Feature Friday: Jennifer DeMoro Jewelry

Hi guys! It has been a crazy couple of weeks. We flew out to Washington for Stafford to take the bar, I am staying with my parents while he flies back to Minnesota to pack up the rest of our apartment and drive it out here with his dad. In case you didn't catch the beginning of that sentence...   Stafford TOOK THE BAR!!! That means no more studying!! And we can't start working until we hear back in September, so basically we get to play the rest of the summer! I am kind of grateful it takes a while to grade, because he so deserves a break and to be honest me and my girls need a break! haha. We all have our own trials, and the bar was a big one for us. I'm glad it's over and we can move on to better things. Yay!

As all of this was unfolding, I was able to connect with Jennifer of Jennifer DeMoro Jewelry. I asked if she wanted to collaborate and was ecstatic when she said yes! I've been searching for a hand stamped necklace for a while, but was always worried about quality. I have had this necklace for about a month now and wear it quite often. I can tell you it is high quality and has held up with my busy mommy lifestyle. It is simple enough to wear every day, but makes me feel a little more done up. Beautiful pieces like this that are so versatile are worth the extra money to get the lasting quality. 

On her website, Jennifer offers more than just personalized necklaces. I adore her Turquoise Hoop Earrings and her Gold Stacking Rings. If you want something for yourself or to gift to someone special, she is offering my readers a 10% discount with code: lovestrong10 at check out. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

XO

Graduation

You guys... He did it! WE did it! Stafford graduated Law School. 

Once upon a time 4 years ago, this was just a thought and now it's our reality. For undergrad, Stafford was in the Occupational Health and Safety field and (I'm going to brag now) excelling at it. He was confident in his classes, he had a great internship that would probably turn into a job. I thought we were set and I was completely happy and proud of that. One day he came home and brought up going to law school to become a lawyer. I was surprised, but supportive because with his personality I could see him being a great lawyer and I think anyone that has chatted with him would agree. He studied and took the LSAT, we applied to quite a few different schools ranking all over the board. With each letter back we would picture our future lives at each school. I was excited about Louisville, and really excited about Tennessee. Then we got the letter from Minnesota which was the only top 20 school we applied to as the "why not at least try?" option. Neither of us could believe he got in! For us it was an obvious decision.

The first year was hard you guys. It was hard on him and hard for me to see him so bummed about school. I couldn't understand it very well until I read this article. It reminded me that Stafford was at the top of his class in undergrad. He was intelligent in his field. He was successful in all of his endeavors (This is all totally braggy, but I'm trying to make a point... and I'm really proud of him). Now you throw him into classes with other people that were all at the top of their classes, the best in their fields... He's bound to feel a little discouraged. Not to mention this school is EXTREMELY liberal and Stafford is so not. It's hard to be preached at constantly about beliefs, that are opposite of yours, being fact. Then there is the actual school work itself. Hundreds of pages of reading a night for each class, 20 page papers and a whole new way of learning basically. It really is a mindset they have to learn. BUT we got through it. And I will tell you that the first year was definitely the hardest.

Throw in 2 more years, adding a baby girl to our family, working at the county attorney's office, participating in a clinic, being student director over that clinic and getting a job at the Washington State Attorney General's office, and we've graduated! Woo-hoo!! 

I can honestly say that everything we have achieved is because we had guidance from our Heavenly Father. I can't tell you how proud I am of this man. All he has ever wanted is to provide for his family and I know he has worked so hard to do that. I am beyond grateful to have this passionate man as my husband. I know he will do great things and I'm glad I get to be at his side for all of it!

C o u n t d o w n

I currently feel like we are in countdown mode over here until finals are over.. until graduation... until Stafford takes the bar... etc, etc. It's just a constant countdown to the next big thing in our life. Don't worry- we're still enjoying today, but it's exciting to know that the future we've been dreaming of for the past 5 years is finally within reaching distance! So here is another countdown:

7  loads of laundry washed, folded and put away yesterday. I'm a "do it all in one day" laundry person, but as I sit and look at the piles on the couch to fold I rethink that method... Every. Single. Time. At least I have this cutie to play with while I fold.

6  The number of hours I slept last night thanks to a nightmare. Stafford has also been leaving early to teach a high school class this week for one of his classes, so the girls have been getting up to say goodbye (McKinlee literally asks for him every morning first thing. I'm chopped liver).

5  The number of times McKinlee called for me to wipe her bum today even though she's been wiping herself for a couple of months now.. WHY???

4  episodes of The Office that I watched while writing this post and the girls were sleeping. And I literally laugh out loud (quietly) during every one.

3  months until Stafford takes the bar! We have literally been preparing for this since getting into law school three years ago. Stafford started studying for it a few weeks ago and will continue studying everyday (minus the weekends) until he takes it. I'm proud of him and really excited for the whole process to be over already.

2  handfuls of chocolate covered pretzel thins I had during nap time today. These are seriously my favorite right now and Costco has them on sale through May 1st! They are to die for.

1  day until daddy's done with school classes for life!! Woo hoo! I can't believe we got through 7 years of school together. I'm so proud of that man. I can't wait to watch him graduate next month and for us to start working in Washington!!! Yes, Stafford got a job in Washington and will start after we get the bar results back in September (nerve racking!!).

Life has been great and it's been one of those weeks where I feel pretty on top of everything. I attribute that to my ability to say no to a lot of the extras right now. haha. But still.

Friday Favorites

This week dragged on.. and on and on, so I am extremely happy to say happy Friday! I decided to round up a few of my favorite things lately.

I've been getting into the Spring cleaning mode, and while attempting to clean out every closet Billy Currington has been getting me through it all. Our first summer here, Billy performed at a festival and we decided to skip buying tickets and stand in the back and listen (student life makes us get creative right?). We regretted that decision so much! Stafford and I LOVE Billy, and his music reminds me of summer. Maybe because we fell in love with him while living in Fresno for an internship over a summer forever ago.


Speaking of summer, if you keep up with the blog on Facebook, you know I recently bought my first romper/jumpsuit, and I'm in love. Mine is currently sold out, but I also love this chambray one. I also linked a jersey skirt I just bought. It is quite comfortable and I'm excited to wear it to church and out and about.

We stopped by the mall yesterday for a little walk and of course had to stop at Baby Gap to look at their clearance racks. I couldn't help but gawk at all the cute dresses they have out for spring. And   those shoes from Old Navy?? Are you kidding me? I avoid laces at all costs for McKinlee, and these babies would go with everything.

I hope your Friday is going well and you're able to get out of the house, with or without your children ;)

Easter Baskets on a Budget

It's not a secret that we are on a student budget right now. It has been a fun challenge to make holidays as special as I want them to be. The girls are young, so I know they won't remember too much, but I will always remember if I let a holiday slip away. I tend to hold on to things-- every embarrassing moment I've experienced since 2nd grade usually comes to me as I try to fall asleep. It's fine. 

So back to the baskets... This year I'm going small with the actual basket and I found these adorable plastic ones at Target. Nearby I found adorable monogram letters that happened to match the colors I picked out. I thought it would personalize them nicely, and McKinlee is all about letters. She is also all about dinosaurs for some reason, so when I saw this cute little dig kit for $3 I had to snatch it up. In fact, almost everything in their baskets this year is from the dollar section at Target. Isn't that what it's for?? The bubbles were an obvious choice and the crayon kit seemed like the perfect answer for our church bag needs. A good friend of ours also dropped off a pot of flowers and McKinlee has LOVED watching the flowers bloom. I picked up these little growing kits for each of the girls and I think it will be a fun activity to look forward to. We may end up buying Strawberries and placing them on dirt if nothing grows, but hey- at least she'll have the excitement! The hats were the final piece and I debated between them and some bunny ears (or these really pretty ones if I weren't on a budget ;) but I figured the hats would probably last longer in our home.
  

Because we're going small on the baskets, we also decided it's time to get a game for McKinlee. I think she's ready for an organized sit down game we can play together. She loves this one, but we ended up going with Ker Plunk. I can't wait to see her face Sunday morning. I live for holiday mornings!

What are your traditions for baskets? Do you have any or do you switch it up every year? We'll see what sticks with us next year. Have a wonderful weekend!

Park Dates + Top Knots

A little fresh spring air is just what the doctor ordered for our family this week. We have had a rough month basically, so to have a few days in a row now that are above 50 degrees is Heaven sent. I'll admit that I complain about Minnesota in the winter time, but come spring and fall, it is a beautiful place. There are so many parks to choose from!

Today was the first time I got to ask a little 5 year old and 2 year old if my daughter could join in their game of hide and seek. I loved it. McKinlee is a pretty independent girl, and if she does try to play with other kids she is usually the boss. This time she was timid and it was adorable! It's fun to see her hit new milestones and continue growing her personality. 

Gray floral tunic | Skinny Jeans | Neon Striped Sweatshirt | Addie's outfit is a hand me down from M

And then there's Addie who is just happy and chill.

I hope you're having a great week too!

Christmas t w e n t y f i f t e e n

This year we decided that we didn't want to do the airplane thing with two kids. We counted how many flights McKinlee went on in her two years of life and it was over 15 or something like that. If you've taken children on a flight, you know it can be exhausting and stressful to say the least haha so we decided to take a break and save some money by staying local. Luckily my sister and brother in law just got back from working in Argentina for a bit, so we agreed on making the 6 hour trip to Chicago so we could be with some family for the holidays. They have 3 girls about the same age as our girls, so it's fun for everyone.

My little sister was able to fly out to party with us for a few days. We sure love Aunt Jamie! 

It was fun to be the parents this year and plan what we wanted to do. Everything revolved around our kids' ages and they loved it! McKinlee's favorite was going to a big play place with multiple bounce house toys. The girls went crazy for it and it got their energy out which made the parents happy. She still asks to go there when she comes across a video or picture on my phone. 

Overall it was such a fun trip and we had a great Christmas with these cute girls! I'm so blessed to be their mommy. Hope your holidays were merry and bright!

Happy Due Date Baby Girl

How far along: 40 weeks

Gender: Girl

Weight gain: 37 lbs.

Sleep: It has been rough probably the last month or so. Trying to roll over when your lower half is all  out of wack and loose is difficult. I feel like things keep popping out of their proper place and it freaks me out! It's amazing how our bodies get ready for labor all on their own.

Best moment this week: Stafford took the first of his two finals this morning (Monday) and will take his second tomorrow morning (Tuesday)! I am SO excited. This was kind of our big check point. It's one less thing for Stafford to worry about and now he can just focus on having a new baby and a spunky toddler. And a job. But that's it, so yay!

Movement: She is definitely still moving around and loves to wake up at night. She's not as active as before, but I know she is running out of room in there- poor girl.

Cravings: Sweets, sweets, and more sweets. Luckily my mom is here now and she has already made us a Texas Sheet Cake- a craving I've had for awhile. I'm going to love it while I can, because after baby is born I need to get my booty back in gear.

Symptoms: I've had a few more contractions this week. This is so foreign to me! I literally had nothing before my water broke with McKinlee, and I'm hoping my water breaks again so I know for sure that I'm in labor. Plus I don't want to have to go through contractions all day at home. Give me the epidural!

Looking forward to:  Having this adorable girl! I can't believe it is finally here! And I can't believe I don't have a scheduled induction yet. It's nice to have a definite end, but I do want her to come on her own. As soon as Stafford is out of his final I can start doing all the crazy things to get this little angel here. This is the fun time because everything could be our last. Our last dinner out for a while, our last movie date, our last night of almost uninterrupted sleep... it's all exciting! 

I cannot believe I'm here again. 40 weeks. I thought for sure this baby would come earlier than last time, but the Lord has other plans :) I'm grateful Stafford can get through this last bit of school without a newborn keeping us up at night. I know he's excited for her, but gosh what a stressful time for him. I can't wait for my mom to bring McKinlee to the hospital to meet her little sister. I can't wait to hold my little girl and see what she looks like. I can't wait to breastfeed again and adjust to life with two! What an adventure.  Wish us luck!