We’ve got BIG news!! We’re moving to TEXAS!! All 5 of us hopped on a plane to go home hunting last week. After two and a half days and about 22 homes, we came down to two homes we really liked a lot. We deliberated a bit about the pros and cons of both then…
We love bath time around here. It’s a great time to get clean but also have some extra fun inside. Sometimes bath time acts as a giant reset button around here. Bad attitudes we just cannot shake? It’s time for an extra bath. I’ll admit that I’m pretty picky about the bath toys we bring…
We took the kids to the ocean for the very first time this last month. We stayed up until the wee hours of the morning and woke the kids early to hit the road. Island Beach State Park came highly recommended toys from a close friend that grew up in New Jersey, so that’s where…
We love a good cookie in our house. Crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle. I have a handful of recipes that I come back to when we’re in the mood to bake a batch. Sometimes we go for molasses cookies other times cookie bars, but sometimes nothing beats a good chocolate chip cookie. …
Gratitude is something we put a lot of value in as a family. Our children are required to say please and thank you – all day, every day. This rules applies when we are home but it also applies even more when we are out and about. A simple thank you can make a big…
I always dreamed of the day where I would have children that loved to play outdoors. I’ve arrived at that place where my children love nothing more than digging in the dirt and drawing pictures in the mug with a stick. They are are in their element among nature. I know this. The practical mom…
Last weekend, Thomas the Train was right down the road from us in Phillipsburg, New Jersey! We decided to make an impromptu day trip to surprise the kids. It was a free event if you just wanted to browse through. If you wanted to ride the Thomas train you had to purchase a ticket for…
It’s a rarity that we don’t cook dinner or lunch at home, but when we do go out we have a handful of places that we opt to go that is “fast food.” One of the few place we do go is Chick-fil-A. Fun Fact: I’ve been on the national Mom Panel for Chick-fil-A that…
Last night I said goodbye to my friend of nearly 14 years, a few days shy of his 14th birthday. A friend that has been consistently by my side longer than anyone else. I was his entire world. It was a common conversation of “where’s Rudy?” “Oh, with mommy.” He was always by my side…
Happy Wednesday, friends! Today I’m sharing with you two books that I’ve received complimentary from BH/Lifeway to share with my kiddos and review here for you. As always, I only give you my honest thoughts of the books we receive and review. Both of today’s book have beautiful illustrations and I love them a lot….
A couple of weeks ago, we decided to head to the local strawberry farm. Since we’ve lived in PA, we have taken the opportunity to really dive into local experiences with the kids. We have a lot of local farms around here and we’ve really enjoyed experiencing them. Last year, we experienced apple picking for…
If you’ve been a reader around here long, you know h couple of months ago we were introduced to Good Night Books. We had the opportunity to collaborate with them on Instagram and the kids and I loved the books. They have a vast selection of books varying from states, cities, and national parks to animals,…
I’m currently sitting here at my dining room table with my coffee to my right and all three of my sweet babes still asleep. The birds are outside of my door chirping after a night of rain. I haven’t ever lived somewhere the birds are so audible all day every day and I’m certainly not…
This post is sponsored by SheSpeaks, Inc and Simply Orange Juice Company. All opinions, images and ideas belong to JoyfullySmitten.com There is something about the holidays that comes with the feeling of community. We bake extra goodies for friends and neighbors, attend holiday gatherings, and open our homes to others. I love opening our home…
A couple months ago I shared with you our experience with BookRoo, a monthly subscription box service for books catering to your littlest readers. I shared here about our Board Book box (for ages 0-3) and our Picture Book boxes (for ages 3-6). We were super impressed by the presentation of the boxes – each…
We spent our Saturday having brunch out and then headed to the Grim’s Orchards and Family Farm in Breinigsville. Every year we find a fun place to take the kids for pumpkins and Fall events. We grew our own pumpkins this year so we swapped out pumpkin picking for apple picking! Plus, we wanted to…
Thanks to our friends at Tyndale, we had the opportunity to receive the The Character Builder’s Bible written by Agnes de Bezenac and Salem de Bezenac to read and review. We’ve had it for over a month and it’s easily one of our favorite bible books right now. We’ve read a lot of books that are based around…
I had been looking for the right bible for me for a while and one of the versions I learned more about was the CSB. Thanks to my friends at BH/LifeWay I had the opportunity to try out three different bibles they offer. I have now experienced the CSB Reader’s Bible, the CSB Notetaking Bible,…
When we moved across the country, I was worried about being able to find a photographer. We had been using Verte Photography in Colorado for years and being in a new state where we knew no one made me doubt we would find someone here. However, as fate would have it – I found…
It’s been a little while since I shared some of our favorite finds and today that’s exactly what I’m going to do. This post has been a long time coming but ultimately full of things our family has been using and enjoying. With Christmas coming up, it’s just the time to share these goodies with…