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tosomeonesomewhere-blog · 9 years ago

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5 Lifesaving Products & Tips To Encourage Infant Sleep

Well, friends, we are just trudging right along with life with two. It’s amazing how much your heart just expands to love each child so fully! Such a gift.

I love being a mama so much, but there is no denying it is a lot of work. It is rewarding work, but work it is. Transitioning to life with two has had it’s ups & downs. Some really, truly, amazing days and some hard days where I just want to cry. But overall, I’m so grateful for these two angels and the chance to be their mama!

We’ve been fortunate in that both of our girls are pretty good sleepers. But, with that said, I do believe there are things we can do as parents to help “encourage” great sleep habits in babies! Sleep is so important. Sleep deprivation just brings out a side of us no one wants to see - a tired mama bear is just no fun! Now, I’m no sleep or parenting expert, but these lifesaving products have helped us SO much along the way and have been so helpful during these first few months with baby #2. AND I’m also going to humbly share a few tips that worked for us!

1. Rock N Play Bassinet

Ok, pregnant friends & new mamas. You need this bassinet. It is seriously the best. Here’s why: it’s designed for babies with reflux. Now, most newborn babies have at least minor symptoms of reflux that can cause them digestive discomfort. Sleeping on an incline helps this significantly...even most hospitals put babies on an incline in the nursery. There are also crib & bassinet wedges, but the Rock n Play sleeper is superior because its shape kind of “hugs” them and keeps them nice & cozy all night long. In those first few weeks I keep it right next to my bed, so it’s easy to grab the baby for late night nursing sessions or simply rock it a few times if they startle awake. I’ve recommended this to friend’s whose babies were having trouble sleeping and it always helps significantly! Yes, they will grow out of it and have to transition to a crib, but it is a lifesaver those first few months! Worth every penny!

2. Velcro Swaddles

Velcro swaddles are the bomb. I have tons of cute muslin swaddles, but I always use the velcro swaddle for sleep because it keeps them snug. We use Summer Infant Swaddles and love them (you can usually find them for pretty cheap at baby consignment shops). These swaddles are harder for babies to “break out of” and much simpler than trying to get the perfect swaddle with a blanket every time. Swaddling is key to infant sleep, so they do not startle themselves awake... Especially those first few months. Infants do not have limb control and will jerk in their sleep, which will often wake them up if they aren’t swaddled. Swaddling also comforts & soothes the baby. It is normal for babies to cry when you first swaddle them - this doesn’t necessarily mean they “don’t like” being swaddled. Push through this and swaddle them nice & tight and enjoy longer stretches of sleep! Side note: On cold nights I also wrap a warm blanket around the swaddle (since they aren’t too thick)... Babies will sometimes stir awake if they’re cold so keeping them warm will also help them sleep better.

3. Sound Machine

Sound machines are a staple in our household. They are a big part of our sleep routine for both of our girls. It’s even more important now with two, so that when Eveleigh is playing with her toys or is a little loud, it doesn’t disturb Cora while she naps. We also always keep our windows open for air flow, but it can often bring in street noise so we rely on the sound machine to drown it out!

4. Pacifiers

Now, this one may not be for everyone, but we are fine with using pacifiers and we use them as a part of our sleep routine (though I recommend not using them until you’ve established a good latch & nursing relationship). Sometimes it can take a while to find a pacifier that your child likes. Both of mine didn’t take to the long skinny Avent pacifiers, but love the MAM brand. We try to only use them for naps & nighttime, as a part of the routine to signal “time to sleep.”

5. Gripe Water

When we just had Eveleigh, my brother & sister-in-law came to visit. While they were here they told us about the magic of gripe water, and bought us a bottle of Mommy’s Bliss All Natural Gripe Water. I was a first time mom and had never even heard of it... But Eveleigh sometimes had bad gas pains and this stuff helped so much. And now with baby #2 it’s been even more of a lifesaver! I had to go on antibiotics when Cora was 3 weeks old, and one of the side effects when you’re nursing is that it can increase digestive discomfort and colic in infants. So for a few weeks she was up a lot at night super uncomfortable and in pain, and this gripe water made a HUGE difference. Another notable mention that our Pediatrician recommended is Bio Gaia Probiotic Drops. Great supplement for infants, especially if you have to take antibiotics while nursing or your little one has indigestion & gas!

Our routine & a few quick tips!

I’m going to share a little bit of our sleep routine that we’ve followed with both girls and that has worked for us. We implement a few strategies from Babywise, Happiest Baby On The Block, Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child, and Bringing Up Bebe. We take little tidbits & tips from these books and combine them with our own natural instincts. We’re not professionals or doctors, and we definitely don't have it all figured out, but this is what we do that works for our girls. Think of this advice as more “friend to friend” and “mom to mom” than anything! And I’m only sharing because in the beginning I was constantly getting advice and needing help, so I just wanted to gather & share all that information here for any moms who might need or want it!

We try to follow the “Eat, Wake, Sleep” routine from Babywise, and that has been key for us. This is where baby nurses (or has a bottle) then has wake/play time, and then is put down for naps. Rather than wake, eat, sleep. Wake time will vary based on the child’s age. This was our biggest take away from the book, and it works really well. Baby is not dependent on being “nursed to sleep” and is able to fall asleep on their own. But we’re not crazy strict schedule followers and some of their recommendations are a little too rigid for our lifestyle. It’s all about balance and finding what works for your family.

We keep our sleep routine the same for naps & nighttime. It goes as follows.... turn on sound machine & swaddle, give baby pacifier, read a story, then gentle rocking & singing until baby’s eyes start to flutter. This is a beautiful time of bonding for mom (or dad) and baby, but baby isn’t being fully rocked to sleep. Baby is then put down still awake in the Rock n Play (or crib) and falls asleep on their own. This teaches baby how to fall asleep and establishes good sleep habits, so you won’t have to “break” any habits later (most Pediatricians don’t want you rocking to sleep past four months anyways). Obviously, in those first few weeks baby is just sleeping ALL the time... so very little wake time (if any), but the routine is mostly the same. Doing this same exact routine time after time allows baby to know what to expect and they just kind of get the hang of it. So whether you’re at home or at a friend’s house, they go down easily (typically) because they know the drill.

What if baby starts to cry? If baby cries after you put them down, go in and give them the paci, shush & pat to soothe (avoiding picking them up), and then walk back out. Sometimes you have to do this over and over again. When Eveleigh was a baby, she was always a great nighttime sleeper but struggled to take naps unless she was held or in the stroller/carseat while we were out. It took a while, and sometimes we would go in like 5 times, but eventually she got it and would go right to sleep. (Note: this is not “crying it out” and you don’t want them to get so upset that they are screaming bloody murder. At that point pick them up, rock & hold them, and try to get them to calm down as best as possible). Establishing a nap routine is hard, but persevere! It’s worth it! Even supermoms need a break every now and again, and you will be so happy to get your child napping & sleeping well. Baby will be happier because they are getting plenty of rest, and parents will have a healthy balance to their lives.

This is super important: DO NOT wait until baby is overly tired & too stimulated to put down. This often backfires. You’d think “baby is so tired, they’ll go right to sleep and stay asleep for hours!” but oh no. It’s the opposite. Try to put them down at very first signs of tiredness. Sometimes when they are overtired they will wake up 20-40 minutes into their nap. This is where we implement “The Pause” (from Bringing Up Bebe). Basically, you just, well... pause. Just wait & pause instead of rushing in right away (which can sometimes be overstimulating for the baby). Wait a minute or so and see if they go back to sleep. Sometimes they are just working out a gas bubble or adjusting positions, and will go right back to sleep. This “pause” seems like common sense but you’d be surprised how little people actually practice it!

Another note on sleep: A lot of moms I talk to think that if they put their child to bed later, the child will sleep in later. This is often not true. Sleep begets sleep. Putting them down early is key, and it gives you some time with hubby in the evening. We aim for 7:30 p.m. (but sometimes even earlier when they are dropping a nap or when there is a time change).

We don’t do “wake time” for the last feeding of the day, or any night time feeds. So I typically feed Cora around 7:15 p.m., then go right into her bed time routine. In the first several weeks we do what we call a “dream feed” before we go to bed (usually around 10 or 11 p.m.), where I just quickly pick up & nurse the baby while she’s still sleeping and put her right back to sleep. This allows for a longer stretch of sleep for mama. And then just decide when it’s right for you to drop that feed. You can then choose to pump instead before bed to build up a nice freezer stash, or just let that feeding go altogether. Another quick tip: we’ve found that giving a bottle of pumped breastmilk for the last feeding helps them to sleep a longer stretch. I think this is because most babies consume more milk from a bottle -it’s less work and comes out faster- and so they’re nice & full for longer.

A quick note about mornings: establish a start to your day that works for you. Any feedings before this time are night feeds. For example, Cora usually wakes for an early feed around 5 or 6 a.m. I am not a morning person and certainly don’t want to start my day at that time. So I nurse her and put her right back to sleep, and she sleeps through until about 8 a.m. or so. That is when we start the day. This worked well with Eveleigh too, and now she’s two and is used to sleeping in later, so she usually sleeps until 8/8:30 a.m. I’m so grateful. I have lots of friends whose toddler’s are up at the buttcrack of dawn and I don’t think I’d do too well with that schedule!

So, there you have it! Please take all of this with a grain of salt and find what works for you & your family! I wanted to provide insight into our routine incase there are mamas or mama’s-to-be who are looking for some help and/or advice!

With love,

Monika

#lifeandadventures #momlife #parenting

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tosomeonesomewhere-blog · 9 years ago

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Roasted Rack of Lamb

I’m not quite sure why, but I’ve always been a little intimidated by lamb. I’ve just never made it before and wasn’t quite sure the best way to go about it. And I hadn’t come across too many recipes for it either. But we’re currently on our third round of Whole 30, and I wanted to try something new to keep things interesting (the key to a successful Whole 30, in my opinion!). It was actually a lot easier to make than I thought, and Ryan and I both loved it! I served it over roasted veggies, and with a side of roasted green beans topped with caramelized onions. Oh, and can I just say that I love when meals “plate” well, because it allows me to pretend that I am a chef. And it makes meals look more complicated than they are, which is especially great when you have company! ;)

Roasted Rack of Lamb:

1 Rack of Lamb

2 tablespoons ghee or butter

1/4 cup fresh rosemary

1/4 cup olive oil

4-5 cloves minced garlic

Garlic Powder

Sea Salt & Pepper

1) Preheat oven to 400 2) Set out rack of lamb, and sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, & garlic powder and let rest 20-30 minutes 3) In food processor or blender combine rosemary, olive oil, minced garlic, and salt & pepper and set aside 4) Heat ghee or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 5) Once butter is melted & hot, add your rack of lamb (fat side down) and sear 3-5 minutes. Flip and sear other side 1-2 minutes. 6) Spread your rosemary/olive oil mixture over the lamb and transfer it to the oven (I use a cast iron so I can transfer it easily, or you can just move it to a roasting pan) for approximately 18-20 minutes (for medium) or until it reaches desired doneness. 7) Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving. Voila! Delicious.

Serve with roasted potatoes or veggies for a complete & healthy meal!

#cooking #whole30 #eatclean #recipes

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tosomeonesomewhere-blog · 9 years ago

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Our Journey To Debt Freedom

As of last week, Ryan and I completed our THREE YEAR journey towards debt freedom! We are now proud to say we are completely debt free! No car payments. No credit card debt. No student loans. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

It all started in the fall of 2012, when we took Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University” class. We were already familiar with his principles, as Ryan’s family are all big Dave Ramsey fans, but it wasn’t until we took the class that it finally clicked.

We started with about $33,000 in debt. About $23,000 of that was between our two cars, and the remaining were various debts, a small credit card debt and two small personal loans. Between our car payments and payments on these other debts, we calculated that we were spending close to $750 a month. I couldn’t believe it. No wonder we were struggling, we were paying out so much money to the bank each month! I imagined what life would look like without any payments and it motivated me to get intense with paying it down.

It felt like a big mountain to climb. We were young, living in Los Angeles (which is not exactly the cheapest place to live), and felt like we were already scraping by. We weren’t sure how we could scrape together the extra money each month to pay down our debts. But the class laid out a plan for us to follow and we did our best to focus on following it. We built up our beginner $1,000 emergency fund, then started on baby step #2 by attacking our smallest debt first. This debt was relatively small so we were able to knock it out quickly, giving us our first “win.” It felt so good to payoff that first debt, giving us the hope we needed that this could actually be possible. So we moved on to the next one, each time focusing on that debt and paying as much as we could until it was gone. I really think this method is so much more effective then going with the largest interest rate first. We needed those “wins” to keep us going, to propel us forward.

The first year we were able to payoff $10,000 and get down to just our two car payments, which felt really good. And then things started to go a little slower. At this point we were moving down to Orange County to be closer to our Church (also Ryan’s work) and our community down here. So we needed to save to cash flow the move (and save for security deposits, first month’s rent, etc). It was also during this time that my dad got really sick and his liver was failing. We knew he wasn’t going to make it. So we used our emergency fund to fly to Florida at the last minute so we could be with him right before he passed away.

After settling into our new place in Orange County, our budget adjusted because our rent was higher. Then, shortly after that we got pregnant with Eveleigh, and needed to cash flow all of our doctors appointments, lab fees, and her birth. Our health insurance at the time wasn’t great, so we had to spend quite a bit of money during my pregnancy. Luckily, we knew this would be the case and had saved extra for it, leaving us able to cash flow it and not have any medical debt.

We continued to trust God and His provision, and He continued to blow us away. He provided us with great odd jobs, and extra miscellaneous income here & there to help us stay afloat and still work our plan. We did use some of this income to cash flow a few things, like me getting new cameras & lenses for my photography business, and a couple vacations here & there (shhh don’t tell Dave! My wanderlust gets the best of me) and trips back to Florida to visit family. Then we entered into a time of financial strain for our family, as we had a new baby and had just taken in my 15 year old twin brothers. We had to move to a bigger place, which meant our rent increased significantly while our income did not. Our grocery budget during this time was also through the roof. That was a challenging year - but God always provided and we were able to make ends meet. Any unplanned income went straight towards savings & debt, since it wasn’t accounted for in our usual budget anyways. We weren’t always paying down our debt, but our goal during this time was to just not have to take on any additional debt.

We were able to get down to just one last remaining debt. My little Nissan Versa that we had financed right before beginning all of this. With baby #2 on the way, we pushed “pause” on the debt snowball and began saving towards the birth, just as Dave recommends. My brothers went back to live with their mom, and we moved to a new place down by the beach (such a blessing, more on that later). In 2015 God showed me more than any other year that He is faithful, trustworthy, and that “He’s Got Us.” During the Fall we were able to build back up our savings, thanks to extra income and a nice tax refund. We wanted to pay off our car to be debt free, but were waiting because of the pregnancy.

Then, about three weeks ago, we put our second car seat in my car and realized there was literally no space. At all. A few trips to Costco and the grocery store revealed that we would need a bigger car. We didn't want to go into debt for a car, but weren’t sure how we could get a bigger car without it. We still owed money on our Nissan after all, and up until this point we were upside down on it. But we started looking to see what was out there… We went to Carmax to get our Nissan appraised and look at used car options. I found a car that I loved, and, I’m embarrassed to say, we were dangerously close to financing it. But when we did the math and worked out the numbers, we knew we couldn’t be so stupid. We couldn’t blame ignorance this time. We knew the right thing to do, and just had to be adult enough to do it. So we passed on the car. But fortunately, Carmax will buy your car whether or not you buy a car from them. The appraisal would pay off our loan with a whopping $370 in equity paid to us. We decided to sell the car and take the cash we had saved and buy a used car so we could be completely debt free! We knew this would mean an older car with higher miles, but we knew it was the right step. We found a used 2006 SUV with only 48,000 miles, and it’s way nicer than what I thought we could find with our budget! God is so good! And now - we are debt free! I’m so excited to do our budget next month with NO CAR PAYMENT!

The best part of this whole journey is that it taught me to be at peace with our finances. Even through the hard times, I chose to put my faith in Him and trust His provision. I used to be so stressed out with money, literally every dollar spent weighed on me. But now, even if there is an unplanned expense or emergency I know that we’ll be ok and we will be provided for. There’s so much beauty in the peace.

So that’s our journey. And I want to leave you with these tips that helped us along the way. We’re certainly not perfect and we’re not financial gurus, and some months we were better than others, but here’s what helped us along the way.

1. Live Generously It kind of seems counterproductive to both live on a budget to payoff debt and yet live generously. But here’s the thing - when you live with an open hand, when you live with a spirit of abundance instead of a spirit of scarcity, you’re more able to receive the provision God has for you. For most of my life I lived with a spirit of scarcity. After my parents divorced they both struggled financially, and money was always an issue for us. When I was older this lead to me clinging on to everything I had, grasping at it - afraid to let it go. In the first few years of our marriage “giving” was always a struggle for me, but my heart slowly softened, and it seemed that the more openhandedly we lived, the more we were provided for. We practice generosity by giving to our church home, as well as other charities & ministries that we feel called to give. If you’re not a believer or don’t have a church home, practice generosity in other ways. It can be a favorite charity, or maybe even tipping generously, or helping someone in need. But giving is important for your heart and will really bless you.

2. Make a Written Budget A written budget is key. Dave Ramsey recommends a written monthly budget… I’ve found that writing out our budget and bills each time we get paid helps us even more. Our set income comes on the 1st & 15th of the month. So I sit down with a pen and paper on the 1st & 15th and write out what bills are due, our grocery and gas allotment/etc, and how much “rollover” I may need to keep in the account to save towards rent (our biggest expense). Write it all down! As Dave says “on paper, on purpose.”

Ryan and I then do a brief “budget committee meeting” and discuss & agree on the budget and then move forward with our plan. Open communication is key here. If you are married, you and your spouse need to be on the same page & work together! It is typical for one of you to be more of a saver & the other one the spender. Openly communicate your needs, your goals, and your plan. Make compromises where needed and do your best to give grace to one another.

During this time of writing the budget, take into consideration what you have going on that month. For example, if you’ll have family & friends in town you will probably spend more, so adjust accordingly. If you plan to have people over for dinner, you may need to adjust your grocery budget. If you have a birthday, a wedding, or shower to attend and need to buy a gift - again, adjust your budget and plan ahead.

When most people think of a budget they get frightened because they think it’ll be too limiting. I actually have found so much freedom in the budget. It’s really just “telling” your money where to go. If I budgeted for clothes that month, I can now go shopping without feeling guilty. When I go to the grocery store, I don’t have to stress about it because it’s planned for. Another side note, there are plenty of apps & fancy programs to make a budget. Dave Ramsey actually just came out with a new one called “Every Dollar” which is great! I’ve used these in the past, but since I like to make a budget every two weeks instead of every month, I’ve decided to just use the good old-fashioned pen & paper method. It works for us. Find what works for you!

3. Use a Cash/Envelope System After I make the budget, I take out cash from the ATM for certain areas and I stick them in a labeled envelope. So, every two weeks I go to the ATM and take out cash for groceries, spending money, clothing/etc for that two weeks. I literally carry around my wallet with my Dave Ramsey envelopes and I use the cash. It’s easier to stick to your budget when you have the cash in hand and can visually see how much or how little is left. The hardest area for me, that I most easily overspend in, is grocery shopping. Using cash helps me stick to the budget (though I’m certainly not perfect). I also really recommend taking out cash for your “spending money.” This is our budget for eating out/movies/entertainment/date nights/miscellaneous. Eating out is an expensive and slippery slope, so we give ourselves a budget for it and (mostly) use cash. When you are paying off debt this budget should be kept as minimal as possible. Clothing is another area I take cash out for. We don’t always have room in the budget for a clothing allowance, but when we do we try to stick it in there. I love to shop and buy new clothes just as much as the rest of them, but if you want to get out of debt faster I’d recommend sticking to necessities and trying to keep this area in check.

4. Find odd jobs/miscellaneous income This was honestly the key to us getting out of debt. Our normal set income gets eaten up so quickly just paying bills and covering our expenses. After everything is paid and groceries are bought, it leaves little money to put towards debt. So, we both take on odd jobs and look for other ways to earn income. Since that income isn’t necessarily planned for in our usual budget, we put all of it towards our savings/debt snowball. We learned how to live on one income early on in our marriage, so whenever I work (whether it was with acting gigs in LA, or my photography, or Cahootsie) we use the majority of that income to pay down debt as well. Ryan has also found great opportunities to earn side income… through his music, contract work, officiating weddings, teaching guitar & vocal lessons/etc. There are so many opportunities out there! You just have to find them! The key is to find something you already love & are passionate about, so it doesn’t even feel like work to you! Still not sure how to earn extra income? Maybe it’s as simple as babysitting on the side or hubby delivering pizza on the weekends!

5. Pray “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6. Throughout this journey I have prayed for God’s provision and asked him to generously provide for us so that we would be able to pay off debt and save. He has more than answered this prayer, and every opportunity & extra dollar that came our way was His provision for us. And of course He provides! He’s a good, good Father. And when we are good stewards of what He gives us, and follow His biblical teaching regarding finances, it is His delight to answer this prayer.

I hope this encourages you as you start your journey, and if you have any questions I am happy to help in any way!

In love,

Monika

#lifeandadventures #finances #budget #daveramsey

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tosomeonesomewhere-blog · 9 years ago

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Philly & NYC Trip

In December we were blessed to get to travel to Philadelphia & New York City. My sister was getting married in Philly, and then we decided to take the train to NYC for a few nights before heading home... to get to live out my dream of NYC at Christmastime! It was such a great little vacation, and I’m so grateful we were able to do it before welcoming this new little girl to our family!

The photos above are all from Philly (mostly Washington Square Park & hanging out by independence hall). The photos below are from our time in NYC. Lots of fun adventures.... I’ll share a little of what we did below in case you find yourself planning your own trip to the city!

Our first night we got settled into our hotel in the Theater District, then we walked to Rockefeller Center & Times Square to see the tree & the lights. It was beautiful, but so crowded! The next day we took the subway over to Chelsea Market, which I loved. We shopped & met a friend for coffee at Amy’s Bread. Then we walked towards the West Village (which was my favorite neighborhood to explore. Loved it.), stopped at a little park, and window shopped along Bleecker Street. Then we walked (so.much.walking.) over to Washington Square Park to see the beautiful arch, and let Evie run around and play with the birds & squirrels (her fave). We headed over towards the Flat Iron Building to check it out, and got some coffees from Toby’s Estate. We wanted to stop into Eataly, but ran out of time. Next time I definitely want to go though, as lots of friends recommended it. Then we headed back to our hotel to get ready to see Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular. I didn’t think we’d be able to see a show with Eveleigh being so young, but then I found out it was kid-friendly and we decided to go for it! So glad we did! It was a highlight of the trip, and Evie absolutely loved it too!

The following day we had brunch at The Smith (which was delicious) and spent the day exploring central park & The Upper West Side. We loved walking around Central Park, and Evie loved playing at one of the playgrounds. We also watched the horse & buggies go by, and stopped by Strawberry Fields. Then we walked over to Levain Bakery to try their famous cookies. Oh my word - best cookie I’ve EVER had. So so good. Then we just explored a little and window shopped before heading into Cafe Lalo for some cappuccinos. This is the cafe from “You’ve Got Mail” - one of my favorite movies. So, naturally, we had to go. It was actually really cute & charming, albeit they played really bad 90s music the whole time.

Then we took an Uber back to our hotel so that my poor pregnant self didn’t have to walk anymore. Big fan of Uber, as you can request car seats! We rested for a bit and later headed back towards Central Park to take a carriage ride (touristy & cheesy and probably a big waste of money...BUT I wanted to... just one of those things I wanted to do at least once in my life ;)) After that we went to The Plaza Hotel to see the tree & lights, and looked at the window displays along 5th avenue. We grabbed dinner to go from Pazza Notte and headed back towards the hotel to pack & rest up for our early morning flight. Overall, it was a great trip and definitely solidified my love of New York City!

#lifeandadventures #travel #exploremore

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tosomeonesomewhere-blog · 10 years ago

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It was love at first sight. Truly. We went on a little weekend getaway back in March for our 5 year wedding anniversary. We both fell in love with the city. It’s truly breathtaking. We actually lucked out in that the weather was just perfect for our entire trip. Clear & sunny, and not too chilly. Because of how clear it was, Mount Rainier was completely visible and was the most stunning backdrop to the city.

We did some typical tourist-y things, and really just ate our way through the city. The food is so good. We of course hit up Pike Place Market, and enjoyed coffee from the first Starbucks and some yummy pastries from Piroshky Piroshky. On our anniversary day we had lunch at the Sky City restaurant in the Space Needle. The food wasn’t great, but the 360 degree views from the restaurant made it worth it and the overall experience was really fun.

We also really loved Storyville coffee, which has several locations around Seattle. Great spot to dip into and actually enjoy your coffee in a nice house mug. Another place we (still) can’t stop raving about is Von’s Gustopub - the food was seriously some of the most flavorful food I’ve ever had (not to mention their yummy & affordable drinks). We kind of just stumbled upon the place on our first night in town, because it was within walking distance from our hotel... but so glad we ate there! If you go make sure to order the sourdough mac & cheese and the zesty meatball appetizers. We could’ve eaten there every night of our trip, the food was so good. On our last night in town we ate at The Pink Door, an Italian restaurant that has trapeze artist’s for entertainment. It was a romantic little spot, and having dinner with a trapeze artist flying around next to you is definitely an unforgettable experience.

In the evening of our anniversary we went and watched the sunset from Kerry Park. A little park with the most beautiful views of the space needle & the whole city. Then we walked around the surrounding neighborhoods, which were very charming. We exchanged the love letters we had written each other years prior, to be opened on our fifth anniversary. It was a really beautiful evening.

On our last day in town we took our convertible rental car (Ryan insisted we get a convertible since the weather was so nice!) and drove out to Snoqualmie Falls for a little hike. It was really beautiful, albeit crowded. Then we headed back towards the city, got some coffee, and drove out to Discovery Park, which was a beautiful beach to walk along and take pictures. Definitely worth a visit.

A few other things we did & loved were walking around the Seattle Sculpture Park, a little visit to the very charming Queen Anne, and walking & shopping in Pioneer Square.

If the weather in Seattle was as nice year round as it was when we were there, it would really be my dream city to live in. It was such a blessing to get away together (though so hard leaving my Evie Girl) and to get to travel & explore a new city!

#lifeandadventures #seattle #exploremore #weekendgetaway

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tosomeonesomewhere-blog · 10 years ago

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Baby Girl #2!

Our sweet little Eveleigh is going to be a big sister! We are so excited to welcome baby GIRL #2 in early February. My due date is actually February 5th, the day before Eveleigh’s 2nd birthday. So they will be exactly two years apart and will probably resent it because that means shared birthday parties forever! ;) We’re so excited to have another little girl though. They are going to be so adorable together, I don’t how I’m even going to handle it! I know Eveleigh is going to be such a great big sister!

I’m 19 weeks along and am just finally starting to feel better. Growing a human is really really exhausting. Especially when chasing around an active toddler! In the heat of summer! Ahhh! It is beautiful and such a blessing, but honestly I’m looking forward to meeting this baby & not being pregnant anymore! Already almost halfway there... <3

#lifeandadventures #pregnancy #parenting

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tosomeonesomewhere-blog · 10 years ago

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Eveleigh's First Birthday!

My sweet little Eveleigh is ONE YEARS OLD today! Oh my word! I can't even believe it. I can't believe it's been a year, and yet I also can't imagine a time without her in our lives. She has brought more joy to us than I ever could've dreamed of.

She is my little ray of sunshine. When we were pregnant we prayed over her that she would be a light in this world. And God has answered our prayers because she is so full of light & contagious joy, spreading it to everyone she encounters. When we go out to the park or even just the grocery store, she waves & smiles & giggles at everyone she meets. She is always making new friends, and sometimes forces this introverted mama out of her shell.

She is walking, curious about everything, and babbling all day long. I try not to be offended that her favorite word right now is "Da Da." She is full of little pony tricks: waving, blowing kisses, clapping, high fiving, signing more, giving hugs & kisses, and even "pound it." Whenever she does one of these she is so proud of herself that she immediately claps afterwords. It is too cute.

She loves to eat. Especially whatever you're eating. She will definitely want some. Bananas are her favorite, and if she even spots someone eating one she will surely want one.

Her favorite thing is going on the swings at the park. She laughs and laughs the whole time. Like literally. She loves to be outside, and to be out & about around people. She is truly an extroverted little one!

I am going to miss her in her baby stages, but looking forward to this next year with her as a Toddler and all the fun that lies ahead! I am one truly blessed mama! I thank God for her every single day!

#lifeandadventures

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tosomeonesomewhere-blog · 10 years ago

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The Lie of Perfectionism.

Our perfectionist ways keep us distracted. Keep us from doing and being all that God has called us to. They hold us in bondage and keep us from experiencing the freedom & acceptance that God offers.

I’m not quite sure where it began in me. Having older siblings, I would often watch them, observing them. I would see them make mistakes, getting in trouble & getting grounded. I would learn from them and know what not to do. I have a sensitive heart and a need to please people. I remember one time, I was maybe five years old, my dad was cooking baked beans on the stove. The handle was pointed out, and I bumped it when walking past. I accidentally knocked the beans off the stove, and they spilled all over the floor. I immediately began to cry. I made a mistake. I failed. I couldn’t bear to upset him. To have him be angry with me.

I went about much of my life that way. Wanting to please people. Wanting to achieve. Pushing myself to be better. Always expecting more. “Good better best, never let is rest, until the good is better and the better is the best.”

Yikes.

What an unfulfilling way to live. You become a slave. While personal development and growth isn’t a bad thing, it can get twisted into something that only hurts us.

This perfectionism mindset ultimately stems from fear. Fear that we aren’t enough, fear of what people will think, fear of the future, fear that we don’t matter. It can lead to a lot of negative self-talk and anxiety. The enemy has us right where he wants us.

So, everyday, I choose to not fear. To not worry about what people think of me. To not fear failure. I give up pursuing perfection and instead pursue Jesus. I lay it all down at His feet and allow God's perfect love to cast out all fear.

I will no longer live in bondage. I break the agreement that I am not enough as I am, and I accept the beautiful freedom that Christ offers.

“You drown my fears in perfect love, You rescued me and I will stand and say, I AM A CHILD OF GOD.” - No Longer Slaves, by Bethel

#lifeandadventures

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tosomeonesomewhere-blog · 10 years ago

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Trust

2014 was simultaneously one of the best years of my life, while also being one of the hardest. For some reason I decided it was a good idea to have a baby, take in two teenagers, and start two small businesses all at the same time. It seems in my life I am either overwhelmed or underwhelmed, but I can never seem to find that perfect balance of the two.

One night I was laying in bed, unable to fall asleep. It was past midnight and I was getting angrily tired. Frustrated by my brains inability to shut off. Anxiety creeping in. Suddenly I feel a nudging in my spirit to go downstairs and get my bible. Nope. No way. Not doing that. It’s late. I’m exhausted. I need to go to sleep. Just go. No.

I decide to meet in the middle and so I reach for my phone to go to my bible app. Suddenly I know that God wants me to read the verse of the day. And before I even see it I know in my heart exactly which verse it would be.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11

Sure enough. I look and there it is. And I just smile to myself. Because God knew I needed that reminder. And He wants me to trust Him.

And so… though I don’t know what the future holds, I am choosing to trust.

#lifeandadventures

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tosomeonesomewhere-blog · 11 years ago

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A Trip To The Pumpkin Patch

^^Possibly my favorite picture EVER! That face!^^

We took Eveleigh to the pumpkin patch on Saturday, and if you can't tell from the photos, she absolutely loved it! I can't believe it's already Fall & we are heading into the Holiday season! I am so excited for the Holidays this year with Little Eveleigh. It's just so much fun!

Everything is going by so fast so just trying to enjoy these precious moments. Eveleigh has developed so much in just the last 6 weeks alone! She is crawling, waving, high-fiving, giving kisses, and clapping! So many new skills and she loves practicing them. AND she grew an entire inch in just one week, and is looking more grown up every day!

#lifeandadventures

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tosomeonesomewhere-blog · 11 years ago

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A Letter From My Past Self.

To be completely transparent, the last few months have been a little rough for me. We underwent several big changes (moving & taking in my 15 year old twin brothers) in a short period of time and I have been trying to adjust and figure it all out. I've been in a little bit of a fog lately. Not depressed. Not a sadness. Just not fully myself. Not seeing clearly, as if there was a fog surrounding me and I was trying to navigate my way through it (and through the dark abyss that is teenagers).

Last night the fog finally lifted. I had a rough day and I was exhausted. I wasn't feeling great physically or emotionally. My husband, being the amazing man he is, went upstairs after dinner and drew me a bath so I could have some time to myself and relax. He lit candles for me and put on some instrumental worship music. It was wonderful. I sank into the tub and let go. It turned into an amazing time of worship & prayer and reconnecting with God. Giving him over my struggles and having a fresh renewal of spirit. When I woke up this morning I knew I wanted to start my day of right with a time of prayer and journaling. I couldn't find the notebook I have been writing in lately, so I grabbed my neglected journal from my bedside table and headed downstairs. I got myself some coffee and sat down to open my journal. The first page I turned to was an old entry. I almost skimmed right past it to a new blank page, but then had a nudge in my spirit that maybe I was supposed to read that entry.

It was from Friday, May 3rd, 2013. Almost a year and a half ago. And it was a letter to my future self. I had completely forgotten that I'd written it. I wrote it when Ryan and I had first decided to start a family, and I knew that meant an entirely new season of life for us. It was written before I even knew I was pregnant. I began to read this letter my past self had written, and it completely rocked me. I began to weep. These words & this encouragement I so needed, coming from my past self, spoke right to my heart. God knew I needed to read this and he led me to this forgotten entry. I'm so in Awe of him and the amazing ways he works.

This is very intimate and it's taking a lot of courage for me to share, but I wanted to share it with you... just in case someone else needs to hear this.

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

Dear Future Monika,

If and when you become a mama, I hope you are able to be still and enjoy. To savor those moments with your sweet babe and your amazing husband.

Do not compare your journey to other peoples. Don't ever feel guilty or let the opinions of other's make you second guess yourself. Every story, every journey, is different. We're all just people trying to find our way and do the best we can. You are not perfect. And you do not have to be.

It's all ok. You're ok.

Your life is beyond blessed. Stop worrying so much and just live it. Be open to what the future holds and in the meantime enjoy time with your family. Be present with your baby. Don't worry so much about your career or regret your choices. There is a high value & calling to being a mom. Don't live in that "grass is always greener" mentality. You've done that before. It does not do well for your mind or your heart. Remember when you lived in Florida & dreamt of moving to California? You thought moving would be the answer to all of your problems. But there were still struggles and times of sadness.

Just trust God and he will bless your journey.

I'm sure once you have a baby you will be so in love. But also, you may be exhausted, emotional, and feel defeated at times. Please remember: you are and were ready for this. You are enough. You prayed, planned, and prepared. You can do it. It may not always be easy, but you can handle it. You are stronger than you think.

It's ok to admit when you need help, or alone time. Be honest with yourself and with others. It doesn't make you a bad mom. Being rested & fully alive will enrich your parenting and benefit your family.

Instead of focusing on worldly things that do not matter focus on what does. Love God & Love people. Focus on family & building a strong community of loved ones. This is what will bring you true fulfillment.

Don't be consumed by money or the concept that "having more" will bring you infinite happiness. It will not. Focus on the Lord. Love him & pursue Him. He will lead you & guide you. You don't have to know where the path leads because He's got you. He loves you and cares about your life, your dreams, your heart, everything.

Stay positive and uplifted. Don't let exhaustion overcome you. Yes, you may be tired, but you can handle it. And where you are weak, He is strong. His Spirit will give you the strength you need.

Be patient. Be happy. Trust the Lord. He's never let you down and he won't start now.

Love,

Past Monika

#lifeandadventures

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