

 

Our Sunday morning worship sessions are so sacred and special. The girls are OBSESSED with Run to the Father and a few other songs, that are very special in this time of our lives. I’ll be sure to share a playlist, but here’s the link to my spotify one if you wanna check it out!

 

My FAVORITE Halloween jammies linked here!

Womens

Kids

 

Here’s our fall porch thus far! I just need to add some big mums!

 
 

We have some major tests coming up for Hadley this next month, so your prayers are SO appreciated!!!

 

I think this may be one of my fave pics of E in the history of EVER! She is INCREDIBLE at building legos!

 

And lots of walks with the dogs every morning and night. This is our happy place.

 
 
 

And some final pics of our home decked out for Halloween! I love adding these pops of orange throughout the home! This is our entryway!

 

And our living / kitchen areas with a few touches of fall.

 
 
 

Well…I guess it’s until tomorrow friends! I can’t believe it! So surreal.

If you’re pondering whether or not you should take a longgggg break from IG. Here’s my advice.

DO IT and don’t you dare look back.

It is SO SO SO SO HEALING!!!!!!

I’ll share all about the journey in the next couple weeks as I gather my thoughts. There’s just so much to share!

P.s.

  1. If you missed the month 5 update, you can click here to read!

  2. 2. Be sure to pin this image above or any image in this post so you can reference it in the future if there was anything you don’t want to forget!

XX, Amy

HALLOWEEN + FALL 2020 BLOG ROUNDUP

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Hi!!!!

I wanted to share a roundup of my favorite Fall / Halloween blog posts we’ve shared here! Some are hidden in archives, so I wanted to bring them to your attention in case you’re needing some MAGICAL inspiration!

 
 
 

Our favorite fall finds for 2020.

CLICK THE NUMBERS BELOW TO GO TO THE LINKS!

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT | NINE | TEN | ELEVEN | TWELVE

THIRTEEN | FOURTEEN | FIFTEEN | SIXTEEN | SEVENTEEN | EIGHTEEN | NINETEEN

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

LOOK AT THESE ADORABLE PRINTS FROM MY GIRLFRIEND AMANDA @WOODENTHATBESOMETHIN !!! ARE THEY NOT PERFECTION?!?! She is SO INCREDIBLY talented, and I’d love for you to support her shop!! Visit her IG too to see the amazing things she makes on wood!

you can shop them all HERE: woodenthatbesomethin.etsy.com

She even added Otis and Bella. Can you even?!?!

 
halloween bucket list copy.jpg
 
fall food.jpg
 
 

And here’s some of my favorite fall / Halloween pics from years past!

OUR FAMILY COSTUMES!

ONE: Monster’s Inc (2016)

Two: Charlottes Web (2017)

Three: Grease (2018)

Four: Dinosaur + Tour Guide (2018)

Five: Jurassic Park (2018)

Six: Aladdin (2019)

Seven:….2020….

and an angel and silly wig pic for good measure!

 
 

Girls’ bedroom Halloween 2019

 

Office 2019

 

Pumpkin carving 2019

 

Halloween piano 2019

 

Halloween playroom 2019

 
 

Girls’ bedroom 2017

 
 
 
 
 

Fall decor kitchen 2017

 

Fall porch 2017

 

Halloween cookies 2016

 

Fall mantel 2020

 
 
 

Fall porch 2018

 

Halloween bar cart 2016

 

Halloween room 2017

 

Pumpkin carving 2016

 

Halloween pancakes 2017

 

Halloween decor 2020

 
 

Halloween photoshoot 2017

 
 

Halloween Cookies 2016

 

Fall porch 2016

 

Boo’d Fairy Garden 2016

 

The Boo’d craft cart 2017

 

Fall decor 2019

 

Halloween decor 2020

 

Fall decor 2020

 

Be sure to pin the image above or any image found in this blog post if you want to reference back to this post in the future!

Thanks for reading!!!

p.s…..any guesses on our family Halloween costume this year?!?!? hehehe

XX, Amy

TAKING A SIX MONTH BREAK OFF INSTAGRAM - THIS IS MONTH FIVE

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Not gonna lie… I feel like I JUST gave my four month update! Ha! August went CRAZYYYYYYY fast, anyone else?!

And what?!?!? It’s September 1st?!?! HOWWWWWWWW????

Anywho, I canNOT wait to share what we’ve been up to this month…because…………

First things first…

WE ADOPTED A DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!

WORLD…MEET OUR SWEET BOY, OTIS!

 
 

Here’s the story:

We’ve been wanting to adopt a little brother or sister for Bella for yearrsssssss.

We know our time with Bella is getting shorter and shorter by the year (she’s 11), so we wanted to do our best to extend her life with a sibling and also to begin growing close to another furry animal too!

Well…we moved to our current neighborhood in Texas and while I don’t have facebook, Blake does.

We noticed a sweet little beagle kept getting loose in the neighborhood and to make a long story short, he kinda became a neighborhood pet because everyone at some point took him in until the owner was found.

About a month went by, and in early August I was on facebook and I read the most “meant to be” message I’ve ever read…

“Otis is looking for a new home.”

My heart felt so many emotions right away, but mostly it was “I KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT THIS IS SO MEANT TO BE.”

For us to be in this neighborhood, at this time, and seeing a BEAGLE of all dogs up for adoption (a dog we’ve been looking for at adoption shelters for years) just basically fell into our laps.

 

So…I messaged the lady who posted about him on the facebook page, praying nobody had messaged them yet - and I was the first!

I said…and I quote, “My husband has been away and will still be away for awhile, so I kinda feel like I need to get his permission, but I am 100 million percent interested in adopting Otis regardless of what he says.” ha!

Honestly, I knew without a shadow of a doubt Blake would say yes as we love our fur babies, but I felt like I owed him the respect to ask. haha!

The sweet girl messaged me back and said, “it’s better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission!”

hahah!

Well, I went ahead and called Blake and basically just said…”I hope you don’t mind that I’m getting another dog this weekend. I know I’m so stressed with homeschool and the business and you being gone, but hey…what’s another dog in the mix!?”

hahah!

We both laughed and without hesitation he said, “GO GET THAT DOG AND BRING HIM HOME AMY!”

ughhhh CUE THE TEARS!!!!

 

The day before we adopted him, the girls and I watched “All Dogs go to Heaven,” and it was the sweetest time for us. Little did Bella know, she’d be getting a little brother the next day.

 

Here’s the sweetest picture that sweet Everly drew for the family that was allowing us to adopt Otis from them. She knew their family was sad, so she drew them a precious picture to always remember that Otis would be in great hands. Oh my heart!

 

And then……..WE GOT HIM!

He’s around 2 and a half years old (we think) and was living on the streets for quite a bit of his life, but he is now safe and sound in his forever home!!!

And as best as the vets know, they say he’s a beagle! I mean….HE IS SOOOOO DREAMY!

 

I cannot believe we get to keep this sweet boy. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

We fell head over heels immediately in love. He’s the missing piece to our puzzle.

 

He's the biggest lover, has so many silly quirks about him, LOVES ATTENTION and just wants to be loved on 24/7, plays non stop, and took no time to get used to all these girls in the house! hahahah! He is in LOVE with everyone!

 
 

These pics were within a couple hours of bringing him home, and at first Bella was a little timid because he is almost 10 years younger and he likes to play a lottttt, butttttt…..

 

Within a day or two…they were inseparable and are now the BEST OF FRIENDS!!!!! We are overjoyed.

 

Anywhere Bella goes, Otis follows. He’s her little shadow (even though he’s bigger!) The girls are just smitten with him, and he’s just as smitten with them.

 

Okay, and I won’t lie…he is SPOILED rotten!

 

The girls gave them their “Indy and Pippa” comforter and they have officially claimed it in their “bougie bed.” 😂😂 I mean truly, this bed was worth every penny, but I never thought I’d spend so much on a dog bed! ha! They sleep in it every day though, TOGETHER, so it’s truly so worth it! I’ll link it here!

Dog Bed linked here! I got the Large and both dogs fit in it comfortably. They are 18 and 24 pounds respectively.

 
 

Look at these angels!!!!!

I mean honestly I’d pay $1,000 for a bed to give him the life he deserves!

 
 

I love all of the color options!

 
 
 

A few other things we got! Some bags to hold their poopie bags while on our daily walks, as well as these adorable customized dog tags with their names + our phone number on it!

Dog bags linked here

Dog tags linked here

 
 

These are the leashes we got them too! I love all the colors they come in, the handles are super soft, and they were less than $10!!!

Linked here!

 
 

He’s also the BEST addition to our walks! He just loves being with us more than anything, no matter what it may be! He still needs a bit of training for leash etiquette, and he wants to say hi to every single human + animal + leaf + breeze we pass, HA!, but he’s just so stinkin friendly and sweet!

 

And…he is definitely a begging beagle, just like his big sister! Those beagles will do anything for food!

 
 

And so this has basically been our month in a nutshell! All about Otis! Hehe.

Daddy still hasn’t met his little boy, but he loves to facetime him, and we canNOT WAIT for that sweet reunion. I’ll be sure to share pics when that happens!

 

Other than Otis, it’s been a lot of continued mirror selfies with the girls, getting dressed up for absolutely no reason to go absolutely nowhere, except to pickup groceries and coffee, and trips to the lake!

 

And this sweet girl gave Hadley and I a little photoshoot and I’m obsessed with the pics she took!

 
 

And they had a little shoot of their own!

 

Look at them here with their new No Small Miracle outfits!!! We’re in love!

 

These sweet tie dye tees are from their too! Handmade from Kelsey’s mama!

 

We are still homeschooling Everly (and also using her virtual school program) but she did start therapy 2 days a week, and as always LOVES her new teachers (therapists) there!!! Our car selfies before sessions are such a sweet reminder of this phase of life.

 

Here’s a few pics of her month from school! We’re so proud of you little E!

 

I also wanted to share a few of my favorite recipes this month!

The Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew was FABBBBBBBB but pricey. So I wanted to share a cheaper option!

Order a grande iced cofffee, with light ice.

Get 2 pumps of pumpkin sauce but NO classic syrup.

Add in heavy cream (or your cream/milk of choice)

Add in cinnamon powder.

Request a nitro lid.

AND ENJOY!

And here’s my favorite smoothie! (That the girls eat too!!!!)

handful of spinach and/or kale (or both is what I prefer!)

milk + water to cover the greens. Blend.

Once you have the liquid, add in handful of frozen peaches, 1 frozen banana, handful of frozen pineapple,

1-2tbspn of honey and blend!

If I have them I also add in frozen avocado chunks too.

The girls loveeee this smoothie and it’s a great way to sneak in veggies!

 

This was our last little family hike before we got Otis! He sure does fill up this picture more!

 

Remember our backyard porch addition?!?! Well…..let me show you all the progress we made this month!

 

Our concrete was poured!!!! It’s been AMAZING having the extra porch out here!

…but then…

 

We got our shade!!!!! And it doesn’t even look like the same house!

The plan is to paint the window/door trim black and to hang black fixtures as well. More to come! We’re still under major construction!

 

And here’s our updated kitchen! The plan is for Blake to build our dining table, but for now this will do. We are in LOVE with our new dining chairs!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. They’re pricey, but I plan on keeping these bad boys forever and ever so it’s worth the investment.

I turned our books around and love the area so much more. Plus our Indy and Pippa sign from Opal + Olive really does finish this area off!

Dining chairs linked here.

Rug linked here.

Light linked here.

 
 
 
 

This is what the space looked like with the books turned normal and it was just so distracting with all of the colors, so I love how the neutral side tones it down a bit. The console is super easy to push out so we can just pull it out when we’re looking for a book. I also added the fan wall and picture and hope I don’t get tired of the clutter, but for now it works!

 

Here’s an update on the kitchen. I’m still trying SO hard to get Blake to paint these cabinets black or white (haha!!) but for now, we’re living with this gray, and it continues to grow on me. I’m really just trying to appreciate the bones of this house for what it’s worth. One of the nicest things about constantly moving and being in new homes is figuring out what we like and love about some and dislike about others. With hopes that one day, we truly can have our dream home.

I do love our globes up top though! And all of the natural light that pours into this open space.

 

Anddddd….FALL HAS OFFICIALLY HIT THE HAWTHORNE HOME!!!!

I CAN’T WAIT TO SHARE MORE PICS COME OCTOBER!

 

I’ll be sharing some of my favorite Fall/Halloween finds soon!

 
 

THESE ARE MY FAVORITE PUMPKINS THIS FALL SO FAR!!!!

Linked them all here!

1 | 2 | 3

 
 

To end the month, Nona came to visit, and we are so grateful to have her here with us this next month! More pics to come from Nona’s trip in September!

 

Well, it’s been five months off instagram and we officially have one month to go.

I’ll be honest….I really don’t know if I’m ready to come back.

I’m supposed to sign back on in ONE MONTH, and I’m really having to listen to the Lord this month to figure out what’s next.

I’m stuck between getting back on, because our business depends on it, and taking another 6 months away to continue resting my mind and heart.

We’ll see what happens!

If you missed out on why I took 6 months off, you can read about that here.

I’ve also been giving monthly updates since I signed off, and you can find those on the blog too!

I’ve also shared all of our back to school posts on the blog.

Next up is our Halloween book wall and 6 month update!

I can’t wait to see y’all again!

Happy fall y’all! (Even if it’s still 100 in Texas hehe)

Be sure to pin one of the images below if you want to be able to reference this post in the future!

XX, Amy

 
 
FALL DECOR.jpg

OUR BACK TO SCHOOL PICS

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Tired of all of the back to school posts yet? Well, I’ve got another one for you!

Here I’ll share the girls’ back to school pics and their updated bedroom with back to school prints!

…like this!

 

First up, I changed out the girls’ bedding and rug so the room was a tad bit more cohesive with a little less pattern, and with that I was able to change up the prints behind the girls’ bed!

Here are the girls comforters : CLICK HERE

Here are the girls duvet covers: CLICK HERE

Here are the girls pillow cases / sheets: CLICK HERE, CLICK HERE, CLICK HERE

Here is the rug: CLICK HERE

And, here are the new prints!

 

“we’re all in this together, hand in hand.”

 
 

“you can sit with me forever.”

 
 
 

And now…you ready for it?!?! How are my girls this big?!?!?!

Everly Brynn : Age 5.5

Starting Kindergarten in Texas! (Virtually with a school) as well as a homeschool program with mama!

 

Hadley Rae: Age 3.5

Starting pre-k homeschool in Texas with mama!

 
 

Mrs. Hawthorne (teehee): Age 33

Living out my dreams of being their mama!

Hat linked here

Bookbag linked here

TEXAS gear linked here, use AMY15 for a discount!

 

And these are the girls posing with their new lunchboxes!

I shared all about those here!

 
 
 

And there ya have it! Our back to school collection is officially live! Thank you for all of your support!

If you wanna be able to bookmark this, just pin an image above so you can always reference back to it!!

I sure do hope your school situation (whatever it may be) is going swell!

XX, Amy

OUR HOMESCHOOL / VIRTUAL SCHOOL SPACE

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It’s that time of year again! HOWWWW!?!?!?

Didn’t summer break JUST start?!

I don’t know about you, but August came QUICK, and I’m excited to share with you our homeschool/ virtual school/ I don’t know what in the world is going on or what I’m doing school areas! (insert emoji with girl holding her hands up saying “I don’t know” here)

I truly don’t know if we’ll ever go to school in person this year, and I know many of you are in the same boat, but please know that whatever you are doing or end up doing - you’re doing the right thing.

There are SO many opinions out there, and at the end of the day, you just gotta take them with a grain of salt and do what’s best for your family. Sure, yes listen, hear people out, and be open minded to others, but…

Nobody knows your family better than you.

So, here’s my opinion…Make a decision, stand firm on it, and own it. You gotta do what’s best for your people.

Soooooo let’s get to it!

 

We’ll be doing a hybrid between mama taught homeschool, virtual school (with two a day mandatory zoom sessions with a teacher), and therapy. It’ll be crazy, but we will ALL get through it and be stronger on the other side! (I think teehee)

First up is our main school table (which just so happens to be in our master bedroom). Nothing fancy, just an IKEA table, with some cute things on top to make it feel a little less boring.

I’ll link as much as I can towards the middle of this blog post if you keep reading! (The chalkboard itself was a DIY by Blake, just simple chalkboard from Home Depot + a cut / stained frame)

 
 
 

Like this! (And then I store the other ones in a little baggy below the board)

I used a cork board so I can just screw in little eye hooks and hang bags from them for easy grab and go!

I’ll share the items hanging from them below! It’s the weather board items, a compass, block numbers, my printable circles, a cloth + permanent markers, shapes and colors!

 
 

Here’ my big girl in action at her first day of mama’s school!

 
 

They did their schoolwork yesterday and today, which involved the letter A/B, the sound A/Bmakes, what starts with A/B, the shapes in the words we drew, the color of those items, the date of the day and a few other fun ideas.

This worked great for the girls and was easy for me to guide as well. We’ll do a new letter each day to guide the work.

Off of the calendar board, they also did weather, days of the week, and learned N, S, E, W and left and right, which we’ll continue working every day.

 

And because they did their work, they each got to select a sticker for their individual charts!

I got a bunch of stickers from Hobby Lobby and Target so it’s a fun process to let them choose a sticker each day.

 

This is the playroom closet that holds allllll of our activity bins. These bins have items like coloring books, paints + canvases, puzzles, legos, playdoh, kinetic sand, magnets, music supplies, fine motor activities, coin counting, flash cards, and more!

I highly recommend having an activity closet (or area) somewhere in your house that allows you to keep these items in one place and organized. It’ll help you keep inventory of what you have, and don’t have, and allow you to pull things out on rotation so kids don’t get tired of a certain activity. We also pull these bins out to take with us when traveling!

The girls know this is the “ask before you open the doors” closet, so they aren’t allowed to pull anything out of here themselves. It’s like the special closet! Which makes it super fun and exciting for them.

As far as sources: the chairs were a yard sale find, the baskets are a mix of IKEA, target and Home Goods, and the pink bins are Target and Walmart.

We’ll be using this closet a lot for homeschool, because there’s so many educational items in here, many of which you can see below!

 
 

And now for the good stuff!

SIMPLY CLICK ON THE NUMBER BELOW AND IT’LL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO THE LINK FOR THE PRODUCT SHOWN ABOVE!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25

Here’s what I love about each!

  1. The girls have bookbags, but I got the purple one for myself this year and LOVE IT!!! especially for $20! The colors + simplicity are outstanding!

  2. We’ve had our same name stickers for three years now! I love that so many come on a sheet and we can use them for so much! Bookbags, bento boxes, water bottles, clothes etc! They’re dishwasher safe too and many can be thrown in the washing machine!

  3. I wanted a “treasure chest” for the girls that held our stickers + treasure box items and the caboodle works perfectly!!! It also brings me all the 90s nostalgia, so I’m not mad about that.

  4. We love using these clear folders to trace on! I’ll put a sheet underneath the clear part with my letters or numbers and they trace over them with marker and it’s easily wiped off so they can use it over and over again. It’s really great to teach littles how to stay on the dotted lines! And there’s a bunch in one pack!

  5. One of my favorite purchases for this school year were these wooden block numbers! I’m a sucker for wood items, and these work perfectly for teaching at home!

  6. I love both of these sets of highlighters! They work great for myself and for the girls. The colors and style are so fun! Here’s one and here’s two.

  7. We’ve had this clock for over a year and the girls adore it! It’s great for teaching the girls numbers and the concept of time! A great gift option!

  8. I don’t have these exact crates, but I have similar ones and I love them for school storage or craft storage! I do LOVE the colors these come in!

  9. Our FAVORITE sunscreen that I ALWAYS ALWAYS rave about!! The girls use this on their face nearly every day, and they both have sensitive skin / eczema issues yet they don’t have any problems with these! I also use this on my face!

  10. Another favorite purchase this year was our home weather station! It’s great for teaching the kids basic concept of weather!

  11. We LOVE these masks for the girls cause they actually cover their mouth and nose AND the ear parts are adjustable which is perfect for kids with smaller or bigger faces! Plus the tie dye pattern is so trendy right now!

  12. Y’all know I LOVE my bento boxes, and we have a million of them, but these are some of our favorites! I love pairing these with our custom name stickers and the girls love eating out of these! They’re great for preparing lunch the night before too!

  13. Our FAVORITE crayons in the whole wide world! Pricier but so WORTH IT in our opinion. They are washable, non toxic, and the colors are superb. They last a long time too!!!

  14. The girls have had these bookbags for 2 years now and they’re still practically brand new! The colors are incredible. Pricey, yes…but I plan on these lasting a very long time for them!

  15. We’ve also had these water bottles a couple years now and they’re still holding up strong! Also paired well with the name stickers, and I love that they keep their water cool on these hot Texas days!

  16. My number one most recommended tool for teaching numbers and math!! This has been on our Christmas gift ideas the last couple years and so many of yall rave about it. It’s great for teaching simple math!

  17. We got the girls new tablet cases this year, and I love both of these! The colors are simple, the style is cute, and the ports are all easily accessible for the girls!

    Here’s the bear one, and here’s the other brown one.

  18. This store has the CUTEST pencil cases I’ve seen this year and there’s so many options at great prices! Here’s a couple of our favorites!

  19. I’m a sucker for reusable utensil cases for the girls to save on plastic, to ensure the girls don’t get hurt with metal ones, and cause they’re just super cute. LOVE the color options of these + they’re a great price and come with chopsticks! Yes!

  20. We have the letters from Bacon Bit Co, but if you can’t find those in stock, this set is a great option that we have too! I love the colors and the wood block style!

  21. Our favorite headphones for the girls while we’re traveling and if the girls need to listen to something on their tablets for schoolwork!

  22. These pencil sharpeners are just adorable! Nothing else to say! They love them!

  23. We play with watercolors nearly every single day, so I’m all about watercolor sets. They’re generally mess free / have little cleanup / have all the colors in one spot, and just work great for littles to explore their creativity!

  24. My NUMBER ONE favorite item we purchased this year were these lunchboxes. I’ve been on a cute lunchbox hunt for sooooo long and finally found these adorable ones that I’m obsessed with! I plan on the girls keeping these for a long time!

  25. This store also has the cutest little notebooks for the girls! So many cute cover options for kids and adults too!

 

Here’s a look at most of those items here! Some are variations of those items, but very similar!

 
 

The girls’ lunchboxes and bookbags stay on their letter hooks in the hallway by their room for them to grab and go.

Here’s some hooks similar to ours!

 
 

And these are the baskets I gave to the girls to kick off the 2020-2021 school year!!!

 

I mean really?!?! Does it get any cuter than little kids with scrunched noses in blue light glasses? heheh

 

And my sweet big girl with her two missing teeth! How did she get so big?!?!

 
 

Well, there ya have it! That’s how we’ll be attacking this school year, until the next curve ball comes our way.

Remember, you don’t have to make anything over the top, and really - YOU DON’T HAVE TO MAKE ANYTHING AT ALL. Just do what will put a smile on you + your littles’ faces, and for us, this makes us smile.

We just wanna make some memories with what we’ve got.

If you wanna reference this post, be sure to pin this image above or any image throughout the post to come back to! That way you’ll always know where to find it.

HAPPY SCHOOLING FRIENDS!

XX, Amy

BACK TO SCHOOL BOOK ROUNDUP

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First things first: This first post is for our back to school book collection!

Next up will be 1. our homeschool / virtual school corner / learning closet, 2. back to school pics / what we bought the girls this year, 3. back to school activities to do with kids. So stay tuned!!

But let’s get to it…

Back to school is HERE!!!

Like, what?!?!

What are we even doing?!?!

What is life?

What is 2020?

OH MY WORD THIS YEAR IS GONNA BE CRAZY, BUT LET ME TELL YA…

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!!!!

I can promise you… the stresses, anxieties, worries, fears, etc. that you are facing…your neighbor, your friend, your sister/brother, your coworker, etc. is facing too.

SO BUCKLE UP, my friends…LET’S MAKE THIS SCHOOL YEAR ONE TO REMEMBER!!!

And p.s….in case you needed this reminder - sure our kids want to make memories with all of their friends just as they use to. no masks, no barriers, no separation, no worries.

But WE as parents and caregivers have the ability to make these experiences positive for them, so let’s keep up the positive attitudes and make the most of this life we’ve been given.

Let’s not wait until tomorrow to smile and make our kiddos smile.

Let’s smile and put our chin up today.

ANDDDD PPS… PRAISE ALL THE TEACHERS across the world right now. I know how difficult prepping and planning for this year must be, so know you are SOOOOO thanked!!!! Your hard work does not and will not go unnoticed!

 
 

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CLICK ON THE NUMBER ASSOCIATED WITH THE TITLE OF THE BOOK BELOW AND IT’LL TAKE YOU STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE + GIVE YOU A FULL SYNOPSIS OF THE BOOK!

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX

SEVEN | EIGHT | NINE | TEN | ELEVEN | TWELVE |

THIRTEEN | FOURTEEN | FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN | SEVENTEEN | EIGHTEEN

 

Here’s some information about our favorites of the bunch!

ONE : precious for mermaid lovers, and takes you through a day in the life of school for mermaids! - $13

TWO: takes you through the first day of kindergarten for three friends, who learn to keep an open mind because so many of their friends are different from them! Teaches younger kids that their friends may celebrate different holidays than them, but to love them the same. LOVE this book. - $17

THREE: probably my favorite of the bunch! This one is A MUST for the outdoors / geography lovers / explorers!!! AND ON MAJOR SALE!!! - $18

SEVEN: truly a special book about curiosity and exploration in young kids. Some kids just want to know ALL of the answers, and this teaches kids it’s okay to ask questions about how things work! Love this for aspiring scientists! - $14

NINE: The cutest whimsical illustrations / cover, but the message is so heartfelt! It teaches kids that they can feel safe in their classroom, with their teachers, and that their classroom can be their community/ family too! - $10

TEN: ANOTHER FAVORITE. This book walks this sweet girl through her school day and how the “spirit” (school spirit that is) lives within her and radiates through her! IT’S PRECIOUS. (I was votes most school spirit in high school, so this book is extra special hehe) -$16

ELEVEN: While it’s all the kiddos’ first day of school, school also gets to experience new things too! A sweet book about perspective and how the day can always get better! - $10

FOURTEEN: LOVE this whole series, but especially this one! Since it’s an alphabet book, it just works perfectly to teach kids words about school and the letters they start with! -$9

FIFTEEN: OKAY I LIED THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE!!! Gosh just so many good ones hahaha! But if yall followed our "#AmysCardboardBoxChallenge hashtag on Instagram, you saw so many amazing creations and THIS BOOK is so inspiring for just that!!! What a great homeschool book for kids to explore their imagination and build!!! - $14

SIXTEEN: Another great book to guide your social studies/ geography type classes! It goes into incredible detail for every stated and also has beautiful illustrations! -$22

 

If you want to be able to reference this post in the future, be sure to pin any image throughout this post to your pinterest board so you can come back to it in the future!!!

 
 
 

KEEPSAKING PHOTOS - CHATBOOKS EDITION

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SPOILER ALERT: I’VE GOT A DISCOUNT CODE FOR YOUR FIRST ORDER, IF YOU KEEP READING!

I’ve shared it countless times on Instagram, but I’m fairly certain one of my greatest fears in life is losing all of my photos.

Sure that may seem a little materialistic, but when I think about all of the memories tied to those photos :

My baby pics - reminding me of my earliest memories with my mom and dad.

Softball pics - reminding me of my glory days.

High school pics - reminding me of some of my longest friendships.

College Army ROTC pics - reminding me of when my military journey began.

Family reunion pics - reminding me of when times were simpler and full of love.

My last pics with my daddy - reminding me of the good times with him, before he passed.

First date pics for Blake and I - reminding me how quickly we fell head over heels.

Bringing Everly into the world pics - reminding me of her innocence.

Bringing Hadley into the world pics - reminding me how strong both she and I truly are.

Our pups’ pics - reminding me that dogs truly are a man’s / woman’s best friend.

And all the pictures between.

 
 
 

I can’t imagine losing those tangible memories.

When someone asks the cliche’, “so what would you grab if your house was on fire?”

My answer is always the same: “Aside from my kids and animals, I’d grab my photo albums, and my planner…so at least I won’t miss my dentist appointment.” hehe.

Truly, for anyone who loves and adores pictures, they’re such a huge part of our lives.

And if you’re reading this, I’m guessing they’re important to you too.

They say “a picture is worth a thousand words” and I firmly believe that.

It’s incredible how one still image can convey the fondest memories.

How it can remind you of the smell in the air that day.

How a facial expression can remind you of how happy you felt in that moment.

How it can remind you of trains in the distance, birds chirping, or calm ocean waves.

How it can remind you of both fonder times, and sadder, but a time worth a photograph nonetheless.

These are all the reasons why I never want to lose my photos, and how Chatbooks helps me do just that.

 
 

Technology is not a guarantee, and while I do own my blog space here, I don’t own my instagram, and I’m always afraid something will happen and I’ll lose all my IG images. Let’s face it, that’s where all of my best pics are!

I also spend a LOT of time writing my captions for each pic, because writing is so therapeutic for me and I truly do take the time to write my words. So it’s almost like my life journal as well!

 
 

Chatbooks is able to pull my images (AND) captions straight from Instagram, so I don’t have to come up with any captions or dates for the images! Or, it can just be a full page picture. I love that! Once you connect your account, you can set up an automated series where every 60 pictures, the app will automatically create a book and send it to you!

Did I mention…

The books start at just $10!!!

 
 

Now obviously, the more pictures / pages you do, and if you get a book hardcover vs. soft the price goes up BUT I’m telling you…to me every penny I spend on my books is SO WORTH IT!!!!!

I get about 300 pages printed in each of mine, so they’re definitely pricier, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything. I also get the 8x8 hardcover, in case you’re wondering which style I choose!

It can also pull pics straight from your camera roll and other drive links, which is so intuitive and user friendly! They really make it easy and do all the work.

All you do is download the app, connect it to your Instagram account or your preferred method of importing pics, and start creating! It’s so easy!!!

 
 

I personally think it’s the perfect gift too; I’ve given them to my mom and in laws for holidays (think Mother’s / Father’s Day filled with pics and memories of your parents with grandkids!) and it’s also a great way to make a special book for a special family vacation. How precious would a book be of your favorite family beach trips with one of their custom beach covers!?!

 
 
 

Here they are on our bookshelf.

 

Again shown here on the bookshelf in a simple wire basket.

 

Here they are on our tv media console.

 

Love that you can label the binding too!

 

Here they are styled in a basket below our fireplace.

 

They’re adorable in a basket like this!

 
 

P.s. if you want to reference this post in the future, be sure to pin it so you can always come back to it! Here’s an image for you to pin, so you don’t forget where to find the post and the code!

So, happy photo bookin’ friends!

XX,

Amy

TAKING A 6 MONTH BREAK FROM INSTAGRAM - THIS IS MONTH 4

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It’s been four months off Instagram, and every month I give an update on how life’s been here in the Hawthorne house! You can read about month 1 here, month 2 here, and month 3 here, but be sure to come back here to catch up on month 4!

So, let’s catch up!

This month’s been all about having my mom come visit, saying bye to daddy for military stuff, making this new house a home, and continuing to get settled into Texas! (Mixed in with a broken septic, broken AC, lots of master bedroom sleepovers + more) So let’s get to it!

 
 

We started off the month with celebrating the Fourth of July with a festive charcuterie!

Strawberries, dried strawberries, raspberries, bananas, blueberries, cheese, and crackers make for the perfect mix of Red, White, and Blue!

 
 

And then of course came a pool day + fireworks! And by fireworks, I mean sparklers because our city doesn’t allow fireworks. The sparklers were still a hit! And because we live up on a hill we could see fireworks all across the lake which was so so fun to see!

PS funny note about this tee - My maiden name is Farris, and I was called “Bueller” when I was younger as a nickname. I found this tee for $11 and had to have it hehe! More importantly…I was born in 1986!! So this tee was truly just meant to be LOL!

 

Then! My momma flew in! Which was such a treat since it’s been a while since we last saw her! We enjoyed so much sunshine with her, in our backyard, and at the lake, and she loved it here!

 

Here’s some pics from our backyard waterslide parties, and Bella sitting in the shade. hahah!

Slide linked here!

Double chair linked here!

 

We went on so many walks with my mom, she played so much piano, we took endless pics, the girls drew her countless pics, and we just truly enjoyed each other’s company. Oh…and we ate a lot of yummy Korean food as always!

 

We spent some much needed quality family time at the lake behind our house a few times before we had to say bye to daddy. This trip in particular is probably my fondest memory of the entire month. We were splashing each other, giggling, and just loving life, summer, and family time. I’ll never forget these moments with my Italian stallion. ;)

 

Texas - 2020. Loving life at the lake.

This is how empty it is every time we go. We always go early in the morning before many people are there, and it’s just totally dreamy. We are in heaven.

 

And how precious is this little peach float! Only $!5 and we all love it so so much! It’s the perfect little lounge float, and not to mention it’s cute. :)

Linked here.

 

Everly says she wants to be a surfer! Andddd she’s really getting the hang of swimming! Look at her pulling Hadley on the board with no floats on!!! She is so eager to master swimming AND surfing, and it’s just the sweetest! Our little adventure girl.

 

I mean truly, LOOK AT THESE SEA BABES!!!!

P.s. you can get this Sea Babe hat on sale with my code AMY15 at www.bittybrah.com !!! We love these hats because they actually stay on the girls’ heads!

 

OKAY BUT TRULY OUR ABSOLUTE NUMBER ONE FAVORITE ACTIVITY THIS SUMMER?!?!?!

SNORKELING!!! and we don’t have to be at some crazy cool reef to do it! Although that would be neat.

We’ve found that it has truly helped with the girls’ water confidence, and it’s been SUCH a fun family activity!

YOU MUST check out this video below to see them in action!!!

 
 

If you follow me on IG, you know I rave about the cordless vacuum. Ha! This is right up there with it on a must have for families. This will be on every gift list from here on out!

 

While Everly’s learning to surf and swim, Hadley’s still wearing princess dresses, twirling around to Kidz Bop Shine Bright Like a Diamond - by Rhianna and Believer - by Imagine Dragons (hahah!), and asking daddy to paint her nails, which he secretly LOVES doing. :) She also changes clothes every hour, every day, and I never thought we’d be in that phase! It’s hilarious. She tells me every other day she doesn’t want bangs anymore, and then she says she loves them. She ALWAYS puts her clothes on backwards, and her shoes on the wrong feet, no matter how much we try to teach her otherwise…maybe it’s cause she’s left handed? We haven’t quite figured it out LOL! She also adores the song Little Drummer Boy which is so sweet and random hahahha! Especially when we’re blasting it in the middle of July, LOL! At nightime, she scratches her armpits to put herself to sleep.

Truly, how’s that for sweet?!?! And her middle of the night sneaking into my bed while Blake’s away is truly my favorite. Don’t tell Blake, but she may be a better cuddler. ;)

 

Everly on the other hand adores Thunder - by Imagine Dragons! AND SHE LOST HER FIRST TWO TEETH THIS MONTH!!!! LIKE WHAT?!?!??!! How is she getting that big. Her two bottom front teeth came out and it was the weirdest experience hahaha! I get grossed out easily, but we managed LOL! Tooth fairy came too and she brought the sweetest little tooth keepsake box and mouse fairy that you can find here! Everly was in love!

She also got a special zoom call from her preschool teacher in Kansas as well as the sweetest package from her. We miss her so much!

A few other fun things from this month: she has started putting the dishes away for me and 1. YAY because I despise doing it, but 2. she chose to do it all by herself! She really does want to be a little helper, and I adore it! She lip syncs songs and doesn’t think anyone is watching, and it’s the cutest thing ever to watch. ANDDDD AT AGE 5.5 SHE IS FINALLY NIGHT POTTY TRAINED!!!! Guys! wait until your babes are ready, and don’t feel like you have to force it!!! I promise they won’t go to college in diapers, though it may feel like it in the moment haha. Since we waited until she was ready, it was SO EASY!!!

We also got her set up with a new ABA clinic here, and I’m so excited for her to dive back in. She THRIVES in therapy and she’s eager to be back with the most extraordinary therapists in this world!

 
 

Before my mom left, we were sure to make a trip up to Waco to look around, grab some food, some great coffee, and walk around to see all the pretty construction / decor! WE WERE IN HEAVEN!!! I can’t believe I live here you guys! 45 minutes from the Silos. Dream come true!

 

Wanna hear something hilarious? I got stopped about 27 times and was asked for an autograph and to take a picture with people because they thought I was Joanna Gaines. hahahahahah!!!

One, I am NOT that pretty.

Two, I am Korean like her so understand that.

Three, the mask makes it very hard to tell and I wore a typical Jo outfit so I get it, but it was HILARIOUS!!!

 

We also went on a rainy day so we wouldn’t have to deal with a crowd and it worked!!! There was hardly anyone there which was SO NICE!!!!

 

That same day, we met with Everly’s new audiologist here to keep up with her hearing aids! He was great, and we feel like she’s in great hands once again! So proud of that girl.

 

One of the last mornings Blake was here, we asked my moms to watch the girls so we could have one final date. We live right next to a mountain bike park, so we got up with the sunrise, and rode around for 10 miles, just the two of us.

It was so special.

He cycled for West Point and was incredible. He’s a phenomenal athlete, and I’m so grateful he always pushes me out of my comfort zone to try new things and to always stay active and fit. Cycling is one of our favorite family activities, and I’m excited to add mountain biking to the list of my favorite activities!

 

Buttttt…all good things must come to an end. And early in the month we had to take daddy to the airport to say goodbye for a few months. Everly snapped this picture of us, and I’m happy we have a little mini photographer in our house now. hehe! Makes it easier so we don’t have to go ask neighbors to take pics for us anymore. hahaha!

 

The sweetest/ saddest pic of the month.

The girls had to say bye to daddy. Though they don’t understand a concept of time, they do know what “a long time” means versus he’ll just be gone a few days.

This one’s a long time. :(

I always thought it was harder when they were younger because they just didn’t understand, but I’m starting to realize the older they get, the harder it is to say goodbye.

They get it now. And they miss him so much already.

 

Onto a lighter note (hahahha) let me toot my horn a bit and tell you HOW HARD AND SCARY it is to mow our yard. We live on a hill and this sucker is scary going up and down it. BUT I’ve been doing it for three weeks now and I just want to say PRAISE YOU to all the men and women out there doing yard work alone. haha! (p.s. I’m trying to save money and dpn’t want to hire anyone, which is why I’m doing it myself. )

 

Y’all also SHOWED UP once again for our family during our 1 July restock! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

We’ve got some big big plans in store for our October launches, so stay tuned Ever Co fam!!!!!

 

Another project we’ve been working on is our back patio!! We are adding in a lot of new concrete to extend it out + adding more overhead for more shade! We spend so much time outside, so we wanted to make sure we had enough cover from all of this Texas sun! We aren’t making many upgrades to this house, considering it’s only a few years old, but this is one investment we’re making as we do think it’ll add some great value to the house once we resell or rent out! I’ll be sure to keep you guys posted on this progress!

 

Wellll and of course in TRUE solo parenting fashion, the day after Blake leaves we start having all kinds of issues around the house that I desperately rely on him to take care of. Not because I’m incompetent, cause let it be known that I CAN hold my ground…but because I’m just lazy….HA!!!

So our aerobic septic had issues, and we couldn’t use the toilet for 3 days…..LET ME JUST SAY THAT THE HOUSE SMELLED HORRIBLE, EVERLY’S POOP WAS EVERYWHERE, AND IT WAS HORRIBLE. HAHAHHA!!!

AND THENNNNNNNNN our AC broke out of nowhere.

Actually, it broke while the plumbers were here fixing our septic/toilet so I legit blamed it on them.

Insert palm to face emoji here. hahahahha!!!

I was like wait so you’re telling me it was purely coincidence that our AC broke WHILE our toilets are getting fixed?!?!?!

Yep.

Purely coincidence. AND EVIL. hahaha!

So anywho, it was 87+ inside the house for two days and 100+ outside and straight up MISERABLE.

I can’t make this stuff up.

We had some not so comfortable hot, naked, slumber parties in the master, and well just tried to make the most of it.

But anyways…it can only get better from here…right? hehe!

P.S. my quilt in Bronze is linked here, just $69.99 for the king!!

My sheets are linked here and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM!!! the mocha color is stunning and they’re sooooo soft! And only $35 !!!!

 

That also meant I was not about to cook any long extravagant meals, because I one didn’t have the energy (since I was conserving it to not die from heat lol) but also because I didn’t want to warm the house up much.

So we had a lot of PF Changs lo mein on our pretty new plates. (with a side of vino for mama) and it truly made life a bit better.

Plates linked here, here and here! So presh and great prices. Would also be cute gifts for teachers or therapists!

 

We’ve had lots of girls days, which has been stressful + enjoyable + memorable all in one.

They’re driving me nuts a lot (let’s just be real) but man do I feel lucky to have this quality time with them!

My outfit is Lullaby Club, H’s is Zara and E’s is Indy and Pippa!

 
 

With lots of pictures together, of course!

top = Zara.

 

We’ve also gotten lots of sweet time with our precious angel Bella who will be 11 this year!!!! WHAT?!?!?!? oh man, we love you Bella!

 
 

Most of the other items are from Shop Sweet Lulu, Poppy Toys and No Small Miracle!

 
 
 
 

Here’s a few other fun memories from the month! Playing school in the living room, getting new doll clothes in from No Small Miracle. setting up our new bird feeder (linked here), collecting rocks / seashells, grocery shopping trips, macaroons from the Korean bakery, lake days + more!

 
 
 
 

Andddddd if you’re still here reading (phew, praise you! Cause these blog posts take me about 6 + hours to do!!!!) then here’s your very first hint at what’s to come in October…..can’t wait to share more!!!

 

Honestly though, have there been stressful days? Yes. We all have them.

I can’t even count how many times I’ve lost my cool since Blake’s been gone. These girls are desperate for socialization, their old friends and a return to normal. Heck I am too!

But we are ALL in this boat.

So I challenge all of us to not fall into the woe is me trap, because honestly things could be so much worse for so many of us.

There are so many battling much much harder things, and we have to maintain that perspective when the going gets tough.

So…all in all I truly can’t complain. Things could be SO SO MUCH WORSE, and every day I remind myself that tomorrow the sun will rise again, a new day means a fresh start, and truly I am so lucky to call these girls mine.

I’m so lucky to call this life mine.

I just pray to God that one day when they’re old enough to say it, they’ll feel the exact same way about me.

I love them something fierce and am beyond grateful for all of this quality time I’ve gotten with them over the months.

I knew the Lord called me away from the online world back in January, for a purpose far greater than my own understanding.

Little did I know we’d enter into a pandemic and these girls would desperately need their mama’s undivided attention. I sure hope they look back on this time together as true quality time together, because my perspective of motherhood has entirely shifted.

The to do lists, IG posts, picture ops, business opportunities, and collabs can all wait.

While my heart for entrepreneurship, small business, and success have not changed, (and honestly I’m more on fire for those things than ever!!!) my heart for balancing those things with faith, motherhood, and wifehood have.

I will continue seeking that balance long after this IG break ends.

You can read my blog post about balancing priorities here, which continues to be an area in my life I will always strive to improve!

 

Well…I guess it’s goodbye once again.

It’s so sweet getting your messages on here, your emails, your texts, and all the in between during this time away. I LOVE catching up with you all when you message me here. It’s so fun to know some of y’all are actually here, reading, and still hanging around….I hope I don’t come back to IG in October to nobody…hahahaha!!!

But…if I do, or if there’s only 100 of you there, I know I did what the Lord called me to do.

To step away and tend to these four little feet around me here.

And for that, I know that I know that I know that I’m standing right where I’m meant to be.

Until next time, sweet friends.

Love you and sending you SO much light + love + prayer during this time.

Heads up! I’ll be posting a blog post on Chatbooks next week (with a code!!! cause I know yall love them as much as me!) as well as a back to school blog post and indoor / outdoor activities for kids blog post, so stay tuned!

Alsoooooo if you’re really still reading….thank you to everyone who’s noticed the blog refresh! I’ve been working hard behind the scenes on some rebranding all by myself, so it’s been so fun to mess around here! Can’t wait to share more!

TAKING A 6 MONTH BREAK FROM INSTAGRAM - THIS IS MONTH 3

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Hey hey hey!!! It’s been three months since I signed off Instagram and I’m back again with another monthly roundup so you can keep up with my little family if you so choose. ☺

You can read about month one here (April 2020) and month two here (May 2020)! But be sure to come back here so we can catch up when you’re done. hehe!

Grab a drink, and let’s chat!

 
 

This month’s been all about getting settled into our new home in Texas (we moved for the Army), learning the area, exploring, celebrating Father’s Day, celebrating our 9 YEAR ANNIVERSARY…do whattttt, and preparing for daddy to leave for 3-4 months of training. (insert sad face here) We also got to have Blake’s dad in town which was so good for our souls to see family again!

So let’s get to it! Let me show you around our new place, a little of what we’ve seen around Texas, and share some incredible memories with the family.

(The girls’ sandals are linked here, the girls’ outfits are from Indy and Pippa, and my outfit is from Lullaby Club)

 

First thing’s first…we made it to Texas!!! We’re nestled in a small town outside of Fort Hood, about an hour from Waco (OH YES HEY JOANNA!!!) and an hour from Austin! YEAAAAA ATX!!!

 

One of my favorite things about being here is seeing all of the desert plants everywhere! Talk about picture backdrop heaven hehehe!

 

Of course, when we got to Texas, we got In-N-Out, because why not? ha! The girls loved it! Obligatory selfie of course. paha!

 
 

The girls and I arrived first before Blake did, so we had about 2 weeks to get settled into the house! Which by settled in I mean we set up our backyard and ENJOYED THE TEXAS SUN like nobody’s business! ha!

We don’t plan on doing much with the house as far as renovations go, but we do plan on extending the back patio/roof so I’ll be sure to share progress shots of that!

The water slide is linked here! It’s been our saving grace this summer!!! And we love our blow up pools, linked here!

 

These are some of my favorite pics of the girls this month! They are having a blast with all this sun!

 

We got to see/meet some of our favorite (and not so favorite haha) friends! The day I got here I found a tarantula by our front door, and that took some getting used to…especially after I found numbers 2 and 3 as well hahaha! But I’ve learned that they are so kind. So we just let them be!

We also got to see JOC JOC AND SWEET BEAUTIFUL BABY LILY RAE!!!!!! And our sweet EMMY AND LANDON! And we got to watch my handsome nephew graduate 8th grade online! So many fun memories!

 

We are a food family, that’s for sure, and love trying new places! Thanks to my dear friend Porshia who’s from San Antonio and super familiar with the Hood area, we’ve been able to try so many places! (Including learning all about H.E.B. which I am OBSESSED WITHHHHHHH to say the least!)

This month we had Home Slice pizza (a must!) Whataburger and JuiceLand (where the peachy green drink is my all time favorite jam now). I also have been making summer salads at home and endless blueberry + banana french toast! Food’s been great this month!

 

BUT OUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT OUR NEW HOUSE?!?!?!

 

IS PRACTICALLY IN OUR BACK YARD!

 

THE LAKE!!!! WHERE WE CAN’T GET AWAY FROM! There’s so much room and hardly anyone ever there, and boy oh boy it’s been the best time for our souls. Thankfully I’ll have this while Blake’s away this summer and beyond. So grateful for God’s creations.

 
 

Our bestie Haley from Indy and Pippa launched some new summer sets and we’ve had so much fun in them all summer so far!!! They’re our favorites to wear! So comfy and lasts for so long because of their oversized fit!

 
 

And another sweet friend Kelsey from No Small Miracle has been launching the sweetest stuff all summer long too!!! We love the sweet baby dolls and accessories we’ve received from her shop!

 

I’ve really been putting my health first this month, and working out every day, which has truly felt so so good. I have stopped caring about counting calories and watching the scale, and instead I’m embracing my body for what it is. I’m finally proud and content with the woman in the mirror. I feel healthy, and that is truly what matters most. I wanna be able to play ball with my grandkids one day.

 

And finalllyyyyyyy we got reunited with daddy halfway through the month and we missed him so much!!! I’d show you the video of the girls seeing him for the first time, but I didn’t realize Hadley had no panties on and she flashed the camera hahahaha!

 

The girls made Blake these little canvases for Father’s Day all by themselves so that was super special. We also got Bella some new toys to welcome her back home too!

 

We made a Starbucks stop in The Domain in Austin and LET’S JUST SAY I’M IN LOVE WITH THAT PLACE!!! Blake shared his drink with Hadley and the pic I snapped is hilarious haha!

 

Another restaurant Porshia told us about was Hopdoddy and it too did not disappoint! We ate there for Father’s Day and we loved it! The girls were being so silly for pictures. We got it to go and ate outside all by ourselves which was our very first time in 4 months eating out, and that was weirdddddddd.

 
 

Our all time favorite family activity is neighborhood walks, which we really loved in Kansas, and we’re so happy to continue that here. Here’s the view of the lake from behind our house! It’s so beautiful here, that’s for sure!

 

Here’s daddy’s first trip to the lake with the girls! Let’s just say they love LOVE having daddy home haha!

 
 

Daddy snapped some pics of the girls and I while we were out and about and I sure do love these pics with them. Motherhood has both wrecked me and raised me this month, but when I stop and thank God for these tiny little blessings, I realize just how Blessed I am.

 

And now for a tour of our house!!! This is the mirror in our front entranceway, and yes! OUR FLOORS ARE CONCRETE! HOW COOL IS THAT!!! I’ve always seen it on pinterest and never thought we’d get the chance to have a home with them, but thank you Texas!!!

We have had the same furniture in our house for the last 9 years since we got married, so this year we upgraded a lot of it. That allowed us to sell a lot before we moved too! We plan on this furniture lasting us our final 10 years in the military, so it was fun to redesign the home together…but it was sad saying goodbye to furniture that’s been with us since the beginning of us!

 
 

Here’s some more pics of the entryway and little Hadley posing because HELLO MOOD! haha! Bella’s corner also cracks me up haha! She’s so spoiled. My mom’s friend drew us that pic of her! YES DREW. How crazy is that!?

Our entry light is linked here, and we love it!!! It also comes in gold!

 
 
 

Another favorite little spot is this rug by our back door!!! I ordered it with this peace bowl for the girl’s play kitchen and I highly recommend both of them!

 
 

Another favorite little spot in the house is this archway to the bedrooms on the other end of the house. Which btw it’s our first time in a ranch style house and we LOVE IT!!! I love not having a second story so so much!!! These little wall weavings were from a small coffeeshop in Kansas that I got before we moved, and I’m so happy to have them displayed here. I love the story behind them so much and that they were handmade!

 
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This is a little picture wall above our piano, and I have to get the pictures reprinted but we love it so far! I’ll be adding a few more frames to each end as well.

 

Here’s our cozy little fireplace nook. I can’t wait to see garland up there for Christmastime with a tree by the fire! I think we’re gonna paint this white too! (Well, if I can convince Blake!)

 

And here’s the living room!

Our tv console is linked here.

Our couch is linked here.

Our ottoman is linked here.

And sadly our rug is not available anymore. :(

 

Our dining area is a work in progress, and we’re still waiting for our dining light, but here it is thus far. Lot’s of work to be done.

 

Our bedroom is super simple, which I love, but we still have work to do. Here’s a progress pic!

 

We upgraded the girls’ play kitchen too! I’ve been eyeing this one for awhile because the last one was just too large to keep moving and I love that this one is all one piece! The quality is wonderful and it was much quicker to put together. It’s definitely pricier, but it was kinda our present to the girls for the new home, new lives, new school (maybe), new friends, etc. We know they’ll make tons of memories with it here and beyond!

It’s linked here!

 

The girls’ bedroom was one of the first rooms I got ready, andddd I am not the biggest fan. It’s way too busy and cluttered. Soooooo there will likely be changes over the next few months, but for now here’s Hadley’s princess corner, their reading nook, and Everly’s CRAZYYYYYYY dino corner hahaha!!!

You can shop the Believe in the Magic poster in our shop!

 

And to end the month off, Blake’s dad came and stayed with us for a week and it was FABULOUS HAVING HIM HERE!!! Wait, are these guys brothers or father and son? hehe. We toured Blake’s stomping grounds on post and got to see the airfield a bit where he’ll be working when he gets back from training too!

 
 
 

We also got to take him to our lake, which my word we had so much fun with him there! Can’t wait to take his mom and my mom there as well! The girls love their grandpa!

 
 

But to end on the best note.

I got to celebrate 9 years with this man. We got to kiss in the lake, and he squirt me with a toy water gun just like he did 9 years ago on one of our first dates at a lake in Alabama. I was lucky then, and I’m even luckier now. I jove you BRH. Here’s to the future, and next year blessing us with a decade together. Wow.

 

So there ya have it! Month three down, and I’m still loving this time away from social media. I truly think everyone needs to do this. I’ve realized how unhealthy it was in so many aspects of my life, and I’m grateful the Lord called me to rest.

But this time with COVID is just wild, isn’t it? I just don’t know what’s to come for the girls’ school and whatnot this fall, and it’s driving my planning anxiety crazy. However, I am generally way less risky when it comes to health stuff, especially when it involves the girls because they do both have weakened immune systems with their health issues. Therefore, I’d much rather be safe than not. We have no idea if we’re gonna homeschool or not, but it sounds like Texas is giving parents the option to keep kids home or send them to school. Such crazy and scary times. The girls just keep asking for their old friends back and for all the people that are sick to get better, and it truly breaks my heart every time they cry because they miss the way life once was. This just isn’t fair. It’s all just a bit sad, huh? It’s crazy to think that these same insecurities, fears, pressures, anxieties, stresses are the same ones my relatives are dealing with in Korea, and all the people across the world are dealing with. When in our lifetime have we ever been able to say that, ya know? That something has affected ALL of us the same.

Honestly, my heart just breaks for my girls and other kids who just wanna be with their friends. My heart breaks for teachers who just wanna see their students. My heart breaks for the playgrounds that just wanna have kids swinging, and sliding, and twirling all around. My heart breaks for families who just want to be reunited. I just want things to go back to the way they once were, but alas…this is life.

And together, we will adapt and overcome.

I was in Target the other day, and getting emotional as per the usual.

I stood there looking around at everyone with their masks on, keeping their distance. How we’ve all just adjusted our lives in an instant to this new normal, this new way of life.

And as I stood there tears filled my eyes, because for the first time it really really really hit me. To see how resilient our nation is. How we, in 2020, are dealing with a pandemic like we’ve never dealt with before, and we’re doing it. We’re learning, we’re changing, we’re growing. Are there bumps in the road? Of course. But we are doing it, and we will continue to do it…I just know it. It may not seem like it now, but I just feel deep down we will come out of this stronger than ever before.

I know we tend to see and hear how far we have to go, and don’t get me wrong…we have a long ways to go…but can I just say for a second how proud I am of how far we’ve come?

I know there’s so much work to be done, and I will continue doing that hard work too, but hey you! Whoever you are reading this. Know that I am so proud of you and everything you do every day to help our nation win this fight.

Thank you for your sacrifices day in and day out.

Thank you for learning and growing with me.

Together, we can do this. Hang tight friend.

Oh and hey, wear your masks. ;)

Well, I guess I’ll end there.

I’m halfway through this break and this journey, and I’m loving every minute of it.

Be well, be still, and be safe.

XX,

Amy

anddddd HEY P.S.!!!

 

I’ve worked two days this month, and one of them you can see here. I sat outside at The Domain in Austin all by myself and worked on my dreams. There’s so much ahead for The Ever Co that I can’t wait to share. But for now know that our shop is now live with what we have left from the error sale! There’s more information there, but if you have any questions leave a comment below or email me! Thank you for supporting us!!!

MAY 2020

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Hey there friends! ♥

It’s officially been two months off the gram, and it’s truly been healing for my soul.

You can catch up with how month one went here by clicking this link to go to my April blog post, AND why I chose to take 6 months off of Instagram here, but be sure you come back here to read this one too!

I promised to give you a monthly recap at the end of every month to let you know what our little family’s been up to, and let me just preface this post by saying - phew…this month’s been a doozy!

BECAUSE…

WE MOVED FROM KANSAS! AND WE ARE NOW TEXANS!

But with that move, we had to say goodbye to daddy. :( He’s unfortunately not allowed to leave Kansas yet due to COVID, so the girls and I are in Texas alone at our new home until they allow him to move.

This is our 9th move in 10 years with the Army, and Everly’s 5th move in her 5 years of life! WOAH!

So let me backtrack and tell you all about May. Grab a drink, and let’s catch up. ♥

 
 

We started the month off with relaunching the website on May 1st, and you continued to blow me away with how much you showed up for our family. Even while I’m not physically showing up for you. So thank you for supporting us, it means the world.

I made my final few runs to our Fort Leavenworth post office, and the girls made a couple trips with me on their scooters too! It’s a 3 mile round trip and we loved making post office runs to get a little workout in together. The postal workers are incredible ladies and we will miss them so!

My plan is to relaunch again somewhere between July 1st and July 15th, so stay tuned! I’ll reload all remaining “error” inventory I have at discounted prices. We have to get settled into our new home first before I can start the business back up, and since Blake’s not with me that’s proving to be challenging. I will keep you all updated on the blog and via the newsletter!

 
 
 

The Kentucky Derby was canceled this year, and that made this Kentucky gal super sad - BUT it was the best decision. We still celebrated the first weekend in May with our traditional Derby charcuterie, mixed with horses for the girls which they loved! We can’t wait to see the beautiful horses running for the roses again.

 

And then came May 4th, and let me just say - MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU! hehe

We are HUGE Star Wars nerds in this family, and the girls are already becoming quite the fans themselves! Everly is obsessed. They had fun with their lightsabers, I did their hair in Princess Leia and Rey Skywalker hairstyles, and we watched all of the movies all day long! It’s a favorite day every year for us!

These are also some of my favorite pics of them ever now.

 

That first weekend in May was SO busy, because Derby and Star Wars Day were bookended with Cinco De Mayo! Which is truly a day we look forward to every year, because we LOVEEEEEEE a good homemade taco bar. The girls love picking and choosing what they want on their tacos, Blake and I love getting creative (and the margaritas), and we all watch Coco to celebrate the Mexican culture which has become such a fun tradition for us.

 

We knew this was our last month at Fort Leavenworth, and what a last month it was. It is SO HARD moving constantly. I wont’ sugar coat it. But the hardest part is saying goodbye constantly to friends that become family. It’s heartbreaking truly. I can only imagine that as the girls get older and have even deeper friendships that it will become harder, but for right now we’re doing all we can to make the most of each move. We try hard to teach the girls how proud they should be to be a military family, that it’s never “goodbye” but see ya later, and we always try to remember how resilient they are at their young ages.

But it doesn’t make it easy. This move was especially hard because we didn’t get to give all of the hugs to teachers and friends that we wanted to. We had a few socially distanced neighborhood gatherings, which was so so fun (but also weird and sad). We took advantage of some photo ops, had some AMAZING cookies by our new neighbors who own Cookie Cartel Co, jumped in our dino sprinklers (linked here) with our best friends, and had a few incredibly fun nights of music with our neighbors. Let’s just say the girls are officially Tom’s groupies. ;)

Nevertheless, we had to say goodbye. It was hard. It was sad. But the show must go on. This is the military life.

 
 
 

My plants started to THRIVE in the May sunshine! And let me just say…I LOVEEEEEE MAY IN KANSAS!

 

I wrote a lot about this in our Father’s Day Gift Idea blog post, which you can read about here, but BLAKE GOT HIS MBA WITH A 4.0 GPA!!! I am so so so proud of him. Not only did he graduate his masters, but he also finished a rigorous course-load at his professional military education for the Army too. It’s been a busy academic year for the family, but he did it and he’s officially a CLASS OF 2020 GRAD!

One of our best family friends here got us some donuts when Blake finished his masters, and it was quite literally the sweetest and yummiest surprise.

Not only did Blake finish school, but our sweet little Everly Brynn graduated preschool and is officially on her way to Kindergarten!!! Our military base had a parade for all graduating seniors and we sat out on the road with our balloons and cheered them on. It was so sweet to teach the girls how we can celebrate others!

 

Speaking of graduating and school, Teacher’s appreciation week this year was one to remember. While we couldn’t squeeze and hug our teachers and see them up close, our elementary school had a drive by parade for all parents and students to drive through, deliver presents, and say THANK YOU to our teachers, administrators and staff. I will never ever ever forget that day, and I don’t think our girls will either.

We gave Everly’s preschool teacher, assistant, and school speech therapist these apple glass trays (will be super cute on their desk or at home for little candies or jewelry or something! - they were Anthropologie but I found them at Nordstrom!) as well as a gift card and some yummy nuts/candies. They all loved the gifts!

We also drew a chalk drawing and sent it to her teachers too.

 

And here’s a look at how we rolled through the parade. The girls loved helping me paint all of these signs!

 
 

We were fortunate enough to run into some of the girls’s teachers and/or live near them, so the girls will never forget their beautiful faces! We also got to have one final zoom session with Everly’s class. WE LOVE YOU ALL SO SO MUCH AND WISH WE COULD’VE SAID GOODBYE TO ALL OF YOU IN PERSON!!!

 

The girls didn’t get to have their dance recital this year, but we did still get their dresses! Here’s a pic of how precious they would’ve been had they had their recital. We hope next year is different!

 

I’ve also maintained cutting Hadley’s hair by myself, and it actually isn’t too hard to do! I highly recommend doing it to save money if you have a little one with short hair. We go outside about once a month to trim it up, and she loves this mommy daughter salon time. ;)

 

Both of the girls have continued rockin their bikes, and we’ve loved watching them learn/master a new skill! They’re so proud of themselves which is just the sweetest thing to see.

 

We’ve been able to face time / zoom so many family and friends during this downtime, and it’s been so special for the girls to see their faces online. Here the girls were face timing with Joc Joc (Everly’s old nanny) who was expecting her first little girl Lily this month! WE LOVE YOU JOC!

 
 

Mother’s Day was SO SO SO SPECIAL this year. I’ve never had so much time with these girls, quality time at that, and to be off instagram and away from social media during this time time has truly been a blessing.

For Mother’s Day, I woke up to the yummiest breakfast and handmade card from my dearest Blake.

Everly drew me THE BEST picture ever (an assignment from her teacher) and she put our family around a Christmas tree cause it’s her favorite memory for our family. (CUE THE TEARS!!!!)

We went on a long 5 mile family walk/hike with the girls and watched the ducks / geese in a pond.

ANDDDDD likely my favorite memory in the month of May?

WE CAMPED OUT IN OUR BACKYARD FOR MOTHER’S DAY, and it was a BLAST!!!!!!

We ate pizza in the backyard, made smores, and all slept in the tent, freezing cold but making memories. We will never ever ever forget these memories.

 
 
 
 
 

For one of our final weekends in May, we observed Memorial Day at the beautiful Fort Leavenworth cemetery. It is such a breathtaking place that truly leaves me speechless every time we walk by it. The girls went and paid respects to different stones, we spoke about Soldiers and how some die protecting us, and the girls walked up and down the streets in silence. It was truly remarkable to see how calm and respectful they were. I am so proud of these little Army girls.

We also spoke about their grandpa, my dad. And while he didn’t die serving our nation, he did serve our country for 30 years. They think he’s buried here, and every time we walk by they say “HI GRANDPA!” While he’s buried in the Kentucky Veteran’s Memorial cemetery, I’m okay with them thinking he’s here too…because honestly? Being stationed here at Fort Leavenworth (which was he and my mom’s first duty assignment when they got married) makes me feel really close to him. It’s bittersweet leaving Kansas, because I feel like I’m leaving my daddy here again.

 

Two days before we moved, we learned about the Shawnee Dog Park! WHICH OH MY WORD IF YOU GET STATIONED IN KANSAS OR VISIT KC, YOU MUST GO! It has so many hiking trails, bike trails, paddle board ramps, dog parks, etc and we loved it! (The only thing I didn’t love is when we got there, I realized Everly got into the markers in her carseat anddddd that made for an interesting walk…Everyone thought she had dog poop all over her! HAHAHHAH!!!)

 

We sold our couch. (insert crying face). So I got one final pic of the girls on their “trampoline” hahha! This couch has been with us for 10 years, through 9 Army moves, and the girls have grown up with it. We will miss it, but it’s time to say farewell. Luckily it went to another family with 2 little boys, and I know lots of memories will be made there.

 
 

On the last night, with all of the boxes packed up, the girls asleep, and Bella and I sleeping on the floor of our living room, I pulled out our Blu Ray disc player (since the other tv was packed away) and I pulled out my old DVDs and watched them non stop with a glass of champagne. It’s one of my favorite things to do when we’re moving. I just love these classics. I watched all of Saved By the Bell again hahah! And p.s. LOOK AT THAT DOG. Is she spoiled or what?!

 

Last began my solo road trip with the girls from Kansas to Texas.

We first stopped in Oklahoma City, OK and stayed in the cutest / quaintest little Air BnB in a historic neighborhood that had all of the best restaurants nearby!!!! I highly recommend this Air BnB if you’re ever in the OKC area! Follow this link and search “Charming Gatewood Guest House” and I know you’ll love it too!

 

We got the YUMMIEST pizza at Empire, the YUMMIEST ice cream at Roxy’s, and the best breakfast + coffee at Elemental all while in KC too! The Plaza District is wonderful for food! Here’s some pics from our exploring!

 

We stayed up way beyond our bedtime, watched Maleficent on Disney + while eating ice cream, cuddled in a full bed that was WAY too small for us three to cuddle in and I legit didn’t sleep AT ALL hahaha, but memories were made and we had a blast. That’s what matters. :)

 

andddddd TO TOP OFF OUR STOP IN OKC?!?!? We got to see Brittany Viklund and her precious boys during a little drive by to their house, and it was the sweetest meet up ever! I am so thankful for that girl’s friendship! And thanks to her hubs for snapping this precious pic of us all WITH EVERYONE LOOKING! hehe!

 

Our next stop was Fort Worth, Texas where we stopped at a little park to stretch our legs and walk a bit, and apparently see our first “danger, alligator” signs which ummmm…made me feel VERY comfortable. hahha!

 

And finally, after a long 11 hours in the car by myself with the girls…we passed by Waco, TX and just one hour south made it TO OUR NEW HOME SWEET HOME!!!!

I celebrated with a mini bottle of rose’ and a Magnolia magazine in bed. HA!!! That drive by myself was nuts, let’s be real. ha!

 

One of the things that sold me on this house was all of the natural light that pours in, both in the morning and at night. Our first evening, pictured on the left, and our first morning, pictured on the right, show just how much light pours into this home and it just makes me smile.

We plan on painting the cabinets white, changing out the lighting fixtures, and making some other modifications to make it a little more us, but nevertheless THIS IS HOME!!!!!

 

We watched the sweetest graduation party across the street from our house on our second night here, where the kiddos did a bunch of traditional Hawaiian Hula dancing, and it made us smile! The girls LOVED seeing it and loved hearing all of the Moana music! And here’s also a look at our new mantel that I can’t wait to dress up! The globes won’t stay there, but it’s a good place to keep them safe for now. And finally, there’s a sneak peek at my new office! Many more sneaks to come!

 
Running 2.23 miles for Ahmaud Arbery’s birthday who was killed on 2.23nin Georgia. #IRunWithMaud

Running 2.23 miles for Ahmaud Arbery’s birthday who was killed on 2.23 in Georgia. #IRunWithMaud

And finally, to end our month of May, I wanted to share a few images this month that really made me stop, reflect, and breathe. I obviously haven’t been on social media, so I don’t know the extent of what’s been said, not said, acted on, not acted on, etc. I also haven’t been watching the news much, simply because it’s been a VERY busy few weeks for us with moving to a new home.

But I do know that this country is in pain.

I know that my Black brothers and sisters are hurting.

I know our Nation is hurting.

I know our communities are confused, scared, anxious, fearful, and quite frankly losing hope.

Here’s my promise to you for my personal community on Instagram, my blog here, as well as with our business for The Ever Co:

I will never, ever, ever stand for racism or division in this community. Neither will my family.

We will do our part to spread the good Lord’s message, and we will also do our part to end the hatred. We will continuously look for ways to donate to minority group organizations within our community and beyond.

Because I know we are privileged to be where we are, and to come as far as we have. We will always seek to amplify voices within the Black community and beyond.

We have preached since day one of this company that inclusion is incredibly important to us, and representing People of Color (POC) will always be a mission of ours, because we want to include everyone in this community.

It’s not for our brand. It’s not to check the box once a month.

It’s because we believe EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU BELONGS HERE.

But sometimes, just reaching for inclusion isn’t enough. No, IT’S NOT ENOUGH.

Sometimes quoting MLK on significant days isn’t enough. No, IT’S NOT ENOUGH.

So right now, I specifically want to speak to my Black brothers and sisters. My Black People of Color. (BPOC)

YOU MATTER!!!!!!! DO YOU HEAR ME!??!?! YOU MATTER TO ME. TO OUR FAMILY. TO THE EVER CO.

BLACK LIVES DO AND WILL ALWAYS AND FOREVER MATTER. PERIOD.

I will scream it until the day I die.

This is not a political statement. This is not a religious statement. This is not a social media trend. This is not a statement about an organization.

THESE ARE PEOPLE’S LIVES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. What more needs to be said?!?

Racism is a system, not a trend.

Systemic racism is brutal and real, and oppression is alive. WE DO NOT STAND FOR THIS.

I wish BLM weren’t considered a trend or fad, because that makes it seem like a temporary thing. Rather, this “movement” should be our every day lives. FOREVER. That is how we end racism.

And I pray that when these “hot topics” sizzle out, that this desire and passion for inclusion and the desire to end racism continues for all, long after our favorite influencers are posting about it.

IT STARTS IN OUR HEARTS, IN OUR HOMES.

And to any of my friends, family, or followers that don’t understand the BLM phrase or are confused by that phrase, let me give you a scenario that spoke profoundly to me this month.

Hadley has been throwing tantrums nonstop lately. She’s 3.5. It’s going to happen, I know.

She is still learning how to best speak her words without being punished and how to act without getting into trouble. But when she doesn’t get acknowledged, when she doesn’t get the response she’s hoping for, when she isn’t heard, SHE SNAPS. She acts out because she wants to be treated a certain way. She wants to be heard. As do most toddlers. As do all humans.

Right before I took the picture of she and I below, the one where I wore the HOPE shirt, we had a long talk about her crying and I was telling her that she can’t go to the big girls’ school if she acts like that, and she looked me straight in the eyes and said,

“BUT MOMMY, YOU’RE NOT LISTENING TO ME!!!”

Woah. Gut check.

She was right. I wasn’t listening to what she wanted, and why she was throwing a tantrum. I was specifically focused on the tantrum itself. How I didn’t want to hear the whining, bickering, crying anymore.

Since then, I’ve been trying to focus on the “why” of her tantrums. And ya know what? IT’S WORKED!!!

And I relate that situation to our current state of affairs.

BLACK PEOPLE WANT TO BE HEARD!!!! They want to SEE and FEEL action. They want to be a part of progress.

It is NOT ON THEM to teach us how to change. To teach us what to do. To teach us how to take action.

WE MUST TEACH OURSELVES.

And they’re “snapping” now, because they’re sick and tired of NOT being heard. There are thousands of peaceful protests happening, yet the media portrays the dark and ugly side of things. The side that makes so many throw their hands up in disbelief when they see Targets, and local mom and pops, and barber shops on fire. But think about little Hadley in her tantrum. The more I don’t listen, the more painful it gets.

OUR BLACK BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE IN PAIN. AND THEY HAVE BEEN FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.

I am not for non peaceful protests or destruction of property, but unfortunately I get it. And I can say that if I were in their shoes, maybe I’d be the same.

The point is, I’m not in their shoes.

I am (seemingly) white.

I am privileged.

Ironically, I have actually never identified as white or caucasian. I’ve always considered myself Other or even Asian in some instances. But I look white, talk white, dress white, and sound white, and if it barks like a dog and walks like a dog, then it’s probably a dog.

When I go to Target with the girls to pick out barbie or baby dolls and pajamas, I don’t have to look far. The ones that look like them are all right there in front of me.

When I say bye to my husband when he goes to work, I don’t have to remind him to be safe to and from, in the sense that something bad’s going to happen to him because of his skin color.

When I go to Disney with the girls, I don’t have to search all over for the one Black princess in the park. The ones that look like us are all over. I don’t have to look far.

When I go to the store by myself in oversized clothes and jackets and a big purse, I’m not followed around and watched like a hawk. EVEN THOUGH I was arrested in my teens for shoplifting…nobody would ever know or care because I don’t fit the part.

This is all white privilege. And WHO ARE WE to say that Blacks don’t experience these things if we are not Black. If our Black brothers and sisters say they feel this way, THEN WE HAVE TO LISTEN AND TRUST THEY FEEL THIS WAY. And really? I mean who wouldn’t?

This is a system. Racism is a system. and when a system is broken… we fix it.

Have we come a long way? Yes sure. But good golly we have soooo far to go.

We have not been doing our part to listen. We collectively have so much work to be done. It’s not their job to teach us, guide us, lead us.

We have all of the tools needed right at our fingertips.

WE MUST TAKE A STAND FOR THEM. WE MUST DO THE HARD WORK AND EDUCATE OURSELVES.

So here I am friends.

I, and The Ever Co, are here with open arms welcoming you into our lives, our hearts, our homes, our community, our conversations, our church, etc. and we want to help.

We want to do our part to make you feel heard and understood.

We promise to not use Black children in our feeds JUST to check the box or just because it’s the thing to do in 2020. That is performative and we won’t stand for it.

It is not okay to just post quotes in stories and take no action beyond that. It’s performative.

It’s not okay to pull out black baby dolls and books just in the month of February. It’s performative.

If we are going to lessen white privilege and racism, these need to be year round actions.

I realize I am not black. I realize I do not understand the depths of pain you have been through since you stepped onto American soil. I, and my children, will never experience the overt racism that my Black brothers and sisters experience.

But that doesn’t mean I can look away. That doesn’t mean I can see horrifying graphics and videos and say “oh that’s so sad” and do nothing beyond that.

As the daughter to a full Asian woman (100% Korean) I do understand the depths of racism and how painful it is. She can’t relate to much in America with the lack of Asian representation, so I know she feels it to her core.

I also know that I was raised by a father who was born in 1940. Who lived during some of the most racist times of our history. And I PERSONALLY had to help him overcome weaknesses of his own throughout my childhood, because he was biased based on when and where he was raised. Not because he hated POC. He was the sweetest, kindest soul. But he was raised in a different time, and he just needed to UNLEARN so many things.

AND PEOPLE, THAT IS OKAY!!!!!! We can unlearn things, just as well as we can learn them.

One of my favorite moments when I think about memories of him was around 2015. He called me to tell me he met a black man at the local Waffle House that was now his best friend. My dad was about 77 at that time. I will never forget that conversation. 77 AND STILL LEARNING, PEOPLE!!!

And there’s the proof. It’s okay to mess up, misstep, and fall.

Just get back up and try and try and try again. Even at 77 years old.

I am so passionate about this for many reasons.

One because I do not stand for injustice and hatred.

But mostly because I have so many CLOSE friends hurting right now. I can’t see them cry anymore.

I’ve dated black guys. Most of my best girlfriends growing up were black as well, and some still to this day. I’m grateful for being from Radcliff, Kentucky cause the diversity was EPIC. Being raised on/around a military base, I was so fortunate to have been exposed to so many races/ethnicities from an early age. It was truly a cultural melting pot. And to this day, Blake and I serve with countless Soldiers of color who fight to defend our country.

My dad always knew how important it was for me to know he accepted all of my friends, boyfriends, etc, and that was why even at 77 he called to tell me that.

WE CAN DO BETTER PEOPLE. He’s proof.

So let me go back to the story about Hadley.

While this shouldn’t be about our family, I hope this simple story can help put things into more perspective for anyone not understanding the pain of others or the statement Black Lives Matter.

This moment in our history isn’t about us hurting. It’s about them hurting.

When she yelled that “BUT MOMMY, YOU’RE NOT LISTENING TO ME!!!” I immediately started holding her and comforting her and showing her so much affection.

Everly watched me do this and I could tell she was getting jealous of how much attention Hadley was getting.

I explained to Everly that “Yes, I do love you too, but this moment in time is not about you. This moment is about Hadley and how much she’s hurting. It’s about acknowledging her and seeing WHY she’s throwing tantrums. And trying to help her and make things better.”

That does NOT take away from my love for Everly. That does NOT mean I love Hadley more than Everly.

It simply means I am focusing on my child who is hurting right now.

And honestly? I think that’s what Jesus wants. I KNOW that’s what Jesus wants.

He wants us to help His hurt children.

Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

WE MUST COMFORT THEM NOW MORE THAN EVER.

He COMMANDS us to love thy neighbor.

So let’s take it to the altar.

Hadley wasn’t saying “I matter more.” She was saying “I matter. Period.” Isn’t it ironic?

Our black friends are not shouting “BLACK LIVES MATTER, MORE.” They’re shouting,

“BLACK LIVES MATTER. PERIOD!”

What if when Hadley was crying, and Everly got jealous, I looked at Everly and said, BUT HADLEY MATTERS MORE TO ME! No…that’s not what I said. I told Everly I am focusing on Hadley right now because she is hurting. She is in pain. She needs me more right now.

And so…here’s my point to all of this:

Do all lives matter? Yes, of course, absolutely. Every life matters because Jesus died for every life.

Every police officer matters. Every Soldier matters. Every doctor matters. Every homeless man/woman matters. Every teacher matters. Every firefighter matters. Every white, asian, latin, Indian, middle eastern etc etc etc life matters.

Our Black Brothers and Sisters have NEVER once said they matter more than any of those listed above.

As I’ve heard many say, “their house is on fire, and they just want us to help them put out the fire!” They want to be heard.

SO LET’S HEAR THEM OUT! LET’S GIVE THEM THE PLATFORM TO SPEAK. Let’s do our part, white friends, to amplify their voices and give them the floor.

It’s our time to change history. It’s our time to step up and collectively acknowledge their pain and to say BLACK LIVES MATTER.

And ya know what? When something happens to one of us, I guarantee you they’ll have our backs too.

BUT we HAVE to prove to them we have theirs first. Let’s do this.

Let’s be the change.

My struggles:

I’ll be honest, I’m not really proofreading this and just kinda rambling and typing my words as they come to me. For so long I’ve tried to audit my writing to make sure I didn’t strike a nerve or cause controversy.

But not anymore. Now, I will write from my heart, and hope and pray that it speaks to maybe even just one of you reading. That’s where change takes place. When raw, real, transparent, and vulnerable conversations happen.

And while I’m being honest, let me tell you my greatest personal struggle that I’ve had to overcome with the phrase “Black Lives Matter”, because maybe it’s something you’ve struggled with too. I’ve spoken to many of my black friends about it, and I just want to share the conversation notes. Maybe it’ll change your outlook.

Often when I used to hear Black Lives Matter, my immediate thought was that it was synonymous to “Anti Police” which don’t get me wrong - I am STRONGLY against police brutality, but I am not against the good police. And my greatest struggle was that I have so many friends that are police officers, and so many friends’ parents or spouses are LEOs, and friends and family who have lost their lives in the line of duty, and it just breaks my heart because of how this is affecting the entire police community. I’ve listened to so many police officers beg to not be labeled as “bad” and phew it breaks me to my core, because so many would die for us; they are protectors for our streets, our children, our communities, our homes, our country. I’m nearly brought to tears every time I see a police officer on the streets now doing good things, because I just have so much passion for them and our military service members.

BUT…It took a lot of soul searching, and a lot of research and listening to black people speak to realize that they are not synonymous. Wanting to lift the voices of Black people and to listen to them doesn’t mean we hate police officers. At all. We can LOVE AND LIFT UP BLACK VOICES while also LOVE AND LIFT UP LEO’S TOO. Because you love one doesn’t mean you hate the other and vice versa.

So if you too struggle with those two ideas, then know you aren’t alone, and most importantly ASK QUESTIONS and have honest, open dialogue with friends, coworkers, and your community so that you can walk a mile in other shoes and try to understand their battles too.

Additionally, as the wife to an Active Duty Army Officer and as a current Army Reservist (who could very well go back to active duty), I refuse to share my personal political beliefs on my social media platforms. I choose not to provide my political stance in these spaces, in order to honor the sacrifice my family (and thousands of other families) make to serve our country regardless of who is in office. Military law also doesn’t allow participation in partisan activities such as soliciting or engaging in partisan fundraiser activities, serving as the sponsor of a partisan club, or speaking before a partisan gathering. With that, I consider my social media platforms a place that I’m unable to express my political beliefs based on my families current military status. My husband is in charge of hundreds of Soldiers at a time, and he could very well go to war with them. He will serve and protect the brother to his left just as well as he’ll serve, protect, and lead the Soldier to his right, because in the military that’s a matter of life and death. So I choose not to jeopardize his position in leadership in the military to honor and respect him and his Soldiers.

I wish we collectively could stop making “Black lives matter” a political statement and more of a statement about LIVES DYING. Then maybe it wouldn’t be as controversial. What is really so hard about saying “Black lives matter?” I mean truly? It boggles my mind.

So I urge you not to write someone off that says “Black Lives Matter” because you feel it’s a political statement or a statement about an organization. Instead, how about we look at our Black brothers and sisters in their faces, and start the dialogue now. Ask them what we can do to help them. Ask them what we can do in our homes to end racism. And take action.

I have used my platform since day one as a “to each their own” and “everyone is welcome” place. And, I do still mean that. But I know many of my followers and friends don’t feel the same way.

I think the Lord created us all differently, and there needs to be some of us who are the more confrontational “go get them and run up the hill” kinda people, and then there’s those of us who need to continue fighting for peace and moderation and unity.

I CHOOSE TO BE A BRIDGE BUILDER. I choose to fill the gap. I choose to be a peacekeeper.

I am not a fan of cancel culture. I don’t agree with it. Because I know what that can do to someone’s mental state when they are canceled. I know the depths of mental illness and depression, so I choose to give second chances. I always will. Just as Jesus does.

Wanna know why? Because if I was canceled when I made some bad mistakes in the past, I’d probably be dead. I would’ve taken my own life if nobody grabbed my hand and held onto me.

So I will be that person for you. If you have felt a certain way on this all of your life, if you’ve had racist thoughts before, if you’ve said bad things before, I know some will never forgive you. And believe me, it hurts me too that you felt this way. I am ANGRY that you have felt that way. But let me do the dirty work for you. The hard work. Let me help you so that I can try and help you change. I will lay my life down for you to change, because I want to see more black lives live.

I will not give up on you, and I will help you rise. Because I know it’s possible. I’ve seen it.

I will always strive to love like Jesus. I will pray for you, and I will help you rise out of the ashes of your past.

I choose to see the good in people, and I choose to be an eternal optimist. I physically cannot give up on humanity. The Lord didn’t wire my heart that way.

But Black friends who are hurting, I know many of you can’t extend that hand. And quite frankly I don’t blame you. You don’t need to. Let me do the hard work for you. Let my white friends do the hard work for you.

I may be soft spoken and kind in my approach, and I realize the world needs realist (my husband) and those who will loudly and boldly shine light on negativity so that change can happen.

I’m a big advocate for both of these kinds of people. And I try hard to find a middle ground.

I won’t fail you. My family won’t fail you.

I refuse to live in a divided world, for the sake of my kids, and my kids’ kids. And so forth.

I will never stop fighting for a world that locks hands and loves one another, through the good and the bad.

I WILL NEVER STOP FIGHTING FOR EQUITY AND EQUALITY.

For any of my friends stuck somewhere in the middle, know that neutral in a broken system gets you nowhere. Whether you’re a democrat, libertarian or republican, and whether you’re a Christian or an atheist doesn’t matter. You don’t have to be loud, you can be soft, as I’ve chosen to be, and you can still take a stand against racism. You can still be FOR Black lives.

That’s the only way this system gets fixed.

And hey…the more we bicker at each other about politics and how much we hate each other, the less action takes place.

Stop fighting, and let’s do the hard work.

LET’S GO!

I’ll end with this…Thank you Hadley for teaching me such a powerful lesson.

***Blake and I have both read “White Fragility: Why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism” and I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it for anyone struggling with this topic. It’s been eye opening for us.

Additionally, I’m often asked how I teach the girls about racism and inclusion in our daily lives, and how we ensure they are exposed to all races at their young ages. Here’s what we do:

  1. We ensure the girls have toys and dolls of all races.

  2. We ensure their books display kids of all races. NOT just during Black history month. Not just on Juneteenth. BUT ALL YEAR.

  3. We ensure the girls (and ourselves) surround ourselves with friends of different races.

  4. We do NOT teach them to be color blind. Rather, we tell them to recognize our differences and how uniquely God created us, yet he loves us the same. “Jesus loves the little children” is a phenomenal tool for younger kids!

 
 

This was the very last picture we took at our home in Kansas before me moved to Texas. And I pray that each one of those kids knows they are so incredibly loved and adored. They are the future. We must fight for justice for their sake.

 

So what are some ways you can make a difference in your own home? I’ll create a blog post soon with all of my favorite inclusive toys/book, etc, because it starts in our hearts and in our homes. For now, here’s my blog post from January that I wrote to get ready for Black History Month. You can find a ton of books there that represent all children!

 

And if I may end with this video, which brings me to tears every time I watch.

Jesus, be near.

Sending you all so much light + love.

All my best, as always. I miss you.

Amy

THE ULTIMATE FATHER'S DAY GIFT GUIDE

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We’re not only celebrating Father’s Day this year, but Blake finished his MBA with a 4.0, graduated from a rigorous military school, and got promoted to Major, so we have a LOT to celebrate!

We’ve updated our father’s day (+ beyond) gift guide this year and I have to say…it’s now probably my favorite gift guide on the blog! (And that’s saying a lot considering there’s about 20 ha!) These ideas would be great for birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions, and Christmas too!

I think it’s mostly because EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of these items are used religiously in our household, and Blake and I have truly grown to love and appreciate them all. He put a lot of thought into these items, and he’s really big on reviews/research, so these items all come highly recommended from the man himself!

 

So here she is, the ultimate father’s day gift guide! Be sure to scroll over the image title, description, and price to be taken directly to a link to shop! We appreciate you and hope you + yours have the BEST father’s day ever!

 
 

  1. DOUBLE CHAIR FOLDABLE - ~ $100 depending on color.

    This is what we got for Blake this year as an early Father’s Day/graduation gift and WE ARE IN LOVE!! I will do a demo of it when I get back on Instagram, but it’s likely my #1 favorite product to gift to men (and women) now! Aside from the cordless vacuum of course. hehe! Two people can sit comfortably, the drink holders are EPIC and can fit anything and it folds up so easily and as small as a single chair! Highly recommend!!!

  2. CORDLESS HIGH TORQUE SQUARE DRIVE IMPACT WRENCH - $400+

    We use this tool often and it’s an essential for a tool drawer in our opinion. An expensive investment but well worth it in the end!

  3. WET / DRY UTILITY SHOP VAC - $50

    This is the perfect mini shop vac for your garage and we love using it for tiny messes from wood working projects outside! It also works as a great car vac for the garage too!

  4. SMARTWATCH - $318

    This is the watch Blake wears daily and he loves it. It’s the perfect sporty, yet not too sporty, masculine watch that he wears for working out and to continuously check his heart rate. It also plays playlist too! It’s a great watch for someone who loves fitness and the reviews speak for themselves!

  5. LOVE AND RESPECT BOOK - $15

    The best Christian based book for marriages! A great read for men and women alike! Check out those reviews!!! Can’t recommend this book enough.

  6. 2 PACK PLIER STORAGE AND ORGANIZER RACK - $25

    Simple, easy organizer for anyone who loves tools and has a lot of them. These fit perfectly into his tool chest and separate the pliers and other similar tools easily.

  7. MULTI-HEAD RATCHETING SCREWDRIVER -$35

    The ultimate gift for any man! (and woman!) I LOVEEEE this gadget and it stays in our kitchen and we use it all the time! it has every screwdriver head /bit you need! Would be great for in the car on the go too! (or anyone who loves IKEA furniture haha)

  8. FIRE PIT STOKER POKER - $59

    This is the fire poker seen in our last picture in this post, and Blake gets so giddy about this one hehe! He’s a man that LOVES building a good fire for his girls, and this gadget helps do that! IS IT A POKER? IS IT A STOKER? Well actually it’s both. We could use a stick to move the logs, and dump gasoline on the wood to get it going, but Stoker Poker is really very effective and safe. If you see that the fire is going out, you can easily re-arrange the logs from 4 feet away and simply blow through the Stoker Poker to re-ignite the flames. It’s incredible!!!

  9. TO HELL WITH THE HUSTLE BOOK - $10

    This is your wake-up call to resist the Hustle culture and embrace the slowness of Jesus.

    Our culture makes constant demands of us: Do more. Accomplish more. Buy more. Post more. Be more. In following these demands, we have indeed become more: More anxious. More tired. More hurt. More depressed. More frantic.

    What we are doing isn't working!

    In a society where hustle is the expectation, busyness is the norm and information is king, we have forgotten the fundamentals that make us human, anchor our lives, and provide meaning.

  10. BEST PILLOW EVER - $60

    CHECK OUT THESE REVIEWS!!! Truly just the BEST pillow you will ever use in your life, sure to give you a good night’s sleep and completely adjustable to your liking! Every one of us in the family has one and I don’t ever complain about neck/back pain anymore!

  11. COLLAPSIBLE WAGON - $!00 +

    This is our favorite wagon for lugging kiddos + sporting equipment + more around on trips and at the beach! It’s rugged enough to drag along the sand, and great for pulling kids + coolers to neighborhood gatherings. We love this one!

  12. CHRISTMAS TREE STORAGE - $10-$15

    Is the hubs tired of carrying the big Christmas tree box up the stairs? We have your solution! This bag has lasted through three moves and it stores trees + wreaths + bases + tree skirts and more! It’s held up so well and makes carrying the heavy tree so much easier. It also makes it really easy to spot in storage!

  13. CORDLESS VACUUM - $50

    In my humble opinion, this is the most important item every mama and daddy needs in their home. We use it every single day!

  14. SHOULDER DOLLY MOVING STRAPS - $35

    These have made moving SO MUCH easier for us!!!! They allow Blake and I to carry all of our large pieces of furniture without having to borrow neighbors haha! We love these things!! You just slip them over your shoulders and it allows you to use your whole body. We moved a washer and dryer from the basement up to the garage with these! Fascinating.

  15. WATCH REPAIR KIT - $24

    If your person likes doing their watch repairs themselves or is a techy guy/gal, this is a great item to have on hand! It has 16 tools and a 41 page illustrated maintenance and service manual which makes it easy to repair different watches.

  16. RICH DAD POOR DAD BOOK -$12

    Rich Dad Poor Dad is Robert's story of growing up with two dads — his real father and the father of his best friend, his rich dad — and the ways in which both men shaped his thoughts about money and investing. The book explodes the myth that you need to earn a high income to be rich and explains the difference between working for money and having your money work for you.

  17. MAGNETIC SCREWDRIVER ORGANIZER - $24

    Built with 16 high tension clips that will hold your screwdrivers and other small tools firmly and securely. 

  18. DIGITAL INSTANT READ THERMOMETER FOR COOKING - $22

    Digital meat thermometer for grilling features advanced thermocouple technology that provides 2-3s response time; 4.0'' food grade probe thermometer guarantees an accurate temp reading to ±0.9°F (±0.5°C) with a wide temp range of 14°F - 572°F (-10°C - 300°C). Great for someone who loves being on the grill!

  19. BEST RUNNING SOCKS EVER - ~$15

    Comes in so many colors and we both LOVE running in these! If you or your person love socks that feel good on a long run, this is them!

  20. GRILL SET - $30

    4-Piece Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Barbecue Grilling Utensils - Premium Grill Accessories for Barbecue - Spatula, Tongs, Fork, and Basting Brush

 

Be sure to pin an image in this post to your pinterest board or save it to your bookmarks to ensure you can reference it again in the future!

Happy gifting friends!

XX, Amy

APRIL 2020

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Hey friends!!!

It’s been just about one month since I signed off from the gram, and I thought it would be a great way to journal my time away by doing a one month recap at the end of every month! This will help me keep a journal of the pictures I want to print each month (or send to my chatbooks) and also serve as a way to keep in touch with y’all and let you know what we’ve been up to!

I love this blog, because unlike Instagram I actually own this domain. This is my creative home, and it’s a joy to still be able to share my little family with you. I truly do need a creative outlet, and I love that this keeps me away from Instagram but still filling a creative void!

So…what have we been up to? How’s my heart doing one month into this process?

✿ Here’s a snapshot of April 2020. ✿

 

We started the month off by decorating our door! Below you can see what we did, but we used back of mailers, posters I had laying around, cardboard boxes, etc and now everyone that walks by our home gets to see our messages! The girls had a blast doing this!

 

The tree in front of our home also started to bloom and it is so so so so SOOOOO DREAMY!!!!

It arches over our doorway and just makes me smile every time I see it.

I tell everyone I am SO THANKFUL this all happened during this time of year, when trees and flowers are blooming, the sun is beginning to shine more, and overall the Earth feels like it’s coming to life out of the dead of winter. I think all this Vitamin D and sunshine is doing wonders for our souls.

Trees all around the post have also started blooming, and this one reminds me of the ones in my neighborhood growing up. It is very nostalgic every time we pass under it!

 

Speaking of walks, we go on at least 3 mile walks every day, and it’s 100% been my favorite part about being off of Instagram. We explore all over post. While Blake does teleworking on the computer, the girls and I like to wake up with the sun and go all around the base. We play “I spy with my little eye”, say hi to birdies and squirrels, and spend so much quality time together. It’s incredible. (Sometimes Bella even sneaks in a ride in the bottom of the stroller too if it’s too hot for her. heheheh)

 

Truly, look at this dog! Is she spoiled or what?!!? The girls have been pushing her around in their doll stroller too, and Bella actually LOVES it. She is so comfy and loves sniffing the air on our walks.

I can’t help but think about how happy and lucky all the animals are for having their best friends at home 24/7. I know Bella is thriving off of our company all the time. What a time for our fur babies!

 

While doing some spring cleaning, I came across a package that I found at my dad’s when we were cleaning out his place after he passed away. It was a package he had when he was stationed here at Fort Leavenworth back in the 80s. On it, I found his address. I dropped to my knees.

The next day, Blake, the girls and I went on a walk to go find his home.

This is it. I feel so connected to him. 🖤

 

When Blake does get a break from class, he joins us on our 3 mile walks and we love it! We go to our local track field and throw the ball for Bella or just run around the track. (Not at all to burn energy off the girls, I promise! hahah!)

This time has been so healing to get so much time back that we’ve lost from military training.

I keep saying I’m learning more about Blake and the girls than I’ve ever known…which let’s be real - has it’s ups and downs lol…but it’s like I’m relearning the people under my roof. It’s so sacred and special. 🖤

Honestly? I don’t think I would be this intentional if I were still on Instagram. I know how I am with my work schedule and being away has allowed me to prioritize these people first. Hallelujah.

 

We’ve been playing out on our slip n slide nearly every. single. day. It’s been epic. I just love getting down and playing with these girls and the hubs! Highly recommend this cute slide. It has a big blow up portion at the end that allows the girls (and myself haha) to not fly off the end!)

These are just $15! We add a little safe dishsoap and it makes them even more more slippery hehehe!

The watermelon slide is linked here.

The blue slide is linked here.

 

Possibly most exciting of the month?!?!

EVERLY LEARNED TO RIDE HER BIKE!!!!!

It was strangely super easy, and I think I thought it would be a lot more difficult, but we let her ride the bike with training wheels for about 3-5 months and then one day decided to take the wheels off! We just watched a couple of youtube videos on “how to teach a kid to ride a bike” and voila! She’s up and riding! I love this little video compilation of her first few days of riding. She LOVES IT!

 

Homeschooling has been so interesting. There’s easy days and hard days, but really I just feel like I’m learning so much more about patience (and my lack thereof). I am grateful for this experience, regardless of the hard days. I know I will look back on this time one day when both of the girls are in school and be thankful I had this time to do it myself. I have so much respect for teachers, administrators and therapists. It’s extraordinary what they do for our babes. Here’s some pics of Everly during her homeschooling activities and when she got to zoom her class and bring a show and share item with her. She chose her dinosaur we built together and her sister. 🖤

 

Speaking of therapists, Everly gets to do teletherapy with her speech therapist and zoom sessions with her ABA therapists too. She lights up when she gets to see them, and I can only pray that she gets to actually hug them goodbye before we move away. She loves them so so so so much. Here she played dinosaur with them hehe.

 

Easter was so yummy too! We had Annies Mac n Cheese (hahaha), turkey, green bean casserole, and deviled eggs. It was so fun setting the table and having a beautiful Easter dinner to celebrate our Lord!

As far as cooking goes, I’ve completely fallen head over heels with home cooked meals now. I’ve cooked dinner every night for 3 weeks straight and I hope I never go back! I can’t wait to share all of the recipes I’ve been learning!

HE IS RISEN! Easter 2020 will be one we will never forget!

 
 

Something else we will never forget is Blake’s 37th birthday! We kept it simple with store bought Cheesecake Factory slices, balloons from Target, and a couple presents from his wish list. We loved surprising daddy when he came downstairs from teleworking!

 

He’s been working so hard in his classes for work while also getting his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) which he is about 2 weeks out from getting with a 4.0 GPA! We couldn’t be more proud of you daddy!

 

He’s also been so supportive of me still doing business stuff, which I’ve totally neglected for about 5 weeks and it’s been a nice break! Tonight (May 1st) I will have a small “error sale” and this was a progress shot of getting through some inventorying during the week! You can find out more information about the sell and our plans to keep doing this until we get through our error inventory over the next few months while I’m taking a break. This has allowed me to truly pace myself which is so refreshing!

 

These are a few pics that truly mark this time of quarantine that I never want to forget. Masks for all, and care packages from my mom filled with items that make my half Korean heart very happy. hahahha! (This is truly a box from a Korean mom, is it not? lol. I LOVE IT!)

 

So, how have I been?

As far as motherhood goes…truly, it’s been a mix. I’ve felt myself losing patience with the girls a LOT but it’s because they’re butting heads a lot (as are most siblings all across the world). BUT I am SO in love with this time with them, to work through their struggles, and really be fully present. I am so grateful that this break from Instagram coincidentally fell into this time of quarantine. I can’t imagine still running my Instagram, business, blog and doing all of these duties as their mama. I am sending all the love, courage, strength, and prayers for you that are doing it all!!!! I have so much respect for you all right now!

As far as marriage goes, we’ve spent more time together than we have in almost 10 years of marriage…which btw next year is 10 YEARS OF MARRIAGE…WHAT?!?!?! Feeling so lucky to call him mine. I’m loving making dinner for him every night, loving working out with him every day, loving sitting on the porch drinking wine and reading books after the girls are in bed, loving movie nights on the couch, and seeing him teach the girls new tricks. Also loving when he starts the coffee pot for me and letting me sleep in a bit. hehe.

As far as health and fitness go, I’ve been working out hard for 3 weeks straight and feel better than I have in about 7 years as far as that goes. I am so excited to finally see change, but more importantly to feel it. My heart, mind, body, and soul feel so good. I’ll share more about my fitness journey next month!

As far as my Faith, I’ve been reading so much and listening to so much praise and worship, and I feel so close to the Lord now. I am eager to share more about that journey, but it’s very sacred right now, so I’m gonna keep it private for the time being. More to come.

So overall, it’s been so refreshing this first month away.

Someone asked me the other day, “do you miss it?”

And my honest to God answer: No. Not at all.

I feel so content with the decision to step away, and I’m very interested to see how my heart continues to transform over these next 5 months + beyond.

I want you to know I am praying for you all and sending you all my love during this time. I can’t wait to be “reunited” for the sake of me missing you, but I also can wait for the sake of my heart and home.

I’m grateful I’ve come to this point in my life.

In light + love,

Amy

PS Here are the blog posts I wrote this month as a recap in case you missed them!

  1. My break from Instagram (explained)

  2. DIY Dollhouse plans

  3. Mother’s Day Gift Ideas + Pictures

MOTHERS DAY 2020

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Hey hey friends!

I wanted to share some of my favorite items that are practical that I use nearly every day of my life, while also sharing a few of my favorite things that I’m asked about often. These would be great for Mother’s Day gifts, birthday presents, anniversaries, Christmas and beyond! So be sure to pin an image here if you want to reference it again in the future.

But first, every year the one thing I ask my husband for is a mini photoshoot with my girls.

I’ve done it for three years now! The first year we did a bathtub shoot followed by a Strawberry Patch shoot, and we did the same last year too! But this year was just in pajamas on our bed! I can’t wait to look back at all of these pictures one day! Let me take you down memory lane. :)

 

Mother’s Day 2018

Mother’s Day 2018

 

Mother’s Day 2019

 
 
 

And now here are some of my favorite every day items!

  1. FAVORITE PILLOW EVER -. All four of us have one and we will never use another pillow!

  2. CORDLESS VACUUM - I never wanted to make the investment and we finally did earlier this year. I can’t believe we didn’t get this sooner! Talk about making vacuum duties a breeze! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

  3. HANDS FREE MAMA BOOK - A book that changed my life. Teaches priorities, managing time, how to put the phone down and all the in between. Perfect for Mother’s Day.

  4. AVOCADO PJS - These are the ones we wore in this year’s Mother’s Day pics and I LOVE THE COLORS! I sized up for the girls so we can wear them next year too.

  5. SLIPPERS - The best slide on slippers you will ever own. I wear them EVERY DAY of my life, and don’t remember life before them. Ha!

  6. CAR STOPPERS - Why was I living in a hole about these for so long. So goodbye to dropped items next to your seats, lost makeup, lost keys, lost phones and more. These won’t let anything fall next to you when you’re driving!

  7. SNEAKERS - The best every day sneakers that literally go with everything. I wear them with skirts, jeans, leggings, shorts etc! You won’t regret this buy. Plus black is the perfect neutral.

  8. DAISY PJS - These are the same brand as the ones we wore in this year’s Mother’s Day pics and I LOVE THE COLORS! I sized up for the girls so we can wear them next year too.

  9. CORDLESS HANDHELD VACUUM - I share this every holiday. THIS IS MAMA’S BEST FRIEND and makes cleaning up any mess so much easier. No cords, no hard to reach places, THE BEST.

  10. FAVORITE PAJAMAS - These are my number one recommended pajamas and I love gifting them to other mamas for special occasions. BUTTERY soft.

  11. WIRELESS CAMERA MONITOR - This simple, cheap, easy to move camera can be set up straight to your phone which makes those restless nights of worrying about your kiddos so much better! We’ve had ours for 5 years!

  12. APPLE WATCH - Another gift we finally bit the bullet on, and there’s no turning back. I can’t recommend the Apple Watch (series 5) enough! I love every single feature of it.

  13. LEMON PJS - These are the same brand as the ones we wore in this year’s Mother’s Day pics and I LOVE THE COLORS! I sized up for the girls so we can wear them next year too.

  14. DIFFUSER - My favorite pretty diffuser that doubles as a calming night light too.

  15. WINE OPENER - I will never open another bottle of wine differently again. This invention is pure genius.

 
 

I hope you found something here you liked! It’s so good to catch up with y’all and to share with you a little tradition of ours every Mother’s Day. I hope you too can start something like this to have many pictures to look back on one day!

 
 

Be sure to pin an image from this post so you can reference back to it in the future!

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL OF YOU!

XX,

Amy

DIY DOLLHOUSE PLANS

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First, sorry to everyone who’s been asking for these plans for over a year!

Plans aren’t the easiest to draft up, and I’m a perfectionist so it’s taken some time, but here we are!

I will share where all of the items are from within the dollhouse too, so be sure to read through the post if you’re interested on sources for the house and baby doll furniture.

Lastly, this would be a great quarantine project, but it’s also a great project for Christmas to get started on now! Dollhouse furniture can get expensive, so I highly recommend making what you can and buying a little here and there between now and Christmas so it’s easier to budget for.

***Disclaimer, many of the shops I’ve purchased from are on breaks due to quarantine as they are small business owners. I will be sure to update this post with their shop details once they return to business!

Can’t wait to see what yall come up with!

 
 
 

You can download the plans PDF here to print as well!

(Please note that this is not a beginner’s project. These plans were created with the assumption that the individual making this understands the basic fundamentals for woodworking. For more detailed instructions on woodworking, we recommend watching youtube videos or searching Ana White on Pinterest for steps. Please let us know if you have any questions!)

We also plan on adding doors to the front that close shut with a lock at some point. This will allow me to close it when guests with smaller children are over to ensure nothing is ruined and will also keep the items cleaner over time. I will be sure to blog those when we make them!

 
 
 

Here’s a peek inside of our dollhouse!

The items I made were the wall hanging in the kitchen and living room, the artwork on the mantel, and the beds in the parents’ room. I plan on making a hanging mobile for the girls’ room next.

 

If there’s items in the dollhouse that you don’t see listed above, I recommend going to my instagram page and viewing the “dollhouse” highlight where I show everything in detail. Aside from that, my favorite dollhouse stores are listed and linked here:

  1. No Small Miracle (dollhouse and baby doll items)

  2. Smallable

  3. Maileg

  4. Dollhouse Republic (The Daydream Republic)

  5. The Tiny Timber Co

  6. Petite Boheme Minis

  7. Poppie Toys (for life size doll items)

  8. Shop Sweet Lulu (for life size baby doll items)

  9. Olli Ella (for life size doll items)

  10. Hobby Lobby / Michaels Dollhouse or Fairy Garden items

    and you can always search Etsy for a specific product!

  11. Target for cheaper doll options

 

You can find a lot of the dollhouse items in videos with direct links to the Instagram small shops at my DOLLHOUSE highlight button on instagram @amylouhawthorne. It’s shown above all the way to the right side so you may need to slide over on the colorful buttons.

 
 

If you want to reference this blog post in the future, be sure to pin this image above or any image from this post so you can come back to it in the future!

Let me know if you have any questions! Happy dollhouse dreaming!

XX, Amy

WHY I'M GETTING OFF OF INSTAGRAM AND RUNNING TO THE FATHER

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Let me preface this long read with saying I made the decision to get off of Instagram back in January, and it’s actually a decision I’ve battled for over a year. 

My plan is to delete Instagram from my phone on Sunday, April 5th, and to check back in on October 1st after 6 months away.  If I’m still battling what you will read below, then I will continue with another 6 month break until April 5th, 2021. I pray I won’t need any longer .

For the last nearly 4 months I’ve been taking notes in my phone to ensure that when the time came to write this all out I knew exactly how to reflect on what’s been on my heart all along.

So I copied and pasted all of my “notes” into a word document to write this – and it’s 9 pages, single spaced.

HA! Guess you could say there’s been a lot on my mind.

 

So…here goes nothing.

 

In January, somebody shared a screenshot with me that said I was only sharing the cyber bully messages I’d been receiving, and how I was choosing to respond in love and kindness, to get a pat on my back and that it was done in vain.

 

When I read those words, my immediate response was “HOW DARE THEM!”

Cause here’s the thing about Amy…

I take what people say about me to heart.

I am sensitive.

I am emotional.

I care a lot about what others think about me.

And that’s okay. (I’m sure some of you reading are like that too)

We are all wired differently.

 

When I ask people, “So… what do you do when you hear negative things about yourself?”

I often get responses like “Who cares what others think! Just be yourself and that’s all that matters. There’s always gonna be bullies out there.”

And I do agree with all of those things.

But here’s what I can’t shake.

 

I think I will always care.

I will never be able to brush off someone’s feelings about me.

And for so long I tried to make myself change. To be thicker skinned. To care less. To be tougher.

 

And that’s just not me.

 

I find myself constantly asking, what could I have done differently? Did I approach that well? What do they think about me now? Etc etc etc.

 

So…when I receive messages that hurt, I want to make things right. I have always been a conflict resolution seeker. I mean heck, I was a peer mediator in 7th grade. It’s my nature to want to fix things and make things right.

But when I dig deeper, I know that the good Lord wired me to LOVE people hard.

To be passionate about people.

To care for them and love them through the pain.

 

So when I read that screenshot, I was really taken back.

And honestly, that’s what reignited this whole soul seeking journey that I started on last year.

 

I’ve realized…

 

I am not in the right headspace to be on Instagram.

 

My mental state is not able to take on more sleepless nights of “what does “x,y, or z” think about me.

 

I am insecure about so many aspects of my life right now, and I desperately need to get back to the basics, ground myself, and figure out what in the world is going on in Amy’s mind.

 

I’ve never wanted to come onto Instagram to feel less than.

And that’s where I am right now.

 

I’m insecure about how much I have in our home and how much I want to get rid of it.

But I find myself in a vicious cycle of wanting more, spending more, wanting less, spending less, purging, filling up, minimizing and it continues over and over and over.

I’m insecure about my body and feel ashamed for wanting it be fit, strong, and healthy like it was in my figure competition training days before I had kids.

But I find myself in a vicious cycle of wanting to be content with where I am and not wanting to share that journey.

I am insecure about how unhealthy my heart is and don’t want to die young.

But I find myself in a vicious cycle of unhealthy habits and every time I get on a good track, I slip back off.

I’m insecure about not fitting into certain groups online. I want to fit in, be noticed, be heard, be seen. I don’t want to be left out, and I hate that I feel that way. It’s like I’m begging for the “mean girl cliques” to let me in.

And I PREACH to not feel this way, so I go through a vicious cycle of wanting to do less about it and do more about it constantly.

I am insecure about other companies’ successes and if we’ll ever get there.  Sad for constantly seeing screenshots sent to me from others about “did you see what x copied of yours?” And then I wonder how many screenshots of our business have been screenshot and sent to others who’ve inspired me.

So I find myself in a vicious cycle of wanting to scream THERE’S ROOM AT THE TABLE FOR ALL OF US, and to remind all (including myself) to seek authenticity always.

I am insecure about what friends say about me. The ones who know me in real life. Do they speak to others about me? Do they actually care about me? Why do I feel like I have no friends somedays?

And I find myself in a vicious cycle of feeling like my cup overflows with friendships and then also feeling like I’m running on E.

I’m insecure about the division across our world. Republicans vs. democrats. People of Color vs. Whites. Stay at Home Moms vs. Working Moms. Breastfeeding Moms vs. Bottle Feeding Moms. Gays vs Straights. Christians vs. Non Christians. Vegans vs. Meat Eaters. Vaccinators vs. Non. etc. etc. etc. And all I want to do is say “grab each others’ hands and let’s walk across this bridge together!!! We can do this!!!”  I feel such a calling and conviction to be a bridge builder.

But I feel this vicious cycle of telling myself to shut up because it’s not my place to build bridges in our world. I often tell myself I will not be heard, and when I am I will be mocked. 

I am insecure about what bullies say about me that I don’t even get a chance to read.

There’s a lot of really nasty things out on the webs, some of which I’ve seen, and it makes me wonder how much is out there I haven’t seen.

So I find myself in this vicious cycle of wanting to dig up all of the dirt, and wanting to live in a box closed off from the world to give nobody anything to talk about.

I’m insecure about the thousands upon thousands of Direct Messages I’ve received that have gone unread. Not because I don’t care, but because I just don’t have the ability to live on my phone and answer them.

So I question constantly how much this bothers others, and find myself in a vicious cycle of who cares and to answer them all!

I am insecure about motherhood. I pour so much into this community to bring ideas and inspiration to others’ lives, but am I using all of that energy in the wrong way? Should I refocus my space to ensure that energy is going into my own kids’ lives instead?

I am in a vicious cycle of wanting to give give give and wanting to break break break.

I am insecure about my future. I really do miss the Army life so much. I miss feeling important. I miss being able to say “YES! I FLY HELICOPTERS FOR THE ARMY!” I miss feeling like I have more of a purpose than wiping butts.

But I know this is the season I’m in, and it’s for a reason. So I find myself in a vicious cycle of wanting to get back to the workforce and staying at home.

I am insecure about the time I spend on social channels. Constantly posting, constantly checking for updates, constantly searching for more content. But I know that’s how businesses grow.

So I’m in a vicious cycle of wanting to reduce time online and give it back to my family, while also growing my brand.

I am insecure about my marriage. It has not been a great couple years for us. He and I both know that. The jealousy I feel towards other marriages is greater than it’s ever been. But we also acknowledge that there have been SO many changes these last few years, and it’s prayerfully just the season of marriage we’re in.

I find myself in a vicious cycle of wanting to share those details with you to help others in the same boat, but also wanting to keep our marriage sacred and private.

And there’s that.

I am insecure about how much of my personal life I should really be sharing.

I see so many others “private” accounts and hear others not wanting to share their kids’ faces, private matters, diagnosis’ etc. Am I doing this all wrong? I’ve built my brand around transparency and being an open book and sharing ALL THE RAW dirty details of my life to inspire others and make them feel less alone.

So I find myself in a vicious cycle of wanting to close the doors on my life and just share crafts and still wanting to empower young women.

 

But you wanna know what I’m most insecure about?

And the one that stings more than ANYTHING you read above?

 

I am insecure about my faith.

I am so heartbroken that I even have to write those words.

 

And I live this vicious cycle of wanting to be the Godly example that I KNOW I need to be, and also wanting to be cool.

AS THOUGH BEING A GODLY WOMAN ISN’T COOL?!!??!

I hate that. H A T E it.

 

The craziest trend is that nearly all of these insecurities somehow relate back to this app.

Whoa. That’s a hard pill to swallow.

 

Is this normal? Is this all just the normal cycle of life?

Where we live, reflect, evaluate, adjust, then relive, reflect, reevaluate, and readjust?

 

Or is there actually something wrong with me?

 

When I step back and reflect, here’s what I question:

Am I taking the things of this world too seriously, rather than just putting my value in God?

If I make it right with him, won’t everything else fall into place?

 

And that’s the kind of stuff I’m going to try and figure out.

 

That alone is why I’m getting off of Instagram.

 

It’s become a popularity contest for me.

And my biggest fear is that’s what it’s becoming for thousands of other female entrepreneurs and influencers out there.

 

A battle to be bigger, better, louder, prettier, fitter, shinier, richer, cooler than the woman sitting to the left or right of you.

 

A cry for attention.

A plea for recognition.

A scream for acknowledgement.

 

I see it in the giveaways we join to get others to follow us.

I see it in the “follow me so I can follow you” threads.

I see it in the rat race for more followers and more likes.

 

And I’ll say it: it’s not that it’s wrong, because I do know that the larger our pages and businesses grow, the more ability we have to bring in an income for our families.

Hence the vicious cycle I find myself in of doing those things and then not.

 

But here’s what is wrong:

I am putting my value in other people and not my God.

That is my personal struggle; it needs to change. 

And here’s where this story comes full circle:

Maybe deep down that bully was right?

Maybe deep down I did want recognition and acknowledgment for spreading love and kindness and giving grace in a situation that didn’t call for grace.

 

Sure yes, I’d love a pat on my back, because I am proud of myself for how I responded.

Sure yes, I’d love the affirmation that I handled that well. I am a words of affirmation gal, so that fills my cup.

And honestly, for so long I’ve lived a life lacking confidence.

So yes, I will say I am proud of myself for turning away my worldly responses and responding in love.

Why does anybody share an accomplishment? We don’t share them to be told how horrible we did; it’s just the opposite.

 

But isn’t knowing deep down that I did the right thing enough?

Do I really need to share those things out loud?

 

Honestly? I don’t know the answer.

 

What I do know is that if I’m doing it to fulfill my purpose on this planet, to lead others to the cross and show a grace, love, and kindness that only God can provide, then yes. I’m doing it for the right reasons.

 

That is what I’m taking this time to figure out.

 

How do I regain security and confidence in my faith?

And how do I make my life right with God again, so that I know all things done for my Instagram, my blog, my business, my marriage, my future, my finances, my motherhood, my friendships, my fitness, my health etc., are done for Him.

 

I firmly believe Instagram has become a chase for popularity and a chase for likes.

It’s unhealthy for myself.  It’s unhealthy for my kids.  It’s unhealthy for my marriage.

 

And I am choosing to put an end to this addiction.

 

I am taking at least 6 months, and potentially up to a year or more, off of Instagram, and I am going to see if this helps with my journey towards healing.

 

Part of me feels like a failure for letting this happen.   

For letting the pressures of social media and jealousy take over my heart.

But… I am not embarrassed by this, and quite frankly I think it’s just the nature of our online world.

But I feel very convicted and heartbroken for so many influencers who are constantly chasing something bigger and something better, when that bigger and better is right within the walls of our house.

 

I heard God profoundly speak to me:

“Make this more about me, less about you.

Your word this year was Balance.

Find your balance, and now rest.”

 

And how freeing it was to remember, our God doesn’t care about the numbers!!!

The only numbers he cares about are how many of us come to Him.

Hallelujah: that needs to be my mission.

 

I’ve always had some inkling of a desire to be the popular girl. The girl that was in all the weddings, that wore all the bridesmaid’s dresses, that played all the sports, that had all the friends, that dated the popular guy, that had all the money, that wore the best clothes, and I think it’s because I was never that girl.

So with this growing community, it’s in some way filled a void in my heart, and it’s made me feel “enough.”

 

Spoiler alert Amy: you were always enough.

 

I have bought stuff just to show it on Instagram. I’ve taken pictures just to make it seem like everything‘s OK in my world.  Everywhere I go, I’m looking for content.  I’m constantly thinking about what to post next on my Instagram feed, and I’ve heard Blake say more times than I can count, “you’re only taking that picture for Instagram.” And I’m tired of it. I want to win my life back, and I want to reclaim it.  

 

Because that’s all so heartbreaking.

 

I want my girls to know that popularity is not what matters. Numbers and fame are not what matters.

 

I was becoming so infatuated with growth of my Instagram, growth of my community, and serving this community, that I’ve become less in tune with growth in my faith and serving my family and my God.

 

I am sad for myself, because this space was once so beautiful to me and so empowering, yet it’s become tainted with bitterness, jealousy, and comparison. 

 

But I am hopeful.

I am hopeful that this will be good for myself, for my family, and for my faith, and that right now is all that matters.

 

And I pray that on the other end of this, whether it’s in October 2020 or April 2021, that I can share some lessons with you too.

Because ultimately, I want to be the best version of myself to be able to “influence” you.

I’ve said it before…I’m not turned away by the term influencer anymore.

If I know I’m influencing you for the right reasons, then it’s not a bad thing.

I wholeheartedly value the purpose of influencing, so I need to take a step back and reflect on what I want to be known for as an influencer. Do I want to be known as the girl who always shares the cutest dinosaur clothes and the prettiest pink Anthropologie bowls? Or do I want to be remembered as the girl that took six months (+) away from Instagram to focus on her family and came back stronger in her Faith?  That practiced what she preached.

 

Well, maybe a little of both ;) but ultimately, I choose the latter.

 

 

I’ll end with this.

It is pretty ironic that I made the choice to do this now. During this time of quarantine.

I didn’t know this was going to happen, and parts of me questioned whether this was the right call, given that this is a SAHM influencer’s dream to be able to share this much content with you while you’re all staying at home too!

But in the last few months, when I have taken weeklong breaks here and there, I’ve noticed so much more about my kids.

 

I notice that they’re getting taller.

I notice their vocabulary growing.

I notice their voice changing.

And I have longer, deeper conversations with my husband.

So many things I didn’t realize cause my head was down constantly in my phone and I was always on the go.

 

In the last few months when I have taken weeklong breaks here and there, I’ve reconnected with people in my “real life” community too.

 

I’ve had girls’ nights. Had longer conversations with family and friends on the phone. Had coffee dates. Not skipped church as much. Etc.

And I want to use this time to put more energy into my “real life” community too, so they know just how important they are to me.

 

Now it’s time for me to slow down, and breathe.

And hey…if you’re reading this, and feeling very convicted too, figure out what you’re insecure about, figure out where those insecurities are stemming from, live, reflect, evaluate, and adjust.

 

Here’s my fear:

My biggest fear in all of this is not that I’m going to lose out on a lot of y’alls happenings this year or that I’m going to lose followers or lose the momentum of our growing business…

I trust the people who care about me, our family, and our business, will be here no matter when I return.

My fear is that many of you feel the same way and you won’t do anything about it.

Instead, you will continue feeling that jealousy, that competition, that bitterness, that hatred and you won’t take the actions towards making yourself free.

 

Instead of looking at this break from a place of “I am going to miss out on so much in the next 6 months to a year, I am choosing to look at it from a place of “I am going to gain so much joy from this.”

 

…see ya in October friends.

 

 

Some random notes: 

Here’s the message I sent to five close friends earlier this year.  They’ve all been prayer warriors for me over the years and I needed to hear their thoughts and get their accountability.

“Hi sweet friend.

I need prayer.

I’m feeling very convicted, heavy and sad.

I’m hearing it very loud and clear that I need to take a very long break from Instagram.

I’m embarrassed to say it’s become an addiction, a popularity contest, and so much about business that I’ve lost the joy in the app.

I cringe when anyone asks me “how do you grow your following?” simply because I’m tired of the app being about growing growing growing and not just about connection and community.

As a financially driven person, I’m strangely tired of making money too.

That’s why I know this is a God thing.

I felt and heard the Lord speak to me to take a year long break from Instagram after my current promotion and collaboration type stuff is complete.

But after much prayer and talking to Blake, we feel confident in that timeframe being 6 months to start, and then a reflection / evaluation of my heart at that point and deciding then whether to continue on for a year.

I trust you as a mentor, friend, Sister in Christ and also a business woman.

Because this would be a huge hit financially.

It would mean I would also be taking a break from my business for the same amount of time to ensure I was truly, completely away from the IG world.

I’m finding myself jealous of other businesses, bitter at “copy cat” ones and just overall down from the app.

and I’m choosing to reclaim it and my life, Lord willing.

I know this is all so very random, but I just want your feedback, as a confidant I trust and whose words I hold high, as well as prayer for my heart in this time.

My plan right now is to sign off for 6 months around April 1st.

I love you doll, so much.

and miss you. ❤️

 

Why so long? Why not just a week off or a month off here and there?

I think a lot of people say “I need a break from Instagram” and then they take maybe a day or a week off of Instagram, and then all of the underlying issues are still there.

My plan is to completely delete the app off of my phone and deactivate my account temporarily so there is literally no ability to get on, check anything, post anything, or do anything.

To completely separate myself from this space.

 

Will you do anything in the meantime?

I do think I will continue to blog. I was telling my girlfriend Nancy that I need some sort of creative outlet for my own sanity and self care. As a creative, I would feel empty if I didn’t have that outlet. Plus, it’ll be a great way for me to journal through this process of healing.

 

Won’t this be detrimental for your brand and business to take off that much time after growing all you have the last few years?

 Short answer, yes. It’s probably not the kinda stuff that entrepreneurship podcasts, books, and blogs preach to do. 

This will be a huge hit on all aspects of my personal brand and business. Detrimental, sure.

But I beg to ask, “What about my heart? What about my life?  This will not be detrimental for that.” So yes, it’s worth it. 

Honestly, I don’t know what this means for the future of the Ever Co or my personal brand, but I can tell you that I will be a better person and business owner regardless of what it looks like on the other side of this year.  Part of me thinks I will miss this so much and have a creative void that needs to be filled.  Hence why I will continue blogging.

But really, the other side of me feels like I’m going to be freed completely, rejuvenated, rested, BALANCED and not miss this at all.

Only time will tell.

 

What should I do within my own space?

Here’s some of my greatest advice I think I will ever give on this platform:

YOU CHOOSE WHO FILLS UP YOUR CUP. YOU do that.

Nobody else hits that blue “follow” button except you.

If you are not inspired or uplifted by somebody, and if they ever make you feel less than, then you have the beauty of being able to unfollow them!

Use that powerful tool, and don’t get sucked into the trap of wanting to be bigger and better because “x” is bigger and better.

 

 

And now, I want to leave you with this anthem song that I listen to every single day over my morning coffee. 

This song gives me life, and I hope it does the same for you.


Song: Run to the Father by Cody Carnes

The lyrics say:

 

I've carried a burden for too long on my own
I wasn't created to bear it alone
I hear Your invitation to let it all go
I see it now, I'm laying it down
And I know that I need You

[Chorus]
I run to the Father, I fall into grace
I'm done with the hiding, no reason to wait
My heart needs a surgeon, my soul needs a friend
So I'll run to the Father again and again and again and again
Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh

[Verse 2]
You saw my condition, had a plan from the start
Your Son for redemption, the price for my heart
And I don't have a context for that kind of love
I don't understand, I can't comprehend
All I know is I need You

[Chorus]
I run to the Father, I fall into grace
I'm done with the hiding, no reason to wait
My heart needs a surgeon, my soul needs a friend
So I'll run to the Father again and again and again and again
Oh-oh, oh-oh…
Again and again and again and again (Oh-oh, oh-oh)
Oh-oh, oh-oh… (Oh-ohh)

[Bridge]
My heart has been in Your sights
Long before my first breath
Running into Your arms
Is running to life from death
And I feel this rush deep in my chest
Your mercy is calling out
Just as I am You pull me in
And I know I need You now

[Chorus]
I run to the Father, I fall into grace
I'm done with the hiding, no reason to wait
My heart needs a surgeon, my soul needs a friend
So I'll run to the Father again and again
I run to the Father, I fall into grace
I'm done with the hiding, no reason to wait
And my heart found a surgeon, my soul found a friend
So I'll run to the Father again and again and again and again
Oh-oh, oh-oh…
Again and again and again and again (Oh-oh, oh-oh)
Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh
Again and again 

 

 

 Now, press play, relax, reflect, and enjoy.

 

 
 
 

Thank you for allowing me to share my heart with you.

Here’s to freedom.

XX, Amy

SELF-CARE BOOKS PERFECT FOR QUARANTINE AND BEYOND

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Some of these are previous reads that I highly recommend.

Some of these are books that have been collecting dust on my shelves, begging me to open their cover.

Some of these are recent buys, because they’re desperately needed in this season of my life.

All of them come highly reviewed and highly recommended.

I’m excited to dive in.

Who’s with me?

 
 

Below you will see a synopsis of each book. If you scroll over it and click it’ll take you directly to the link.

 
 

  1. LOOKING FOR LOVELY - $9.49

    “I want you to take every step of your life with excitement for where you are headed. And I want you to feel beautiful and confident as you do.”

    But how? When the enemy whispers lies that you are not smart enough, pretty enough, or rich enough? Or you are too dumb, too loud, too quiet, too thin, too fat, too much or not enough? What if you don’t have what it takes to be who you really want to be?

    In Looking for Lovely, Annie F. Downs shares personal stories, biblical truth, and examples of how others have courageously walked the path God paved for their lives by remembering all God had done, loving what was right in front of them, and seeing God in the everyday—whether that be nature, friends, or the face they see in the mirror.

    Intensely personal, yet incredibly powerful, Looking for Lovely will spark transformative conversations and life changing patterns. No matter who we are and what path God has us on, we all need to look for lovely, fight to finish, and find beautiful in our every day!

  2. COLD TANGERINES - $10.99

    Cold Tangerines―now available in softcover― is a collection of stories that celebrate the extraordinary moments hidden in your everyday life. It is about God, and about life, and about the thousands of daily ways in which an awareness of God changes and infuses everything. It is about spiritual life, and about all the things that are called nonspiritual life that might be spiritual after all. It is the snapshots of a young woman making peace with herself and trying to craft a life that captures the energy and exuberance we all long for in the midst of the fear and regret and envy we all carry with us. It is both a voice of challenge and song of comfort, calling you upward to the best possible life, and giving you room to breathe, to rest, to break down, and break through. Cold Tangerines offers bright and varied glimpses of hope and redemption, in and among the heartbreak and boredom and broken glass.

  3. THE ROAD BACK TO YOU $14.49

    Ignorance is bliss―except in self-awareness. What you don't know about yourself can hurt you and your relationships―and even keep you in the shallows with God. Do you want help figuring out who you are and why you're stuck in the same ruts? The Enneagram is an ancient personality typing system with an uncanny accuracy in describing how human beings are wired, both positively and negatively. In The Road Back to You Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile forge a unique approach―a practical, comprehensive way of accessing Enneagram wisdom and exploring its connections with Christian spirituality for a deeper knowledge of ourselves, compassion for others, and love for God. Witty and filled with stories, this book allows you to peek inside each of the nine Enneagram types, keeping you turning the pages long after you have read the chapter about your own number. Not only will you learn more about yourself, but you will also start to see the world through other people's eyes, understanding how and why people think, feel, and act the way they do. Beginning with changes you can start making today, the wisdom of the Enneagram can help take you further along into who you really are―leading you into places of spiritual discovery you would never have found on your own, and paving the way to the wiser, more compassionate person you want to become.

  4. TO HELL WITH THE HUSTLE - $12.69

    This is your wake-up call to resist the Hustle culture and embrace the slowness of Jesus.

    Our culture makes constant demands of us: Do more. Accomplish more. Buy more. Post more. Be more.

    In following these demands, we have indeed become more: More anxious. More tired. More hurt. More depressed. More frantic.

    What we are doing isn't working!

    In a society where hustle is the expectation, busyness is the norm and information is king, we have forgotten the fundamentals that make us human, anchor our lives, and provide meaning.

    Jefferson Bethke, New York Times bestselling author and popular YouTuber, has lived the hustle and knows we need to stop doing and start becoming.   

    After reading this book, you will discover:

    To Hell With the Hustle is for anyone who is

    Join Bethke as he discovers that the very things the world teaches us to avoid at all costs--silence, obscurity, solitude, and vulnerability--are the very things that can give us the meaning, and the richness we are truly looking for.

  5. GRACE OVER PERFECTION - $9.99

    I will hold myself to a standard of grace, not perfection. 

    As a busy wife, new mother, business owner, and designer, Emily Ley came to a point when she suddenly realized she couldn’t do it all. She needed to simplify her life, organize her days, and prioritize the priorities. She decided to hold herself to a standard of grace rather than perfection. This mantra led to the creation of her bestselling Simplified Planner®, a favorite among busy women everywhere—from mamas to executives and everywhere in between.

    Grace, Not Perfection takes this message from a daily planner to an inspirational book that encourages women to simplify and prioritize. Designed with Emily Ley’s signature aesthetic, this book gives women tangible ways to simplify their lives to give space to what matters most. With a focus on faith, Emily reminds readers that God abundantly pours out grace on us—and that surely we can extend grace to ourselves.

    Have you been told you can have it all, only to end up exhausted and occasionally out of sorts with the people you love? Are you ready for a new way of seeing your time? Learn to live a little more simply. Hold yourself and those you love to a more life-giving standard in Grace Not Perfection,and allow that grace to seep into your days, your family, and your heart.

  6. CULTIVATE - $11.59

    A flourishing life is possible—no perfection required!

    Women often feel like they have to have it all together in order to live a meaningful life. Instead they feel inadequate, overwhelmed, and exhausted as they to figure out how to do it all. Author, business owner, and mom to three Lara Casey offers sound and grace-filled advice: “We can’t do it all, and do it well. But, we can choose to cultivate what matters.”

    Welcome to the journey of getting messy in the rich soil of possibility—embracing imperfect, grace-filled progress to grow a life of joy.

    Written as part encouragement anthem and part practical guide, Cultivate offers wisdom from God’s Word alongside lessons Lara has learned in her garden. Woven throughout is her personal story that helps release readers from the pressure to achieve and gives them freedom to move from planning to planting a meaningful legacy. “It’s in the imperfect—the mess of the dirt--that good things grow,” Casey reminds readers. “Peonies grow through the dirt, and so do we.” Readers will learn to embrace the season they’re in, finding balance as they interact in fresh ways with their current life scenarios, with God, and in the communities where they are planted.

  7. NOTHING TO PROVE - $13.79

    Lauded by Ann Voskamp as “what your soul is begging for,” this bestseller from the founder of the million-strong IF:Gathering invites you to stop striving and discover the answer to your soul-deep thirst.
    All too many of us struggle under the weight of life, convinced we need to work harder to prove to ourselves, to others, and to God that we are good enough, smart enough, and spiritual enough to do the things we believe we should.
    Author and Bible teacher Jennie Allen invites us into a different experience, one in which our souls overflow with contentment and joy. In Nothing to Prove she calls us to…
    * Find freedom from self-induced pressure by admitting we’re not enough—but Jesus is. 
    * Admit our greatest needs and watch them be filled by the only One who can meet them. 
    * Make it our goal to know and love Jesus, then watch what He does in and through us.
    As you wade into the refreshing truth of the more-than-enough life Jesus offers, you’ll experience the joyous freedom that comes to those who are determined to discover what God can do through a soul completely in love with Him.

  8. IF ONLY YOU KNEW - $11.49

    What if you knew all the moments of my past that I am not proud of? What if you really knew me, the messy parts that I’ve hoped to forget and worked hard to conceal? For so long, my greatest fear was what you might think of me if you only knew the whole story.
    It’s exhausting, this guarding of our stories and struggles. Fear of being found out had caused me to hide—but I wasn’t just covering my flaws, I was unintentionally blocking the beauty of God’s grace. My journey to real freedom began when I quit running from my mess and started trusting Jesus to make something beautiful of it. 
    This book is that story. It’s stepping out of shame and insecurity into gospel freedom. It’s  letting God turn our failures and frailties into testimonies of His faithfulness. I’ve discovered that when we quit hiding, God gets the glory and we are able to fully embrace not only our relationship with Him, but also with one another. 
    Transparency brings freedom, and in every moment, we'll find that God can absolutely be trusted.

  9. PRESENT OVER PERFECT - $13.41

    In these pages, New York Times bestselling author Shauna Niequist invites you to consider the landscape of your own life, and what it might look like to leave behind the pressure to be perfect and begin the life-changing practice of simply being present, in the middle of the mess and the ordinariness of life.

    As she puts it: "A few years ago, I found myself exhausted and isolated, my soul and body sick. I was tired of being tired, burned out on busy. And, it seemed almost everyone I talked with was in the same boat: longing for connection, meaning, depth, but settling for busy.

    "I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, neighbor, writer, and I know all too well that settling feeling. But over the course of the last few years, I've learned a way to live, marked by grace, love, rest, and play. And it's changing everything.

    "Present Over Perfect is an invitation to this journey that changed my life. I’ll walk this path with you, a path away from frantic pushing and proving, and toward your essential self, the one you were created to be before you began proving and earning for your worth."

    Written in Shauna's warm and vulnerable style, this collection of essays focuses on the most important transformation in her life, and maybe yours too: leaving behind busyness and frantic living and rediscovering the person you were made to be. Present Over Perfect is a hand reaching out, pulling you free from the constant pressure to perform faster, push harder, and produce more, all while maintaining an exhausting image of perfection.

    Shauna offers an honest account of what led her to begin this journey, and a compelling vision for an entirely new way to live: soaked in grace, rest, silence, simplicity, prayer, and connection with the people that matter most to us.

  10. ONLY LOVE TODAY - $12.11

    New York Times bestselling author Rachel Macy Stafford shares simple words of inspiration each day to help you find hope and encouragement amidst life's challenges.

    Millions of Stafford's fans from her blog and her books find hope, challenge, and inspiration through her poetic and powerful short pieces on her blog. Only Love Today brings these pieces and many new, original entries together in a beautiful book based around the four seasons.

    From finding daily surrender in the autumn and daily hope in the winter, to daily bloom and daily spark in the spring and summer, you will always find fresh beautiful words for your day. 

    With a flexible, non-dated structure, Only Love Today is perfect to pick up at any time of the year to find strength and vision for a new and more connected way to live.

  11. GIRL, STOP APOLOGIZING - $12.99

    Rachel Hollis has seen it too often: women not living into their full potential. They feel a tugging on their hearts for something more, but they’re afraid of embarrassment, of falling short of perfection, of not being enough.

    In Girl, Stop Apologizing, #1 New York Times bestselling author and founder of a multimillion-dollar media company, Rachel Hollis sounds a wake-up call. She knows that many women have been taught to define themselves in light of other people—whether as wife, mother, daughter, or employee—instead of learning how to own who they are and what they want. With a challenge to women everywhere to stop talking themselves out of their dreams, Hollis identifies the excuses to let go of, the behaviors to adopt, and the skills to acquire on the path to growth, confidence, and believing in yourself.

  12. CHASING SLOW - $17.06

    Chasing Slow models HGTV star Erin Loechner's journey to help you break out of the faster-better-stronger trap and make small changes to refresh your perspective, renew your priorities, and shift your focus to what matters most. 

    You're here, but you want to be there. So you spend your life narrowing this divide, and you call this your race, your journey, your path. You live your days tightening your boot straps, wiping the sweat from your brow, chasing undiscovered happiness just around the bend. And on and on you run. 

    Viral sensation and HGTV.com star Erin Loechner knows about the chase. Before turning 30, she'd earned the title "The Nicest Girl Online" as she was praised for her authentic voice and effortless style. Her HGTV web show garnered over one million fans worldwide, and her client list includes Walt Disney World, IKEA, Martha Stewart and Home Depot. The New York Times applauded her, her friends and church admired her, and her husband and baby adored her. 

    She had arrived at the ultimate destination. So why did she feel so lost? 

    Through a series of steep climbs--her husband's brain tumor, bankruptcy, family loss, and public criticism--Erin learns just how much strength it takes to surrender it all, and to veer right into grace. In Chasing Slow, Erin upgrades her life through downsizing--her stuff, her obligations, her fears, her personal metric of "perfect." And ultimately, her invitation becomes yours: to turn away from the fast and frenzy, and find freedom in a new-fashioned lifestyle defined by grace.

    Life's answers are not always hidden where they seem. It's time to venture off the beaten path to see that we’ve already been given everything we need. We've already arrived. 

    You see?

    You'll see.

  13. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SAY YES TO GOD - $11.40

    Your job is obedience. God's job is everything else.

    If you've ever found yourself wondering...What is God's plan for my life? or Can He really use me? you're not alone. Lysa TerKeurst has wrestled through those same questions. But she's also learned that we were absolutely created to participate in God's divine activity and experience His rich blessings. We just have to say yes to Him!

    Through her own struggles, doubts, and honest vulnerability, Lysa will equip you to:

  14. THE BEST YES - $10.59

    Are you living with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule and aching with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul? 

    Lysa TerKeurst is learning that there is a big difference between saying yes to everyone and saying yes to God. In The Best Yes she will help you:

  15. THE JOY OF MISSING OUT - $15.96

    Overwhelmed. Do you wake up in the morning already feeling behind? Does the pressure of keeping it all together make you feel anxious and irritable?

    Tonya Dalton, CEO and productivity expert, offers you a liberating shift in perspective: feeling overwhelmed isn't the result of having too much to do -- it's from not knowing where to start.

    Doing less might seem counterintuitive, but doing less is more productive, because you’re concentrating on the work you actually want to be doing. Through this book, you can learn how to:

    Named Top 10 Business Book of the Year by Fortune magazine, The Joy of Missing Out is chock-full of resources and printables. This is a legitimate action plan for change. Once you reject the pressure to do more, something amazing happens: you discover you can finally live a guilt-free, abundant life.

  16. PREACH TO YOURSELF - $7.99

    Break the cycle of doubting yourself, take God at His word, and talk back with truth - a new message of freedom from bestselling coauthor of Wild and Free Hayley Morgan.

    We know Christ came to speak life, but then how come our inner critic keeps showing up and stealing the mic? If we’re honest, she’s a harsh one, saying things we’d never dream of saying to others: You’ll never measure up, you’ll fail again tomorrow, you just can’t get it right.

    It has been said that the eighteen inches from head to heart is the soul’s longest journey. Our head knows the good news is true, but our heart struggles to believe it, and it is in this gap that we battle to believe the promises of God.

    Hayley Morgan, coauthor of bestselling book Wild and Free, has wrestled with this tension her whole life. In Preach to Yourself, she tackles it head-on to discover how we can renew our minds to renew our lives. For every woman who struggles with repetitive, negative self-talk, this book will show you how to identify the toxic loops where you get stuck and replace them with the truth of God we can believe with our whole selves.

    This is not a “try harder” reprimand, it’s a “believe better” invitation: to take God at His word when He tells you who you are. Come along and learn a simple practice to break free from the lies holding you back, and step forward into the fullness of life God has planned.

  17. BOUNDARIES - $11.49

    Boundaries is the book that's helped over 4 million people learn when to say yes and know how to say no in order to take control of their lives.

    Does your life feel like it's out of control? Perhaps you feel like you have to say yes to everyone's requests. Maybe you find yourself readily taking responsibility for others' feelings and problems. Or perhaps you focus so much on being loving and unselfish that you've forgotten your own limits and limitations. Or maybe it's all of the above.

    In the New York Times bestseller, Boundaries, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend help you learn when to say yes and know how to say no in order to take control of your life and set healthy, biblical boundaries with your spouse, children, friends, parents, co-workers, and even yourself.

    Now updated and expanded for the digital age, this book continues to help millions of people around the world answer these tough questions:

    You don’t have to let your life spiral out of control. Discover how boundaries make life better today!

  18. ONE THOUSAND GIFTS $13.89

    Just like you, Ann Voskamp hungers to live her one life well. Forget the bucket lists that have us escaping our everyday lives for exotic experiences. 'How,' Ann wondered, 'do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties? What does the Christ-life really look like when your days are gritty, long--and sometimes even dark? How is God even here?' In One Thousand Gifts, Ann invites you to embrace everyday blessings and embark on the transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling God's gifts. It's only in this expressing of gratitude for the life we already have, we discover the life we've always wanted...a life we can take, give thanks for, and break for others. We come to feel and know the impossible right down in our bones: we are wildly loved--by God. Let Ann's beautiful, heart-aching stories of the everyday give you a way of seeing that opens your eyes to ordinary amazing grace, a way of being present to God that makes you deeply happy, and a way of living that is finally fully alive. Come live the best dare of all!

  19. YOU ARE FREE - $9.49

    In this six session video Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), Rebekah Lyons explores why we all want to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what we were made for. Yet many of us believe that “calling” feels like something held for the exclusive few. Rebekah’s heart is to dismantle that idea, to remind each and every one of us that God has plans for something specific if we have ears to hear the still small voice of a Father that beckons. 

    What if we pressed into finding our truest selves hidden below the surface?

    Rebekah has traveled the country sharing with vulnerability her own pain and struggles to hear God and follow Him. “I have prayed with hands laid for healing and deliverance on women considering suicide, experiencing trauma, fighting cancer, holding off divorce, overcoming addiction and more. These are women, battle weary and wounded saying, “I’m done with the life I’ve created. I hunger for all that God promises. I want to expect more from a passionate and relentless God. I cannot continue to operate from a place of wounding. Please set me free.”

    But there is risk in this journey. We cannot get ahead of ourselves and just end up with a prettier version of striving. Rebekah reminds viewers that without healing from God along the way we can be pulled back into a place of wounding and bondage. But abiding in God’s presence will bring us answers and inform and sustain our calling.

    Rebekah’s voice is a vulnerable, prophetic call for women to become who they’ve already been designed to be. She is answering the questions women are asking. Listen to hear how we truly run free.

  20. DANCE STAND RUN - $6.67

    Abundant life is within your reach. Join Jess Connolly as she casts a fresh vision for how to break free of cheap grace and empty rule-keeping and change the world rather than be changed by it. Spoiler alert: it's a beautiful thing. 

    Grace is always good news. But it's not cheap--true grace compels us to change, and that's where holiness comes in.

    Jess Connolly--beloved writer, speaker, business coach, coauthor of Wild and Free, and author of You Are the Girl for the Job--will be the first to admit that not long ago, like many women, she grasped grace but forgot about holiness. Through story and study, Dance, Stand, Run charts her discovery that holiness was never meant to be a shaming reminder of what we "should" do, but rather a profound privilege of becoming more like Christ.

    Dance, Stand, Run is an invitation to the daughters of God to step into the movements of abundant life: dancing in grace, standing firm in holiness, and running on mission. Jess will help you to:

  21. BORN TO SHINE - $10.52

    Born to Shine is a story of loss, resilience, and the life-changing lessons found in the darkest seasons of life.

    When Ashley LeMieux and her husband lost their children in an adoption battle, it sent her into a tailspin that, ultimately, taught Ashley how to soar. Most people live with constant fears, burdens, and pains. Born to Shine shares Ashley’s message of hope for women brave enough to say that everything is not okay. The message is also for those who want the courage to believe they are not done yet―the unique message that acknowledges the overwhelming truth that even when life is in ruins, people can still shine. Born to Shine tells the LeMieux’s story in installments with alternating chapters and practical applications in between. It shares stories, lessons, and practical tools to help women shine despite the darkness, to press forward one day at a time even when there is no end in sight, and to turn their most painful moments into their greatest teachers and signposts to true, deep, unassailable joy.

  22. HANDS FREE LIFE - $4.00

    We all yearn to look back to find we lived a life of significance. But is it even possible anymore? Considering the amount of distraction and pressure that exists in society today, living a fulfilling life may seem like an unachievable dream. But it is not—not with the nine habits outlined in this book.

    New York Times bestselling author and widely known blogger, Rachel Macy Stafford, reveals nine habits that help you focus on investing in the most significant parts of your life. As your hands, heart, and eyes become open, you will experience a new sense of urgency—an urgency to live, love, dream, connect, create, forgive, and flourish despite the distractions of our culture. By following each daily Hands Free Declaration, you will be inspired to adopt mindful daily practices and new thought-processes that will help you:

    •         Make meaningful, lasting human connections despite the busyness of everyday life.

    •         Live in the now despite that inner nudge pushing you out of the moment toward perfection and productivity.

    •         Protect your most sacred relationships, as well as your values, beliefs, health, and happiness, despite the latent dangers of technology and social media.

    •         Pursue the passions of your heart without sacrificing your job or your daily responsibilities.

    •         Evaluate your daily choices to insure you are investing in a life that matters to you.

    With a Hands Free Life perspective, you will have the power to look back and see you didn’t just manage life, you actually lived it—and lived it well.

  23. SIMPLY TUESDAY - $9.45

    Our obsession with bigger and faster is spinning us out of control. We move through the week breathless and bustling, just trying to keep up while longing to slow down. 
    But real life happens in the small moments, the kind we find on Tuesday, the most ordinary day of the week. Tuesday carries moments we want to hold onto--as well as ones we'd rather leave behind. It holds secrets we can't see in a hurry--secrets not just for our schedules but for our souls. It offers us a simple bench on which to sit, observe, and share our stories.
    For those being pulled under by the strong current of expectation, comparison, and hurry, relief is found more in our small moments than in our fast movements. In Simply Tuesday, Emily P. Freeman helps readers
    · stop dreading small beginnings and embrace today's work
    · find contentment in the now--even when the now is frustrating or discouraging
    · replace competition with compassion
    · learn to breathe in a breathless world
    Jesus lived small moments well, slow moments fully, and all moments free. He lives with us still, on all our ordinary days, creating and redeeming the world both in us and through us, one small moment at a time. It's time to take back Tuesday, to release our obsession with building a life, and believe in the life Christ is building in us--every day.

  24. A MILLION LITTLE WAYS - $9.89

    If you think you're not creative, think again. 

    As people made in the image of a creative God, we all have something unique to offer the world and it will come out in a million little ways. In this book, bestselling author Emily P. Freeman will help you:

  25. LIVE - $13.82

    There's a big difference between being alive and knowing how to truly live. To be alive is something that happens to you. But to truly live is something you get to choose each day. As Robertson says, "When you truly learn to live the life God offers, your whole existence becomes a verb."

    In Live, Sadie Robertson inspires us to thrive in the life God gave us by making choices that will lead us into the fullness He has for us, not into the emptiness the world offers. With photography and captivating design, Live shows us how we can find a rich and rewarding life when we choose to wholeheartedly embrace God's ways and God's truth. Moments of decision greet everyone, sometimes on a more-than-daily basis. Some of those decisions are minor and others are life altering, but all serve as stepping-stones to peace, joy, and fullness or to disappointment and emptiness. Sadie is passionate about inspiring a generation to live in that fullness every day.

    The book includes material on overcoming jealousy, finding confidence, dealing with haters, waiting on God, living in the moment, discovering the power of words, and knowing how to tell the difference between what leads to life and what leads to death--so young people can make the best choices.

    Whether you have a long-time relationship with God or are new to faith, Live is a joyful encouragement to make the most of each moment, to make wise decisions, and to always seek the truth of God's Word. Filled with stories and biblical principles, Live celebrates what everyone has in common--the opportunity to not simply be alive but to truly live.

  26. THE RUTHLESS ELIMINATION OF HUSTLE - $16.16

    ECPA BESTSELLER • A compelling emotional and spiritual case against hurry and in favor of a slower, simpler way of life
    “As someone all too familiar with ‘hurry sickness,’ I desperately needed this book.”—Scott Harrison, New York Times best-selling author of Thirst
    “Who am I becoming?”
    That was the question nagging pastor and author John Mark Comer. Outwardly, he appeared successful. But inwardly, things weren’t pretty. So he turned to a trusted mentor for guidance and heard these words:
    “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life.”
    It wasn’t the response he expected, but it was—and continues to be—the answer he needs. Too often we treat the symptoms of toxicity in our modern world instead of trying to pinpoint the cause. A growing number of voices are pointing at hurry, or busyness, as a root of much evil.
    Within the pages of this book, you’ll find a fascinating roadmap to staying emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world.

  27. YOU ARE THE GIRL FOR THE JOB -$13.06

    You believe (or want to believe) God has called you and given you purpose, but where do you start? How do you get from feeling stuck to making a move? If this sounds familiar, bestselling author Jess Connolly has a message for you: You Are the Girl for the Job.

    But this is not simply a peppy catchphrase. This is the straight-up truth God has proclaimed over your life from the beginning, and it's not dependent on what you can do or achieve but based on His power, capacity, and character. 

    It has taken one million, maybe one zillion (who knows?!), slight moves of His hand to place you in this exact moment. So forget about fear and second-guessing your gifts, because God has meticulously prepared you to be an ambassador for the Kingdom right where you are, here and now. Life is too short to get stuck in a holding pattern of shame, self-doubt, and comparison. So let this book be your very good news: you don't have to wait for permission when you've already been commissioned. 

    With passion and heart-pumping hope, Jess shows that being the girl for the job doesn't depend on your capacity. Rather, it has everything to do with God's capacity and our willingness. It has everything to do with believing we are who God says we are, and quieting any inferior word spoken against us. Are you ready? 

    Let this book be your jumpstart into confident, purposed living, as Jess walks you through the six steps she has used to coach and encourage women for years: set your focus, take stock of the story that has shaped you, face your fear, catch the vision, make a plan, and finally, make your move--all in the bold belief that God has called you to every step of the journey.

  28. GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD - $14.39

    NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • The visionary behind the million-strong IF:Gathering challenges Christian women to transform their outlook and their lives by interrupting their spiraling thoughts and realizing their God-given power to think differently.
    “A must-have resource for anyone looking to get control of their thoughts.”—Lysa TerKeurst, #1 New York Times best-selling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries
    Are your thoughts holding you captive? I’ll never be good enough. Other people have better lives than I do. God couldn’t really love me. Jennie Allen knows what it’s like to swirl in a spiral of destructive thoughts, but she also knows we don’t have to stay stuck in toxic thinking patterns.
    As she discovered in her own life, God built a way for us to escape that downward spiral. Freedom comes when we refuse to be victims to our thoughts and realize we have already been equipped with power from God to fight and win the war for our minds.
    In Get Out of Your Head, Jennie inspires and equips us to transform our emotions, our outlook, and even our circumstances by taking control of our thoughts. Our enemy is determined to get in our heads to make us feel helpless, overwhelmed, and incapable of making a difference for the kingdom of God. But when we submit our minds to Christ, the promises and goodness of God flood our lives in remarkable ways.
    It starts in your head. And from there, the possibilities are endless.

 
 

SPRING AND EASTER BOOK WALL + EASTER BASKET FAVORITES

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Our latest spring book wall, with a focus on Easter, is here!

And so is our easter basket roundup!

 
 

*****For everything you see below, you can scroll over the title of that product in the text and click on that link and it will take you directly to the source to purchase or save to a wishlist!*****

 
 
 
 

The basket on the left is linked here. The basket on the right is a thrift store find, which is a great place to find cheap baskets! I simply just added DIY poms and tassels to the baskets to customize them. (If you search diy pom poms on pinterest there’s a ton of tutorials! This is a great way to change the baskets up each year and personalize them for each child!

Also, you can add our monogram printable tags (just $3.99 in our shop) to the baskets to customize them for each child too! These tags also work great for Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, notecards etc and are yours forever with the $3.99 purchase!

You can find last year’s Easter basket here with a ton of other ideas!

 
 

You can find last year’s books at this link, by clicking here. If there’s a book not linked below, it’s in last year’s blog post! I’ve just added new books to this year’s post.

Our shelves are Ikea, the dollhouse is handmade (and we’ll make a tutorial for it soon!), babydoll furniture is from Poppie Toys (also sourced from No Small Miracle and Shop Sweet Lulu), floor pillows are linked here, the small chair is linked here, floor mat is Toki Mats, garland is Hooray Everyday, and the swaddles are No Small Miracle.

 

I hope something here was helpful for you!

If there’s anything you liked but don’t want to get until the future, simply pin these images to a holiday or Easter board for easy reference in the future!

Best of luck and happy celebrating!

XX, Amy

SIX MONTH HOME ORGANIZATION CHALLENGE

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As a military family who constantly moves, it is imperative for our family to stay organized.

I have always been a lover of organization, but this last year got the best of me with a growing business and a mid year move halfway across the country.

And guess what…we move again in 6 months.

So! That’s where this challenge comes in!

I’ve created this 6 month home organization challenge for ALL OF US to get organized! And if you’re a military family this is especially for you, because we know all about the pains of a PCS. (Permanent Change of Station - Military lingo)

We’ve been in this new place for 6 months and I’m STILL not unpacked because I wasn’t organized during our last move. It’s time to OWN THIS NEXT ONE!

Each month we will INTENTIONALLY tackle specific areas of our home so we don’t get overwhelmed!

The best part is, you do NOT need to start this in January! Or February! This is designed to fit into your calendar when it best fits…so if that means you start month 1 in June, then do that!

I made it 6 whole months so we can be thorough and intentional but also not feel rushed or overwhelmed.

So let’s give ourselves a 6 month window to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Who’s in?

 
 

This template will be our guide!

Each block has extra space for you to write any specific information that you or your family needs to remember. i.e. specific dates, specific projects, extra areas, extra details etc!

So here you can print out this above printable to have for your home! Print it off, hang it on your fridge, put it in your planner, wherever! Just make sure the dates get added to your family calendar so everyone knows when it’s organization time!

UPDATE ONE: (I completed the majority of our basement which works as storage for our family, houses our gym, holds boxes for moves and all of our military gear - here’s what I took away from that!)

  1. thought process going in was “if I haven’t used it in 6 months, I can sell, donate, recycle or trash it.

  2. goal was to make our next move easier since we move so often in the military.

  3. put like items together in storage places so they’re easier to find.

  4. separate items into four sections: trash, recycle, sell donate

  5. put all holiday items/decor into storage bins that match the holiday you’re in. i.e. fall/halloween stuff goes into orange bins, christmas into green etc.

  6. if you don’t have holiday specific bins then at least put them into clear bins so you can see the decor.

  7. if you are a family that moves a lot or knows you will be moving, keep your small appliance and electronics boxes (i.e tv, mixer, coffee pot, dvd player etc) so they all have boxes specifically made for them to pack away. This also works great for resale!

  8. save empty boxes from a previous move that didn’t get messed up so you don’t have to buy new ones! you can cut them down to take up less room.

  9. buy a tree bag, ornament box and wreath bag for those items! saves so much hassle and room.

  10. we keep a humidifier in storage to keep items dry too.

  11. invest in a trailer if you are a military family and move some stuff yourself! you’ll make money every move!

  12. as you organize, be sure to separate stuff into sections for what you will take and what the movers will take. saves so much time.

  13. have outdoorsy, military stuff organized in an easy to find manner so you aren’t having to dig to find stuff.

  14. invest in conticos for breakable items.

You can see all of these tips in action on my instagram page @amylouhawthorne in my “organization” highlight button!

 

My starting point - lot’s of empty containers. January 2020.

Here’s what I want you to remember:

This is meant to organize items so you always know where they are.

This is meant to declutter.

This is meant to donate unused items.

This is meant to give you motivation to have a spring yard sale to make money off of items that have been sitting around for a decade, or items you simply don’t need.

You do NOT need all the bells and whistles to make this happen.

You just need discipline, time and motivation.

So if you need time to do this, ask for it. Blake and I sat down on January 1st and mapped out the next 6 months.

We marked off which weekends I would have to work on this massive project - and yes, this is my project because I LOVE organizing. On those weekends he will watch the kids and I will have full freedom to clean.

If there’s a point of contention, just remember to advocate that you are doing this for the whole family.

And above all else, once we get passed this challenge let’s do our best to keep our homes organized for years to come!

 
 

Want information on which storage containers I use throughout our home and which ones I love most?

Linking them all here for you! Just click on the item name and number to go!

  1. Seagrass Baskets || 2. Big tubs || 3. Tall wire baskets || 4. Clear containers || 5. Closed baskets || 6. Pink closed containers || 7. Wire Baskets || 8. Pink locked containers || 9. Open rattan basket || 10. Open pink storage || 11. Gray closed containers || 12. Open pink and white bins

 

Here’s how I use them throughout my home!

As I get to each room where I’m using them, I will add pictures to this post to share how I used them during my organization challenge. This blog post will be ever evolving until I reach month 6!

  1. I use these for the girls’ shoes, small toys and lotions/ essential oils

  2. I use these for the girls’ old toys and old clothes that I don’t want to get rid of but want to have access to. Anything bulky. (Also great for toys)

  3. I use one of these in the garage for sporting equipment so I can see in it and grab what I need and also for craft storage.

  4. My favorite bins. I use these for everything. Craft storage, out of season clothes and company inventory.

  5. Closed baskets are what I use for something that looks ugly but I use often. So I use it as a mini paper trash can in my office and for office supplies that I need on hand.

  6. My favorite for storing the girls small educational / sensory items. We keep these in our downstairs closet. They store coloring books, puzzles, magnets, legos, sand, playdoh etc.

  7. These are the prettiest for storing cookbooks, handtowels, and anything you need to store and keep contained but want to have visible.

  8. These will be used for office/craft storage.

  9. Love these for storing blankets around the home.

  10. These will be used for office/craft storage.

  11. My favorite for storing the girls small educational / sensory items. We keep these in our downstairs closet. They store coloring books, puzzles, magnets, legos, sand, playdoh etc.

  12. We use these to store the girls’ toys in. i.e. cars, train sets, and small items.

 

And here’s some pics of them throughout our home!

 
 
 
 
 

If you liked anything you saw and want to reference back to it in the future, be sure to pin any of the images above so you know where to come back and find it!

HAPPY ORGANIZING!

XX, Amy

VALENTINES + BLACK HISTORY MONTH BOOK COLLECTION

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I think my most anticipated blog post every season are the book roundup ones, and I am totally okay with that because they are the most fun for me to do!

I have always loved childrens’ books, and it is so fun to now share that passion and love with my girls!

Each season (holiday) I decorate our book wall with new books to match that season or holiday.

Here you can see my Summer Book Reading List roundup.

Here you can see my Halloween Book Reading List roundup.

Here you can see my Christmas Book Reading List roundup.

And now, here begins my Valentines roundup! But, with an addition this year!

February is also Black History Month, and it is a massive passion of ours to shine a light and celebrate the achievements by African Americans throughout U.S. History. It’s also a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in our history. Therefore, over the years we have collected books for February that both spread love and kindness but also celebrate Black History Month to spread our family’s cultural awareness.

I hope you too will add books to your collection that represent all races and ethnicities, so that we can all do a better part in unifying our world.

So let’s get to it!

Our book wall last year. Shelves are linked here ($12.99 each) and you can see more of our book wall @amylouhawthorne.

 

And here’s our collection this year! To see sources for the other items, head to my Instagram @AmyLouHawthorne for more details.

 
 
 

JUST A REMINDER THAT FOR ALL OF THE BOOKS BELOW, IF YOU SCROLL OVER THE TITLE OF THE BOOK NEXT TO THE NUMBER AND CLICK THE LINK, IT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO THE AMAZON PRIME LINK TO SHOP! YOU CAN ADD THEM TO YOUR WISH LIST THAT WAY AS WELL TO GET IN THE FUTURE!

 
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  1. A Little Princess - $8.77

    What they say : Adams and Oliver team up again to teach literary-minded tots the importance of friendship in A Little Princess: A BabyLit® Friendship Primer. Each page introduces Sarah’s friends with text from the original novel, A Little Princess, showing little ones that friends can be found in surprising places.

 
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2. I am Enough - $9.49

What they say : I Am Enough is the picture book everyone needs, and it's now a New York Times bestseller and the picture book winner in the Goodreads Choice Awards! This is a gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another—from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo. This is the perfect gift for mothers and daughters, baby showers, and graduation.

 

3. Little Leaders Bold Women In Black History - $13.59

What they say : An important book for all ages, Little Leaders educates and inspires as it relates true stories of forty trailblazing black women in American history. Illuminating text paired with irresistible illustrations bring to life both iconic and lesser-known female figures of Black history such as abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson, poet Maya Angelou, and filmmaker Julie Dash.

Among these biographies, readers will find heroes, role models, and everyday women who did extraordinary things - bold women whose actions and beliefs contributed to making the world better for generations of girls and women to come. Whether they were putting pen to paper, soaring through the air or speaking up for the rights of others, the women profiled in these pages were all taking a stand against a world that didn't always accept them.

The leaders in this book may be little, but they all did something big and amazing, inspiring generations to come.

3. Little Leaders Exceptional Men In Black History - $12.39

What they say: An important book for readers of all ages, this beautifully illustrated and engagingly written volume brings to life true stories of black men in history.

Among these biographies, readers will find aviators and artists, politicians and pop stars, athletes and activists. The exceptional men featured include artist Aaron Douglas, civil rights leader John Lewis, dancer Alvin Ailey, filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, musician Prince, photographer Gordon Parks, tennis champion Arthur Ashe, and writer James Baldwin.

The legends in this book span centuries and continents, but what they have in common is that each one has blazed a trail for generations to come.

 

4. Juno Valentine - $9.49

What they say: It’s school picture day and Juno Valentine is having a fashion emergency! Her mom wants her to wear fabulous florals, her dad wants her to wear rainbow ruffles, but Juno’s not sure what to choose. And just when Juno thinks her conundrum couldn’t get any more complicated, her little brother, Finn, disappears into the magical hall of shoes!

In an epic chase through time, Juno gets some help from female icons like Simone Biles, Audrey Hepburn, Annie Oakley, and Michelle Obama. Along the way, she discovers the self-confidence she needs to express herself in her own magical way.

 
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5. Romeo and Juliet - $8.71

What they say : Get swept away by Little Master Shakespeare’s tale of two star-crossed lovers in Romeo & Juliet: A BabyLit® Counting Primer. Count friends, kisses, love letters, and roses in this charming retelling of Shakespeare’s famous story of young love. Since parting from such a lovely little book will certainly bring feelings of sweet sorrow, you may find yourself re-reading 'till it be 'morrow!

Why I think it’s perfect for Valentines : One of the most popular stories of love of all time matched with the cutest simplest illustrations. Need I say more?

 

6. Bagel In Love - $14.38

What they say: Poor Bagel! He dreams of entering the Cherry Jubilee dance contest . . . but no one wants to be his partner! Can he find a sweet-tart who doesn’t think his steps are half-baked?

Bagel loved to dance. It made him happier than a birthday cake! And more than anything, he wants a partner who will spin and swirl, tap and twirl with him in the dance contest. But Pretzel sniffs that he doesn’t cut the mustard, Croissant thinks his moves are stale, and Doughnut’s eyes just glaze over. Can a cute cupcake save the day for our would-be Fred Éclair? Witty and pun-filled, this picture book really takes the cake.

 

7. One Love - $7.67

What they say : Adapted from one of Bob Marley's most beloved songs, One Love brings the joyful spirit and unforgettable lyrics of his music to life for a new generation. Readers will delight in dancing to the beat and feeling the positive groove of change when one girl enlists her community to help transform her neighborhood for the better. Adapted by Cedella Marley, Bob Marley's first child, and gorgeously illustrated by Vanessa Newton, this heartwarming picture book offers an upbeat testament to the amazing things that can happen when we all get together with one love in our hearts.

 

8. Harriet Tubman - $10.59

What they say : Part of the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad conductor who "never lost a single passenger." 
Little Harriet was born into slavery on a plantation in Maryland. Though life was hard, Harriet persisted. She used all of her strength and bravery to escape slavery and journey north on the Underground Railroad. Harriet made the dangerous mission back to the South many times, fighting her whole life to bring others with her to freedom. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the abolitionist's life.

8. Maya Angelou - $7.99

What they say : In this international bestseller from the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of Maya Angelou, the powerful speaker, writer, and civil rights activist.
Maya Angelou spent much of her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas. After a traumatic event at age eight, she stopped speaking for five years. However, Maya rediscovered her voice through wonderful books, and went on to become one of the world's most beloved writers and speakers. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of Maya Angelou's life.

 

9. L is for Love - $7.52

What they say : Introduce your brilliant baby to the ABCs with this colorfully illustrated primer about love and friendship.

Valentine’s Day is a time to reflect on the themes of love and friendship, and what better way to introduce toddlers to these concepts than with a new ABC volume from artist Greg Paprocki. The book’s 26 fully illustrated pages take aim just like Cupid’s arrow at lovebirds, sweethearts, BFFs, and secret admirers. Part of the BabyLit Alphabet Series.

 

10. The Love Letter - $13.43

What they say: Fall in love with this endearing and adorable picture book that illustrates how a little bit of heart goes a long way to making the world a better place.

Hedgehog, Bunny, and Squirrel are best friends. One day, they each find a letter. But not just any letter...

A love letter. 

My word!

            My whiskers!

                        Aww, nuts!

Someone loves them. But who? The answer may surprise you!

Celebrated author Anika Aldamuy Denise and beloved illustrator Lucy Ruth Cummins deliver this heartwarming tale about a wonderful mix-up that reminds us of the joys of friendship.

Makes for a perfect Valentine’s Day gift, or for any time you want to tell someone in your life how much you love them!

 
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11. Love Is - $10.48

What they say : Perfect for any fond gift or tender moment, this story of a girl and a duckling who share a touching year together will melt hearts old and young. In this tenderly funny book, girl and duckling grow in their understanding of what it is to care for each other, discovering that love is as much about letting go as it is about holding tight. Children and parents together will adore this fond exploration of growing up while learning about the joys of love offered and love returned.

 
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12. Love is a Tutu - $12.95

What they say : This beautifully designed and playfully illustrated novelty board book is the perfect starting point for tiny ballerinas and parents alike. Sweet and spare rhymes prance across the pages, engaging the reader with real ballet terms and plenty of pink. Parents and toddlers together will sigh Bravo as they turn off the light.

12. Love is a Truck - $10.72

What they say : Graphically appealing two-color illustrations pair perfectly with a spare, rhythmic ode to beloved trucks of all kinds - from fire trucks to dump trucks to ice cream trucks, the sweetest trucks of all - and to the kid who loves and collects them, Love Is a Truck follows Love Is a Tutu (our ballet-inspired ode to tutus and toe shoes) in our Love Is series. A smaller square format with thick, sturdy pages, make these little picture books perfect for young readers, ages 2-6, and for reading aloud again and again.

 

13. Love, Z - $12.79

What they say : The story of a young robot trying to find the meaning of love.

When a small robot named Z discovers a message in a bottle signed “Love, Beatrice,” they decide to find out what “love” means. Unable to get an answer from the other robots, they leave to embark on an adventure that will lead them to Beatrice—and back home again, where love was hiding all along.

 
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14. Part of My Heart - $17.80

What they say : A simple and heartfelt children's book about a baby heart and where it came from. This sweet story is perfect for explaining to preschool children the emotional truth of how a new baby is made and what they mean to the parents. Also makes a charming Valentine's Day or new baby gift.

 

15. Love the Earth - $8.99

What they say : Jump aboard the White Feather Flier, a magical plane that can go anywhere on Earth! This time, Lennon’s book immerses boys and girls into an interactive and unique journey where they can:

  • Plant milkweed gardens and soar with the butterflies.

  • Build schools where girls and boys will be safe to learn and follow their dreams.

  • Clean the oceans and beaches and help endangered dolphins, turtles, and whales.

  • Explore the planet, meet new people, and help make the world a better place!
    The Flier’s mission is to transport readers around the world, to engage them in helping to save the environment, and to teach one and all to love our planet. Just press a button printed on the page and use your Imagination Power to make the Flier glide through the air or transform into vehicles that will help those in need.
    An inspiring, lyrical story rooted in Lennon's life and work; Love the Earth is filled with beautiful illustrations that bring the faraway world closer to young children. The book includes words to a special poem written by Julian Lennon, specifically for Love the Earth.

 

NOW FOR PAJAMAS!

 

I tried really hard to find pajamas that were “valentines-y” per say, but I realized that coming off the holiday season, so many of us are just trying to save money and not spend spend spend! So, I’m doing something a little different this season and bringing you cute + comfy + CHEAP pajamas that I found on Amazon that work PERFECT for Valentines! The “girls” ones come in a soft pink, dark pink and purple color which are all perfect for Valentines! But what I love even more is they are so comfy, can easily be sized up to last a longggg time AND they’re cheap! The girls are 3 and 5 and actually both in the size Large 4-5 here. The “boys” options are more on the cool color side and would be perfect for other holidays, but regardless they are amazing pajamas for all year long so I had to share! I will definitely be getting these in more colors and recommend them for your littles! They do have a red set shown above that is 100% unisex!!

Here they are linked here AND ONLY $15!!!

 
 

If you loved this post or want to reference it in the future, be sure to pin this picture! You can come back to it at any time to find the best love books + Black History Month books for kids and these comfy pajamas!

Thanks for reading!!!

XOXO, Amy