Letters to Paxton | Months 4, 5, 6

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December 22, 2019: Four Months Hi Paxton, My cute little elf! You and Ari have matching Christmas PJs and I may or may not put you in them as often as possible. We’ve had fun with Christmas celebrations this year. Tomorrow marks one year since we discovered your impending arrival and what a year it’s been! In some ways it’s flown by but in others, it crawled. It’s funny how time does that. You continue to be more and more interested in your big sister and she still doesn’t waver in her love for you. When I need an extra few… Read More

By Claire | Filed under Uncategorized

Letters to Paxton | Months 1, 2, 3

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September 22, 2019: One Month Paxton, Happy one month, Buddy! You surprised all of us by showing up 10 days early and in record time. We’ve had the best month with you. We’ve traded sleep for snuggles and smackers. You’re usually not a fan of snoozing much at night and you’d much prefer to be held than put down in your bed. I have a feeling your sleep training will start much earlier than your sister’s did. You have lots of smiles in your sleep and Ariana just adores you. She’s always bringing you to whatever room she’s in and… Read More

By Claire | Filed under Uncategorized

Earn cash while you shop | Ebates

What if I told you that you could make a little money as you shop?  So that bag that you didn’t add to your cart, you can now afford it.  Or the new throw pillow for your living room… go ahead and consider it yours.  Maybe a little extra cash gets you a night out with the girls or maybe you can pay off your car sooner.  It’s up to you how you use it – here’s how you can earn it in just a few clicks.  Ebates will pay you to purchase almost anything you buy.  They’ve teamed up with… Read More

By Claire | Filed under High five for Friday, the busy girl's guide

Congrats, Hubs!

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From the other room, I hear David pause the podcast he’s been listening to to answer an incoming call. “Thanks, Doc. I appreciate it.” Ariana is already in bed and I can tell he’s trying to keep his voice quiet but professional. “Did you just call Dr. Stover, ‘Doc?’” I ask after he hangs up. “Yeah,” he grins at me. “I always call him that.” ______ And that’s how we found out that David was officially approved by the Board of Education as a principal in our school district. I’m so proud of what he’s accomplished. He’s gone from teacher’s assistant, to… Read More

By Claire | Filed under family life

3 Things I’m Loving

3 things i'm loving

It seems like most people hate the month of January but I actually enjoy it. It feels like a clean slate. The first month in a new year that’s just brimming with possibilities. Plus, there are always a few snow days thrown in and that just makes me happy! SelectTech Weights. Ok, I’ve literally become that person. I never in a million years thought I’d be the girl excited about new weights sitting in my living room. Never. But I could tell I had really hit a plateau because I only had 10 pound weights. It was way too light for some… Read More

By Claire | Filed under 3 Things I'm Loving

3 Things I’m Loving | Christmas Edition

3 things i'm loving

You guys, I’m loving all things Christmas right now. We decorated earlier than we ever have. I made an Advent calendar that I’m pretty pumped about — even if it’s an Ari fail. You can just feel the magic in the air. And there’s even a bonus one! Peppermint hot chocolate. Have you ever had it? My friends are probably tired of hearing me rave about it. I make it like 4 nights a week. It gives that little extra kick to regular hot chocolate. (You can make your own with peppermint schnapps or peppermint extract.) Advent Calendar. I had in mind that… Read More

By Claire | Filed under 3 Things I'm Loving

Celebrating Teamwork in Your Marriage

Celebrating teamwork in your marriage

Most of the time, the hustle and bustle to get out the door is up to me. A two-year-old isn’t usually much help — unless you consider it helpful to unpack bags, spill goldfish on the floor, or whine because no you can’t play with the scissors. As a mom who mostly works from home and a husband who works a minimum of 50 hours a week, there are many times it’s just me and the toddler trying to get whatever we need to the car on time. Even if Dad’s going with us, we’re often leaving right when he walks in the… Read More

By Claire | Filed under family life

Letters to Ariana | Two Years

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Happy Birthday, my girl! November 15th will always be one of my favorite days. I hope you always feel celebrated. You’re loved by so many! Since we had your big party on Saturday, today feels a bit slower and a little more normal. Every time I tell you “Happy Birthday!” you politely reply with, “Thank you, Mama.” I have no idea how you knew that was the correct response to a birthday wish. You know, that’s kind of been the theme of the last few months. “How did she know that?” We ask each other that a lot and the response is… Read More

By Claire | Filed under Ariana

3 Things I’m Loving

3 things i'm loving

Happy November first! I can’t believe we’re already in November. I feel like this is the fastest part of the year. Halloween — ✅ Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before we know it. Plus, we have a birthday to celebrate, Aunt Kenzie’s senior night, Uncle Corbin’s tournament… and probably some other things I’m forgetting. But before we move along to all those exciting things, here are a few things I’m loving right now. Black elderberry. I wrote a post about it here and I’m pretty convinced that it seriously lightened our most recent cold. It doesn’t completely take it… Read More

By Claire | Filed under 3 Things I'm Loving

The Case for 5:30

The case for 530

I’m writing this as much for myself as anyone else. Probably more so. One thing life has taught me is that if one person is struggling with it, someone else probably is, too. So, with that in mind, I’ll publish this one. 🙃 Recently, I’ve been struggling to stay motivated. I feel like I’ve lost my drive on several fronts. It’s a phase. I haven’t been getting my workouts in. Or, when I have worked out, it’s been half-heartedly. Or short. Or while Ari’s awake. I feel like every part of this house needs to be de-cluttered and organized. I feel like I… Read More

By Claire | Filed under A new journey, family life