Hello December

Really it is December already? How did that happen? Didn't I just post my new years resolutions? It feels like it. I am welcoming December with open arms. The Cedar winter has been kind to us so far and I am crossing my fingers for minimal snow, just enough to keep this dry area hydrated. So far this month seems like it will be a blast. Leighton may or may not be in middle of her worst terrible twos yet, but she is also absolutely in love with Christmas. Seriously the girls sings Jingle Bells and Christmas Monkey all day long. Its kind of adorable. Also i have basically finished all of my Christmas shopping already. What?! For reals black friday and cyber monday were good to me, not my wallet. 

I can't wait to get crafty and have lots of fun with the girls. Here are a few of my favorite ideas from pinterest. 

Who wants to make me a chalk board? Isn't this beautiful?

Leighton is going to love these!

A Thankful Heart and Blessed Life

 I enjoy being reminded of how blessed i am and i feel happier when i recognize each blessing individually. This year has had so many ups and downs and i wish i could say i handled all of them with grace but i didn't. I have learned a lot though, about myself and my family. I have been tested and i think i passed. Surviving hard times only makes my heart fill with more gratitude for my beautiful life. 

I am so thankful for my little family. For my husband and the man that he is. Kaden sacrifices so much to provide for us and ensure that we are comfortable, he supports my crazy ideas and puts up with my on going mood swings. I can not imagine anyone else by my side and this year has just confirmed that for me. 

I am thankful for my beautiful daughters. Leighton and Emersyn truly are the light of my life. I wanted to be a mother ever since i could remember. I never knew how hard it could be to become one and then how hard it would be to be one. Motherhood is the most rewarding and most challenging calling i will ever hold. Our girls are an amazing gift from god. They are both filled with joy and show us love everyday. 

I am thankful for our jobs, cars, home, the beautiful city we live in, the family we are surrounded by and the friends we keep in touch with. I have become more dependent on the few people in my life that mean everything and have realized we will can be happy in any circumstance. I am thankful for the almosts and the dids. I am thankful for the businesses i helped create, the trips we took and the experiences we have gone through. 

I am so very thankful for the gospel. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true. I know my Heavenly Father knows who i am, what i am going through and what i need. He watches over my family and has blessed us immensely. All I have I owe to him. 

I am thankful for everything in my life. Honestly, good or bad i have learned so much from each experience and i am grateful for that. This life is amazing and so beautiful. I couldn't ask for it to be any other way. 

Midweek Motivator for a Mom

I haven't posted for about two weeks now. I have a lot to catch up on, but i felt like i was drowning a little. I needed a break, not from my blog but to just refocus life. I started over my schedule, or budget and even how i am sleeping. The past week has kind of been a dream. This routine is going to work out nicely for us. I have had dinner on the table every single day for over a week now. I haven't worked out like i should but i have spent more time with just the girls. These two quotes have made me feel good with focusing on me. I tend to try and do too much and hopefully i will be to a point that too much is good again but right now it just isn't. Right now simple is perfect and there is a reason we are meant to live simple lives. 

Being a mom taking care of your self means taking care of your family. If you are not healthy, or happy how do you expect your family to be? I am  learning this lesson slowly but i am learning it. 

Dainty and Lion

Have you heard of this adorable little shop? Dainty and Lion stole my heart early this summer when i found her instagram feed. So naturally we were sooo excited to work with her. Kelly the shop's owner has been so sweet and i am so impressed by her products. 

Seriously how sweet is this packaging? There is so much time and effort put into making your items feel special. To me that is a sure sign of someone who loves their brand and their customers.

Emersyn is wearing the Black Lace Dress that can be found here.

How perfect is this for the holidays? I can not sew to save my life but i can tell it is pieced together beautifully and is the softest stretchy fabric ever. A little dream dress for little Em.

Leighton is wearing the black raglan top with long sleeves, you can find it here. I loved this top the second i saw it. It is gender neutral and Leighton can wear it so many different ways. Again the fabric is so soft. Honestly Leighton wanted to sleep in it. 

This is definitely a favorite on our shop list. The girls could wear these outfits every day if i let them. It is hard to find well made, comfy clothes that fit and i just love for the girls and that are worth the money. These definitely are. Dainty and Lion clothes are pretty dang close to perfect. Not only that but its a small business. I would much rather support small hardworking businesses than another chain store. 

Seriously check them out, so may cute tops, dresses, leggings and bows. For boys and girls.

Dainty and Lion Need more incentive? For my awesome follower Dainty and Lion is offering a great discount on their Limited Edition items (including what the girls are wearing) use the offer code below for 20% off.

OFFER CODE- LEAVITT20

Now go shop away!

*Dress and top supplied by Dainty and Lion.

My 1 Year Old

This baby girl is 1 and i am so excited to be celebrating her all week. 

Still am in denial but she is really 1. 

Emersyn is always smiling, and loves to cuddle.

She chases the kittens and squeezes them whenever she catches them.

Emersyn loves stuffed animals and blankets. 

Her favorite food is pomegranates and apparently cannolis. 

She wears big adorable bows and freshly picked moccs.

Because we are obsessed with Freshly Picked we teamed up with them to giveaway a free pair. 

You can enter on my instagram account @_lauraleavitt.

Dear Emersyn

Today you are 1 year old. You woke up bright and early and wanted to cuddle. You laid in bed with me and your dad for awhile and then popped your eyes open, smiled the biggest smile, rolled over and went and attacked your dad. You love when dad is home. You run straight to him when he first walks in the door and you climb all over him until you go to sleep. You are a sweet little mammas girl too though. You prefer me to hold you, cuddle with you and put you to sleep. I love our moments together. During the day I always find you right behind me, usually with your fingers in your mouth. You have the biggest blue eyes that you are always watching us and look so loving. You adore Leighton. I hope you always feel this way about her. No matter how much she picks on you. Emersyn you would be the happiest baby in the world if Leighton would play with you all day. You giggle every time she talks to you and laugh so hard when she dances or plays with the kitchen with you. 

Emersyn your spirit is so sweet and pure. In our eyes you are still perfect and straight from heaven. You have brought so much love and joy into our lives and into our home. Our family would not be complete with out you in it. This year has gone by so fast and we keep hoping for time to slow down. We want to remember every little minute with you. We love you so much our little 1 year old.

Picking Pomegranates

Last week the girls and I took a quick trip to the valley. While we were down there we were able to make a much needed stop by great grandma and grandpa Leavitt's. Their home is like magic to Leighton. She hasn't spent enough time there but as soon as we pulled off the highway and crossed the railroad tracks she knew exactly where we were and was giddy to see her great grandparents. 

If anything reminds me of fall in the valley or even with Kaden, it is pomegranates. Our first year married Kaden helped my grandma sell fudge at the pomegranate festival Grandma K's fudge sold awesome that year and Kaden was given the nickname Grandson K. Another year i took pictures of pomegranates and guess what people actually bought them, that same year Kaden sold pomegranate saplings and made enough for our poor college student budget to have some spending money. 

Two years ago Leighton and I went to the family reunion with out Kaden and while we were there Ron  and Joyce offered to let us take pomegranates to sell in Cedar. Seriously this turned out to be such a huge blessing to us. We were still paying off Leighton's birth, I wasn't working, we were both in school and Kaden really didn't make much. Selling those pomegranates paid some bills and paid for Christmas. I don't know if they will ever know how grateful we were and still are for that.

It was the sweetest thing to be able to experience pomegranate picking with the girls now. I hope to continue this tradition with them and hope to visit the great grandparents way more often than we do. Spending time with family is so important to us and is so good for the girls. If anything i want them to be brought up knowing how loved they are by all of the important people in their lives and great grandma and grandpa really do love them so. 

Monster Bash

Halloween is almost here! Like really it is only 3 days away. We have been so busy around here i haven't even had a second to realize that until today. Last year i was 9 months pregnant and doing everything in my power to get miss Emersyn to grace us with her presence so that also means my baby girl is about to turn 1. I am not sure i'm ready for that. Shee is so little and squishy and every time i look at her i want to explode because i love her so much and i feel like the second she turns 1 its a long road to toddlerhood. So this week i'm going to just think about halloween.

We threw the funnest little Monster Bash a couple weeks ago and I am so excited to finally post about it. Seriously how cute are babies in costumes? I could die! Babies in costumes hitting pinatas? Even better!

Do you follow Elizabeth Faye? You should. She is a babe, does hair, has style and has been posting the cutest halloween series. All these cute print outs came from her. Go grab some! They are free. 

This year i thought i knew exactly what my girls were going to be. Princess Anna and Olaf. Leighton is obsessed with frozen (who isn't?) and i found the cutest olaf costume. But then i realized how over done that was going to be and wanted something different. So cats it is. I totally made these outfits. Even their tales! Usually I'm not a big crafter but when it comes to costumes i hope i can keep up with making them every year. 

Finally the piñata! You are all thinking the same thing right? Cutest ever! These little ones didn't even need help busting it open. The party was a smashing success! Lots of yummy food. Fun treats. Games. Pumpkins galore. (we also did a pumpkin craft but i have 0 pictures of it) It was the best moms and babes party we've had so far. Maybe we will make this a yearly tradition.

Quick Trip to Disneyland

Leighton is the biggest princess lover out of any two year old I've ever met. Basically she is a princess herself so naturally Disneyland is truly the happiest place on earth for her. She has been 5 times now and each time has been a funner experience than the last. 

Kaden and I have been looking forward to a good family get away for a long time now and I had our california/ disney trip planned to the T. 

After a really horrible turn of events at CML (where Kaden works) our trip was cut in half and rushed and honestly i left the park crying and dreading an 8 hour drive to Cedar through the night. Sometimes being an adult and not doing just what you want to do just plain stinks. 

But we are blessed. We were able to spend the weekend together with out stressing over money and Kaden was able to come home to a job bright and early Tuesday morning. 

So much about this trip wasn't as magical as we wanted. But we loved it all the same. Leighton met Tinkerbell, she went to Mickeys halloween party with her cousins. Kaden spoiled the girls with lots of treats. Emersyn soaked everything up and napped a lot. 

I love this little family of mine and I could not be more grateful for them. Really i could not imagine a life without these 3 by my side.