Being a mom has really built more excitement for me as I watch A grow and her anticipation and excitement for the holidays grows with every year that comes our way. We have been getting the “wows” and “ahh”s this year as we drive by lights or discover new traditions. We’ve been building traditions little…
Coming up with holiday gifts can be so hard. I know that know that we are adults our holiday family get togethers are a bit different. We used to spend way too much time trying to figure out what to get everyone for the holidays and always ended up frustrated. Once we become adults we…
Today I celebrate 5 years of marriage with my very best friend, the one who compliments me in the best kind of ways and I’m thankful for every day. I know that sounds cliche and that it’ll all sunshine and roses. The first sentence is the absolute truth but that doesn’t mean we don’t drive…
I love this time of year. I love browsing only stores and finding new products that are out. I love daydreaming and seeing things and thinking “wow ______ would just love that!” Small businesses are typically my go to and they usually launch new products every year around this time just in time for the…
A couple of weeks ago I posted about 5 Things to Consider Before Adding a Puppy To Your Family which included the lifetime commitment, where you want to adopt, breed preferences, etc. So if you are new to this post and looking to add a puppy to your family soon I recommend checking it out! Something that…
I felt like November was over in a flash this year. We ended it with a weekend filled with friends visiting from Kansas and Thanksgiving with my family hosted here in our home. Never in my life have I decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving but we did a week early this year. There is something…
I adore the holidays, I love the holiday decorations and the meaning behind Christmas. It’s a month full of celebrating and there is just something magical about it, especially as a parent. I still don’t love the holiday shopping. It drives me batty that stores are now open in the evening of Thanksgiving for for…
We’ve been doing so much celebrating around here lately. First we had a birthday celebration for A when my dad came into town complete with a trip to the mountains, a quick trip to Toys-R-Us and cupcakes & presents. The next weekend we had a party filled with family and fun. We had so much…
Do you ever get really awesome ideas that keep you up at night? I do and today’s craft is one that happened with. I love making fun new crafts with my daughter that are different and outside of the box, as well as, something that I can keep as a long time keepsake. I’m drawn…
There was a time, not too long ago actually, that I used to say yes to every opportunity that came my way whether it was a business client or a call for help. I was always the first to answer yes, not necessarily because I wanted to take on another client or help out with…
It’s that time of year. The one where the leaves begin turning and crunching underneath my feet, and cooler weather rushes in and the forecast calls for jeans and flats, sweaters and boots. This is my favorite time of year. It feels like once Halloween hits it’s all busy and celebrations from there. A’s birthday hits,…
Ryan and I both grew up with larger dogs for most of our childhoods. When we first moved in together we started with the cat. And then we added another cat. But the truth was we really wanted to dog. I ended up adopting a puppy off of craigslist, and not too far there after…
I’ll warn everyone now that this post is photo heavy, we had just so much fun with Halloween this year I want to make sure I get it all documented. After heading to the pumpkin patch a couple of weeks ago, we had our pumpkin carving experience for the first year in our new house. This…
Maybe we are like mosaics, filled with things that have broken us in the worst possible ways and wrecked us in the best possible ways with a flexible mortar that bends and molds for more pieces to come flooding in throughout our lives shaping us into what makes us who we are in the rawest…
It’s been busy around here lately, with the new house, toddlerhood and the holiday whirlwind just around the corner. Around here it’s been productive. My laundry room is fully functional, the garage has both cars in it now and the basement is clean and open for the optimal place to play. It’s interesting getting settled…
Now that we have a daughter I look forward to the holidays more than I used to. It’s not that I didn’t before but seeing the excitement and wonder on her face really makes my heart burst. This year we hit the pumpkin patch, Crazed Maze that we did last year (gosh I love the fact…
A few years ago while meal planning Ryan told me he wanted stuffed peppers. I had never made stuffed peppers, or even eaten them but how hard could it be right? The night I made them I went through the pantry to figure out what to toss in them. I’m drawn to creamy sour cream…
A couple years ago my Aunt text me asking me if there was anything from my great grandmother’s home, as they were going through it getting ready for it to sell. I told her there wasn’t anything that I could think of that I really wanted as there wasn’t anything that really came to mind…
When this little site first started, it began on Blogger. It was a free option for me. After swapping another one of my sites to WordPress I decided it was time to take the leap for Joyfully Smitten too. I don’t have to worry about Blogger glitches anymore, I just have to worry about my…
We LOVE a good hands on activity in our house, especially one that we can create together and play with together. I remember countless days growing up where we made homemade playdough of every variety growing up. It was cheap, fun and entertained us for hours. Not to mention, there is just something calming about…