At Home with Kaley From Kansas

March 31, 2020August 12, 2023

It occurred to me, as we are confined to our homes, that I never shared our home session with the very talented KaleyfromKansas. My favorite place to be is within these walls and with these people… I used to be a serious extrovert and, while my love for being around people and meeting new people has not changed, I love being home more than anywhere. Chris was home this past Holiday break and it was the most magical thing to me. The girls and I went about our homeschooling, Chris got to see what our days at home looked like, he helped me more with meals and laundry and dishes and all the things…We would all stay up late in the evenings, talking and playing games for hours. Chris and I began dating one another from home in the coolest ways! We slept in, made big breakfasts together, and the world slowed down for us so much. I remember thinking, this is all I want…I want a slow, simple life, surrounded by loved ones… And with many new emotions added to the mix, we have that again.

Such a simple moment, but something I will miss all too soon. Almost every time we go down the stairs, Frankie reaches for me to carry her down. When she first started talking and walking, she would lift her arms up and say, “can I hold you” or the sweetest little “weeach”. I think I’ll cry when the day comes that she no longer asks me to do this…

We have found ourselves in a really weird place. I remember when I was pregnant with our second daughter, Charlie. My best friend found out she was also pregnant. We were so excited and it was amazing and then a few days later…she miscarried and lost her baby. It changed my pregnancy with Charlie so much. I was so happy and grateful, but I also carried a heavy sadness, a deep grief, and honestly a tremendous amount of guilt. I hurt for my friend so much. Her suffering didn’t mean I wasn’t experiencing great joy, but it greatly altered the way I felt it or could express it. This is similar to what I am feeling now….

The Pahls Family

I am so grateful that we are home and well and have jobs that allow us to keep doing what we were doing from home. Chris is a college professor and while his days look different, he is still able to connect with his students and teach and grow, and learn along side them. I am so fortunate to bring home a little income through sharing our days and partnering with wonderful companies. I feel so weird in this. I look around and see so much chaos, but all I feel is peace. I find peace in knowing we are all experiencing this together, that we aren’t in control, that tomorrow is not promised.. and then I feel weird, and almost guilty, for feeling peace in these things. I feel what I felt with Charlie. I would look down and see my belly and feel her kick and my heart would swell… and then it would sink… I am so happy for what our family is getting to experience. The peace, the joy, the stillness…But then I look around and am met with mourning.. and I have to mourn with those who are mourning…I don’t know how not to. I am hurting so badly for our friends and family and all of those who are being affected negatively by this strange virus and this new normal. I don’t want people to be sick or full of fear. I don’t want people to have to suffer. I am aware of my privilege more than I ever have been. I have gained many new perspectives that grieve my heart. But, even in the mourning, I can’t help but see so much hope. I see the rainbows painted on windows and bears on porches and I can’t help but feel so much hope.

The Pahls Family

I went to the grocery store and saw the empty shelves. I went to the Post Office to find barricades made of boxes and plastic sheeting to separate customers from employees. I feel the weirdness. That, ‘is this really real life?!’ feeling… BUT, my friends and I are fasting and praying with one another and texting deep stuff along with the best memes of our lives. I am feeling a deep love and appreciation for my friends in a whole new way; a deepening love for their spouses and children and my spouse and our children. Our family feels more glued together than it ever has been… What strange emotions to process…

The Pahls Family

I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t want to or need to know. For now, I am choosing to focus on right now. I am choosing gratefulness and joy and trying to be the peace amongst the chaos. I am enjoying every moment with Chris home and this stillness we get to have with the girls. Life seems to be on pause, or in slow motion at least… I know life is weird, friends… Like, this is real, real weird. Have I mentioned how weird this is… But for real, I hope you find yourself full of so much peace and hope right now. We are all in this together, friends! With that being said, here are some moments that I am so grateful to have been captured. Thank you so much, Kaley! Little reminders of the beauty that lives in the simple moments at home, whether we’re quarantined or not.

Just as Ada grew out of the coloring on walls stage, Frankie joined in. I’ve painted our hallway 3 times since living here because of it. And I’m totally ok with it. In fact, we gave Frankie a yellow colored pencil to color away because I genuinely don’t want to forget these sweet creative installations that have filled our home through the years…

Kaley did such an incredible job capturing us in an organic way. She prompted us and I was happy to go with any of her creative idea because, if you’ve seen Kaley’s work, you know you can trust her to create magic!!

The Pahls Family

I don’t ever want to forget the sound of their feet running up and down these stairs. The giggles as we chase on another or play hide and seek… Those sounds are so special to me!

The Pahls Family

We have a balcony off of our bedroom. The girls have always thought it was the coolest thing. Sometimes, the magic and glory seems to sometimes become less as we age.. But the girls have brought so much magic back into our lives! I never would have thought to do photos our here, but I am so glad Kaley did!

The Pahls Family

I look at this photo and want to scream the word, REDEMPTION! There are so many parts of my past that I thought would define me and prevent me from having the dream of a loving husband or family or any of this… Man, grace and healing and forgiveness and redemption are words with so much meaning for me!

Dance parties are a huge deal in this family! We have them several times a week and we can get pretty into it. Kaley put on the new Aladdin soundtrack and we just did our thing. The sun shining on us, dancing in the breeze… It was magic!

The Pahls Family

Frankie and Ada loves pretending to be puppies. Recently I’ve joined their puppy crew. Frankie pulls on my belts and belt loops and says, “come here mommy puppy”. More magic.

The Pahls Family

Did you guys know I was told I most likely wouldn’t be able to have children? I went through a season where I felt devastated at the thought of this. We have 4 incredible promises reminding me of God’s goodness and faithfulness.

The Pahls Family

Chris’ sister made the girls the most incredible food for their kitchen play set. She is one of the best gift givers and most talented people I have ever known! She is such a blessing and blesses these little ladies with absolute treasures!

The Pahls Family

When Norah and Charlie were younger, we had picnics and snacks out here several times a week. We actually locked ourselves out one day and I yelled at a neighbor, whom I had never met, and asked her to come walk into our home, make her way to our bedroom and let us in. She kindly did and I am grateful for a neighbor like her.

The Pahls Family

Thumb wars are a new favorite game in this home!

The Pahls Family

Find you a man who plays with your kids… Like builds blocks with them and reads books, and has dance parties, and jumps with them on the trampoline… Not because they feel obligated… but because they love their children and are happy to be with them in their element.

The Pahls Family

This wardrobe is SO special! Like, the story of getting it literally changed my life and faith. I will share about it in detail later, but it is another reminder of God’s faithfulness in my life.

The day I weened Frankie I had to leave the house. Weening was so hard for me this last time emotionally. I didn’t want to but knew I needed to. Ada and I went to the thrift store and on our way out, after not finding anything, she said, “mom, can I please have that toy?” I looked over and saw this beautiful buggy that instantly reminded me of being her age living in Germany… and $3 later she was ours! It’s so special to us!

The Pahls Family

Oldest and youngest. The moment Norah and Charlie learned to read, they became better teacher than me I think.

The Pahls Family

I went through a stage where I thought bonnets were hideous. Man, I was SO, SO, SO, SO SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO wrong!!!!

The Pahls Family

Be right back… this photo makes me need to go kiss this guy.

The Pahls Family

This is going to sound super dramatic but… I had been wanting photos done with Kaley for a long time.. but it just never felt right. I had a few larger collabs happen so we had a little extra monies and Chris asked what I wanted to do with it. We could use the money and celebrate, maybe buy something special, or even invest it… I feel like like we did all of that. These photos were a bit of a celebration for me. I had just lost 60 lbs and for the first time in a long time I felt like myself. These photos feel like a major investment in something so very special.

The Pahls Family

The way Kaley captured small details of the girls and our home….. SO GOOD!!!

The Pahls Family

baby thighs and tippy toes…

The Pahls Family

Clothing Sources

Tights: RyleeandCru

Norah, Charlie, Ada’s dresses + Frankie’s Romper: TheSimpleFolkCo

Ada’s Dress + Frankie’s Bloomers: Minimom

My Sweater:Sezane

My Jeans: Madewell

Charlies Bows: ShopAcre

Frankie’s Bows: KDBird

That rug really tied the room together | Warming up our home with Rugs Direct

February 1, 2020August 13, 2023

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Rugs Direct, a specialty online retailer of decorative area rugs, but all opinions expressed are my own.

1AB50D26-6B62-4ABD-93E0-EE91D43E01E3

When we moved into our home, it was covered in baby blue shag carpet and like two inches deep! The previous owners had already pulled up a lot.. but it was still all over. We’re talking in the closets, on the stairs, channeling that blue song from the early 2000’s kind of feels. But under all that shag were gorgeous hardwood floors in immaculate condition! We quickly learned though, that all of that hardwood made for a loud, echoey, and cold space. Not just temperature cold, but there was something missing.

EE32A1C1-98AB-4549-9027-D767ED4754B9

We started adding rugs, but discovered that we were getting the wrong rugs for us. I remember our first was this thick black and white rug that was just felt too intense for me. As our tastes changed and we added more babies, we got more of a feel for what we liked and wanted in our space. We liked pretty, but we also needed to start focusing on the practical. The Pahls Family

I originally learned about Rugs Direct through Instagram. I entered a giveaway and won! That’s one of the best feelings! It was a lovely rug which we got questions about all the time. I’ve linked it here . It didn’t take long for me to learn that I needed less. The rugs we bought at first were bold and had a lot of colors and contrasts. I learned that I wanted something more simple for our space. Something that would add warmth, would be easy maintenance and give off the cozy feel that I want people to feel in our home. I was so grateful to be able to gift that rug to a friend so she could be enjoyed!

We have this area in our bedroom that kind of feels like a walkway. And it felt so empty. I knew I wanted a rug that was thick, with lots of texture, and neutral colors that would go well with our bedroom. We had a different rug in this spot previously that was pretty, but just did not fit in here. I gifted it to a friend and recently visited her home and it looked amazing in her hallway! Side note: If you’re no longer feeling your rugs or other decor, but they’re in good condition, gift them to friends! It’s such a fun feeling to change your space and get to help someone change theirs at the same time! I love seeing items we have previously loved being loved by someone new!

The Pahls Family

Anyways, I saw this one and knew it was the one. Our bedroom has so many warm creams and beiges that it needed something that would match, but not be the same colors. This rug has cooler yellow and sage tones which compliments the wood floors, oatmeal bedding, baskets and leather in our room. It warms up the space so well and made this area feel so much more cozy! I love getting out of bed and walking on it. The textures are so nice to me.

The Pahls Family

Bohemian Collection by Safavieh

This particular Bohemian collection is an all-organic, biodegradable and recyclable, hand-knotted in India, and harvested only from Cannabis Sativa (commonly known as the true hemp plant). It’s a quickly renewable resource that excels in length, durability, anti-mildew and antimicrobial properties. So, she’s pretty, but also really kind of amazing thinking about how much work has gone into such a piece.

The Pahls Family

We have several Jute rugs in our home, and while I love the look of jute, you know the cons if you have one. They’re beautiful and durable, but they stain easily, shed, and are pretty dang itchy. I have found that they work best in high traffic areas like a landing or an area like an office or under a bed where you can see them but not have to sit on them necessarily. They add such a warmth to a space, but are not great if you’re going to be spending lots of time sitting and playing on them.

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

We originally had this beautiful bleached Jute rug in the girls’ room, and while I loved the look of it, it just wasn’t cozy to sit and play on. The girls spend so much time in this space and every time I would sit t play with them, I would think about how uncomfortable it was and stand up to find my clothing covered in jute fibers. We needed something much softer and that wouldn’t shed on us.

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

DSC_8271 copy

Confetti Rug by Colonial Mills

I stumbled upon this Confetti Rug and loved it! It had that beautiful braided and classic look of Jute, but it’s made up of chenille and cotton. It’s so soft and the textures, colors, and oval shape are the perfect compliment to the girl’s room. The soft chenille fibers, soothing colors and reversibility really makes this an amazing rug for a nursery or child’s room. I’ll say that again, this bad boy is reversible! I maybe spilled a cup of coffee and while I got most of it out, I went ahead and flipped her upside down and now she looks brand new!

The Pahls Family

They had several colors, but this one had sweet pops of this gorgeous tan and it instantly made me think of our 3 year-old daughter who loves all things tan, peach, and orange.

The Pahls Family

Our home is made up of lots of neutral colors, with layers of whites, creams, wooden tones and, in one room in particular, LOTS of oranges:D If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that our 3 year old loves the color orange and this has quickly made it one of my favorite colors as well.

The Pahls Family

I had originally picked out this rug for our school room, but it only took about a week with it in that space to realize I had these rugs in the wrong rooms. I switched them and moved the Confetti rug to Ada’s room and it fits this space perfectly!

The Pahls Family

Did I mention how well it softens the sounds of towering blocks being knocked down:D

DSC_8072 copy The Pahls Family

I’m no genius or interior decorator… But here’s what I’ve learned about rugs. Get what you like and what works for your home. Get a rug that makes your space feel how you like it. Sometimes we’re quick to get a rug because we see someone else have it on social media, which isn’t necessarily wrong, but be sure to invest in what you really like and what’s most comfortable for you and your family!

The Pahls Family

Get a rug that is both pretty AND practical! We learned this the hard way! Norah and Charlie, our two oldest, wanted a super fluffy rug. The first one we got was synthetic and had such a strong and overpowering chemical smell, we felt sick and had to send it back. So research the materials and make sure you’re ok with them. We then returned it for the fluffiest white wool rug I could find. And it was beautiful… But NOT practical! That thing was soft, but it swallowed up little toys and barbie shoes and I probably stepped on a sharp little something hiding in its untamable mane every day. Also, no matter how much I vacuumed, that stuff collected dust bunnies, seemed to multiply like bunnies, and there were wool clumps all over our home! And I’ll never forget finding an orange crayon that had made it’s way to the bottom, been mashed up, and melted, and well… that was not a rug we were able to gift:D

The Pahls Family

I have learned what kind of rugs I want in our home. Something with neural colors and made with mostly natural materials, that can be cleaned easily and hide coffee stains well, that is soft and enjoyable to play on, run on, wrestle on, maybe even make some babies on:D A rug has a classic and timeless look, but doesn’t need to be combed or deshedded like a dog, that is friendly to our vacuum, and where lots and lots of memories can be made!

The Pahls Family

There are so many different kinds of rugs and rug shopping can be overwhelming! I’m currently trying to choose a few more and it has literally taken me months to decide:D However, I hope you found this to be helpful and I am happy to answer any questions if you have any! Thank you friends for being here and reading, and thank you RugsDirect for helping us cozy up our home!

Several Photos in this blog are by the very talented Bethany Meysenburg andKaleyFromKansas.

Hacking laundry with Whirlpool

January 17, 2020May 19, 2021

(Disclosure: The following post was sponsored by Whirlpool. I received product and compensation, but all opinions expressed are my own.)

Update: While we remain grateful to work with Whirlpool, this particular washing machine and dryer both developed issues after a few months of using them. The washing machine never really seemed to get clothing clean and no matter how often we washed it out, even with the recommended affresh cleaner, our laundry continued to smell unclean. The Dryer touchscreen started having issues after a few months and as of March, 2021, the washing machine completely stopped cleaning and draining. After much research, we have decided to purchase a new washer and dryer instead of investing money in fixing them. While I can appreciate technology and time-saving features, it turns out I am really not a bells and whistles kind of gal and prefer nobs & buttons & more traditional, simple machines.

As a home-educating mother of 4, it feels like we are always on the go. Did I mention our four children are all little ladies under the age of 7?! If you have children, you know this means that they each wear about a load of laundry a day:D I absolutely love our days at home, but I am also all for the little life hacks that can save time and simplify our lives right now! I’m not sure if it’s I’m still recovering from the holidays or it’s just this season of life, but it definitely feels like there is more to do and less time to do it. Anyone else? Is this just part of motherhood? Anyway, I was beyond stoked when we got to try the new Whirlpool® Smart Front Load Laundry Pair with Load & Go™ XL Plus dispenser a few months back.

The features are beyond cool! For example, The Whirlpool® Smart Front Load Laundry Pair with Load & Go™ XL Plus dispenserallows you to pre-load detergent and fabric softener for up to 40 loads, meaning you can skip a step with this beautiful, time-saving feature! Being able to pre-load our detergent and save a little time is so lovely!

Plus, many of these features make it easier for the girls to help me. They think the touch screens are the coolest thing, and they aren’t wrong. The imagery makes it easy for the girls to follow directions and they truly enjoy helping with the laundry as much as they can!

The girls have truly enjoyed helping me with laundry since we started using our Whirlpool washer and dryer! We can save our favorite settings, and I can simply have the girls push the onscreen button, which they get so excited about, and it’s that easy to get our laundry started. We are truly grateful for this beautiful washer and dryer and wanted to share a few personal time-saving laundry hacks that we’ve adopted to help make laundry as enjoyable as possible.

TIP #1: MAKE YOUR LAUNDRY SPACE COZY

If you know us, you know we like to re-purpose as much as possible. I’m a little too short to comfortably enjoy having our washer and dryer stacked, so we have ours next to one another. We had an old door laying around in our basement when we moved in and decided that it would make the perfect table top to help store baskets of our laundering goods and give us a better place to fold laundry. I topped the table with an old linen shower curtain that we had. You could also easily thrift something similar, or even use a sheet or table cloth. This doubles as decor and also provides a clean and washable surface for the table. Any other friends have a creepy basement laundry room? It’s the only space we had washer and dryer hookups so we’ve done our best to make this space cozy and try to keep anything we may need for laundry in this space so we’re not having to run up and down the stairs each time we do laundry.

That leads me to what we keep up on our table top. Baskets, always baskets! They make for the prettiest storage and, again, can easily be thrifted. We keep our detergents, softeners, stain treatments, our DIY fabric refresher and all of our dryer balls here in baskets on our little homemade table.

D4D86308-EA57-4F48-897E-6CB7EEDF0D21

Also, wool dryer balls: another beautiful, non-toxic, time-saving laundry hack I hope you’re using! They speed up the drying time, soften clothing naturally, are hypoallergenic, and because they cut down on drying time, they save you money. I’m not actually sure how often you’re supposed to change them out, but I give mine a good wash with towels every 6 months or so and they’ve held up for several years!

TIP #2: DIY LAUNDRY REFRESHER

Another fun laundry tip is you can add your favorite essential oils to the balls to make your laundry smell delicious without having to add any toxins to the mix! I love using lavender & citrus oils!

I store our essential oils for laundering in pretty thrifted crocs as well. I store our laundry balls in pretty thrifted glass vessels as well. To spruce up our basement a bit, I put some fresh lavender on the top of our washer and dryer. Not only does it smell good, but helps this creepy basement feel much more cozy!

I mentioned above a DIY laundry refresher! Sometimes our laundry just smells musty. I feel like our towels and linen napkins get this way especially. I mix white vinegar and a couple drops of my favorite essential oils and add about 1/2-1 cup of it to our laundry to keep our laundry smelling fresh! We also find that this helps soften our laundry. To treat stained linens, I use the pre-soak feature on our Whirlpool and pre-soak linen items in 2 cups of vinegar for 30 minutes. Before I tried this hack, I could never get stains out of linen and now when I do this , stains come out easy peasy!

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Also, one of my favorite things about the washer is theFanFresh® option! If you know you won’t be able to switch laundry right away or want to start a load and go run some errands, Fan Fresh modekeeps clothes fresh for up to 12 hours so you can finish the laundry when you’re ready and avoid that musty smell that occurs when the laundry sits wet too long. This is just genius and I’m convinced a mom must have come up with the idea!

TIP # 3: STORE YOUR SOCKS

Another time-saving hack we have adopted is collecting and storing all of our socks in a big bag or basket. We put all of the clean socks in here and then while we watch movies, we all pair them up together as a family. It makes it a fun family responsibility instead of another boring, tedious chore.

To learn more, visit https://www.whirlpool.com/laundry/washers.html#load-and-go.

Something for everybody; a little holiday gifting guide

December 6, 2019August 12, 2023

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Hey guys! We recently had the honor of sharing a little gifting guide with our friends @finandvince. You can find that post here, but I decided to share a little more detailed gifting guide here. I’ll share what we like to gift the girls, one another and loved ones.

320DD62F-84B5-486D-9274-D47AB174496B

We have 4 lovely little ladies under age 7. We want Christmas to be magical for them, but not be strictly about stuff. We practice the giving manger in our home and look at December as a beautiful month to remember how to serve one another well. I love spending December baking more, making more crafts together, and finding fun ways to love people. Along with this, when we do gift, we want to try and gift things that are both pretty and practical. My husband emphasizes things should have form and function. Our older girls are developing new, and rather strong opinions, as they grow and we want to respect their personal styles & interests as we gift. We really like the the idea of gifting a want, a need, something to read, and wear. Here are some gifts that meet this criteria, have been a success in the past, and that will be gifted this year!

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

For the savvy…. Do not be afraid to thrift toys for gifts. Some of our most treasured toys have been thrifted and are being so well loved. That baby carriage was $3!!! Thrift stores are magical places where you can find so much unique goodness! Plus you can thrift throughout the year and gift it at Christmas. Almost every piece of the girl’s Christmas set we gifted them last year was thrifted and so beautiful! I think the most expensive thing I got was $.29 so you can really make magic happen when you thrift for the goods!

The Pahls Family

For the artist: Amazon has some seriously amazing art supplies. We have some favorite shops that also sell wool roving and beeswax crayons and molding sets. I’m going to come back and add some links to our favorite shops a little later:D We go through so many crayons and paint that Christmas is a great time to restock those supplies!

The Pahls Family

The girls love matching with one another! We’ve adopted a tradition that came from my husband’s childhood of gifting them new jammies every Christmas Eve. They get to open them and then wear them all day Christmas! We spend our Christmas Day serving and enjoying one another. We make everyone whatever they want for breakfast, enjoy this big ol’ feast and open presents and play and I just love it so much!

These photos are like a year old already! HOW?!

Pajamas kind of meet a need, a wear, and a want, so they’re a great gift! We have gifted them sets from @happyhannahs, @finandvince, @thesimplefolkco, @chasingwindmillkids, @shoparq @jamiekay and this year we’re gifting them hot pink butterfly thermal sets from @garnethillpics and extra little thermals for the two littlest who want to live in pajamas lately. Fin& Vince thermals are so nice and cute enough that we can throw on a coat and boots and leave the house in them!

54B47BA9-7709-459A-8DC6-AAC1F29528A6

Because our girls are so close together in age, we like to invest in quality gifts that can be enjoyed and passed down to one another. I don’t want to collect a bunch of little plastic things that will break easily but want to invest in well-made, heirloom quality toys that will be enjoyed for years. Some of our favorite toys are wooden stackers, puzzles and blocks. @woodenstory @grimms and @thewoodenwagon are some of our favorite shops for these! Wooden toys hold up really well and, let’s be real.. they’re beautiful😊 Even when their room is destroyed, somehow wooden toys thrown all about are still lovely!

82953715-6C98-43E0-BD2F-77B4E01E750A

Books!! We love gifting books! Personalized books, i-spy books, and book series make for really fun gifts. Something I have learned in a family of book lovers is that books can be expensive! I enjoy thrifting books and using thriftbooks.com because you can find gently pre-loved books for incredible prices!

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

We also want to gift memories, so games that we can play together as a family are a great investment! We love gathering around a table and playing Uno, pass the pigs, go fish and lots and lots of memory games! My ideal evening is pizza, lots of pillows and blankets, cuddled around our ottoman, playing games together. The girls have learned to talk some pretty serious smack and it’s just one of my favorite ways to spend time together.

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Something fun this year will be special slippers. The girls have been asking for slippers for quite some time but I couldn’t find any that I liked as much as they did. But! We recently found some really fun boiled wool slippersfrom @garnethillthat are cute little animals and such a fun addition to their matching jammies! This might sound lame, but we always gift the girls a fun new toothbrush. Honestly, they’re usually more excited about this than any of their other gifts ☺️

MHP_0169

When gifting to our friends and family, Chris and I love making one-of-a-kind gifts in large batches so we can spread the love as much as we can. We’ve made salsas, breads, body scrubs, bath salts, lip balm, hair balm, boot balm, bears balm, body balm… basically all the balms😂 we love gifting items that we have handcrafted with love and it’s so fun collaborating with my husband for these little projects. I don’t have any pretty pictures of stuff we’ve gifted.. so you just have to trust me:D

MHP_0175

Chris and I have mixed feelings about gifting things to one another for the holidays. We both always tell each other we don’t want anything, then surprise each other with something sweet and sappy, and then each year say we’re really not doing anything for each other, and then decide we want the girls to see us gifting to one another, and so the cycle continues:D

MHP_0055

This year, I’m gifting the girls and a few friends some extra little goodies that our friends @beekman1802 sent plus over two try. A few face care products for mom and some fun body butters to share! The girls are very much into body care items and doing whatever I do lately. I’m gifting them and some of my lady friends the fragrance free pure goat milk body butters. Things like these make such fun stocking stuffers and sweet little gifts.

MHP_0049 MHP_0022

Welp! I hope this was a helpful gifting guide and that everyone has a lovely holiday season full of peace, rest, and joy for you and your family! ❤️ Gifts are cool my friends… But people are so much better! Love your people well and have so much fun!!!!

(Disclosure: Some of the items featured in the post have been gifted and/or sponsored, but all opinions expressed are my own. )

Photography featured in this post from @amandapahls, @kaleyfromkansas and @megganharrisonphotography.

That time Madewell accidentally changed my life

November 4, 2019November 5, 2019

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

About a year ago I received the sweetest surprise package from our friends at Madewell. It was a beautiful wooden box containing a lovely red floral scarf, a timeless white tee and THE PERFECT denim jacket.I was so excited and grateful and honored to be gifted this, as I was a new appreciator of the Madewell goodies! I have slowly been building a capsule wardrobe with Madewell pieces being my staples. Everything I own from Madewell is so comfortable, so flattering, and well, made very well ☺️

The only problem with this surprise gift was that the shirt and jacket were a size small and I was wearing large, or more commonly, an XL. When I went to try the jacket on, I couldn’t even fit my full arm through the arm holes😂

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

I was still very thankful that Madewell gifted me such a sweet gift, but thought I should probably go ahead and gift the shirt and jacket to a friend since I couldn’t fit into either. I asked a few of my small sized pals if they wanted the goods and they all said the same thing, “save it and maybe you’ll fit back into them one day!” I listened, but wasn’t quite convinced I would ever really get to wear them.

My first pair of Madewell shoes and they do not disappoint ! These Frances Loafers are SO comfortable!!!

I was pregnant and breastfeeding without a break for the last 8 years! I have absolutely loved it! Pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, growing, nourishing, teaching, and raising our daughters… This is my greatest joy! However, I suffered a serious back injury that caused great pain and rendered me unable to be very active while I was pregnant. I picked up some poor habits and developed a bit of apathy in regards to myself over the past few years and I hadn’t even realized I had gained so much weight or become so out of shape. I didn’t have much energy. I didn’t like how I felt or how my clothing no longer fit. I decided I was ready to make some changes; not just for my benefit, but for the benefit of my daughters and husband. I wanted them to have a healthier version of me.

I told my husband and a few friends that I was going to fit into that Madewell jacket and, although I really meant it, I eventually just put the box of goods up on my closet shelf and honestly forgot about it. Fast forward to late June and something started stirring in my heart. Our babies were no longer babies. I was beginning to think about weaning Frankie, Chris and I had agreed that our family was most likely complete, and most of my wardrobe had become too tight to wear. I knew I needed to make some changes. So I did.

Wait, what is this? Is this Jurassic Park? Is that Laura Dern? What is happening?!

I’m going to tell you guys something only a few people know about…The year was 1997. My favorite movie Jurassic park. I was obsessed with this film and when I envisioned myself as a grown woman, wife, and mother, I envisioned myself as a bruenette Laura Dern in my high waisted denim!

I mean… 1.) Jurassic Park is my all-time favorite movie! 2.) I just wanted to wear mom jeans and look for dinosaurs:D

When I entered adulthood, the high waisted jeans I had dreamed about wearing had gone out of style. When they finally came back I met them with a strong-willed mom pouch that had no time for pants with real pockets or buttons😂 I know this sounds so silly, but it was like a real thing to me. While I was loving growing and nourishing our babies, I had stopped nourishing myself along the way. It occurred to me that only I could make the changes I wanted to make. And dangit! I wanted to feel comfortable in those mom jeans!

CDBA7BA6-5636-439A-AAF2-09E7F5AE2AC2

I pulled out that Madewell denim jacket and decided that was my goal. I was going to wear that jacket and was going to Laura Dern the heck out of the highest waisted mom jeans Madewell had to offer (which are these 11” high waisteds if you’re curious😂🤘).

These jeans tho!

I started July 1st. I was around 190 lbs, wearing a Madewell size 31 jean and they were TIGHT! I want to add here that there is nothing wrong with the size you are wearing if you are comfortable and healthy. I just wasn’t happy or healthy where I was and I needed change. Some of my friends were also beginning some self-care journeys. Seeing their results, along with their encouragement and motivation, helped me so much in getting started and sticking with the changes I have made. Community is so helpful!

When I got these pants, I couldn’t even button the bottom button! It felt amazing that I could button them to the top!!!

I decided to start with a low carb/clean eating diet, incorporating meals from whole 30, and cutting out processed foods, bad sugar, carbs that weren’t properly fueling my body, and the booze. I started drinking kombucha daily and adding more fermented foods to my diet. When I would crave sweets, I would eat a spoonful or two of RX vanilla almond butter and found that adding a little bit of heavy whipping cream to my afternoon collagen + bone broth protein filled coffee helped me from eating junk. I still do this and crave it and look forward to it! Also, I add citrus essential oils to water in the mornings and evenings and that really helps satisfy my cravings. There were very few days I would “cheat”, but I allowed myself lots of treats that tasted good and wouldn’t hurt my progress. Honestly, I would google “whole 30 approved version of whatever I was craving” and learned how to make many of my favorite things in a way that benefited my family and I so much more!

Norah always checking to assure my crinkles were still there.

Week 1: I lost 7 pounds and my clothing felt looser. I didn’t take before photos or measure any of my inches, but I could already feel a difference in how I felt and how my clothing fit. I ate a variation of eggs, veggies, and proteins for breakfast and lunch. I continued making most of our favorite meals, but substituted zucchini noodles and squash for regular noodles. I replaced breads I would normally eat with more veggies and lettuce wraps. It almost felt too easy. Giving up the foods I once ate daily didn’t feel like much of a sacrifice at all. I reduced my portion sizes but never counted calories, carbs, or macros because I’m too lazy for this stuff. I mostly just paid attention to what foods made me feel the best and added more of those. While I added these, I also removed the foods that made me feel not so good.

074D6EE9-B68B-4233-8BD3-2CD8EF42B08F

The first person who said anything about me losing weight was our oldest daughter. She walked into the bathroom one morning and said, “You look smaller, Mom!” I explained that was something that sometimes happens when you give your body what it needs. Then my husband started commenting on the changes and my friends and acquaintances began motivating me more and more. Others were seeing the changes I was feeling and that was super encouraging!

Norah often comments about different ways my body is changing and asks regularly that I please don’t lose my crinkles. She has been one of my biggest supporters and reminds people when they comments about my weight loss, that I might be skinnier, but I’m also healthier. She maybe also said something along the lines of, “Wow! those used to be so round and big. Now they just kinda hang there, huh?”:D So… #balance #yep #thanksgirls #truth

At the end of month 1, I was down a surprising 28 pounds and my jeans were so loose I got to thrift some belts!!! 😳😳😳😳

I was in it! I felt energized and pumped up and ready to keep going!

Matchy sets from our friends at Shop ARQ

I started working out almost daily in August and just felt SO good!!! My sister in law introduced me to the beach body workouts and I started doing the Real Time 21 Day Fix Lives and loved them! I’m doing the extreme version right now and look forward to them! I’ve tried lots of different workouts and have learned to do what I like and not try to do something that I hate because someone else is doing it. Actually, that’s one thing I have really learned in the last few months. You need to do what fuels YOUR body, what makes YOU feel well, and gives YOU positive results. Once September rolled around, I decided it was time to try on THE jacket. I honestly didn’t even think it would fit, I just wanted to see if I could tell a difference in the way it fit.

GUYS!!!!!!

And with legit tears in my eyes right now, I am here to tell you, IT FIT LIKE A GEM! 😭 It was loose even! The jacket that I couldn’t fit more than a forearm into, FIT! AND the white tee that legit looked like a child’s small on me when I first tried it on, is now a loose tee and it just feels so good!

Thanks for capturing this hair flip, Morgo.

I was feeing SO good but, October was a weird month. I passed out, my face caught my fall, and suffered a concussion so I couldn’t work out like I had been. I couldn’t look at screens or do much and felt pretty lethargic most of the month. I continued to eat clean and decided to have some blood work done, as I was concerned about what might have caused the passing out and wanted to make sure my lifestyle changes hadn’t caused it. All my blood work came back as ideal as possible and I got the go ahead to get back to normal! Also, probably my favorite jeans ever!

Every time I wear this jacket I feel like I have superpowers. That sounds dramatic, but it reminds me that I can do hard things! And also THESE JEANS!!!

Now, I want to emphasize again that I don’t think there is anything wrong with being in a size large or extra large or any size where you feel good and healthy… But I wasn’t healthy. I felt miserable, was growing more insecure, felt tired, and lacked the energy I wanted. Today, I look different, but I FEEL so different! I have energy, I feel strong, I can do legit push-ups, I feel healthy, have no back pain, and am officially down FIFTY POUNDS AND SIX JEAN SIZES!!!

I thrifted this Madewell Cardigan but here is something similar!

Guys! LIKE, our 7 year old is 50 pounds just to put how much weight that really is into perspective!! 😳 While this journey isn’t as much about weight or sizes as it is about health, I went from a size 31 to a size 26 and a L/XL to a XS/S simply by making some healthy lifestyle changes. I feel so grateful! I can play with the girls so much more! I can jump on the trampoline more, wrestle around more, and run through the house more! And Bonus! I‘m even better at hide and seek as I can comfortably fit into smaller spaces now:D It’s really the little things that feel like huge victories to me! And also, maybe I can share a few tops with our 7 year old now. In all seriousness though, I get a little emotional thinking about all of the girls and I sharing our clothing with one another a few years down the road and want to remain in a state of health that allows me to do that… Some days I still can’t believe I get to mother these 4 beautiful daughters ❤️

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

I want to add that while I made some big changes, I’m not a crazy person. If we want pizza and beer, we have pizza and beer. But I still find ways to make it healthier and realized I don’t need 4 pieces of deep dish and 4 wings and four breadsticks and half a growler of IPA at one meal to feel satisfied. 😂. I’ve actually stopped drinking almost entirely, and for me, that’s another big success. Another story for another day, but a really cool thing.

I truly feel capable and confident in ways I have not for years.

I have more energy to do every day things and just that alone feels so incredible! Also, a thrifted bodysuit from Madewell that I could live in!

That was a really long way to say, THANK YOU MADEWELL for accidentally triggering something incredible for me. Thank you for new self control, new goals, new perspectives, the ability to wear more of what I enjoy, and the gift of feeling well (AND ALSO that high waisted denim)!!! It feels SO good! I am just so grateful to everyone who has helped me!

Grainy photo but a funny story and the most artsy self portrait I have of myself. I’ve been laughing with friends, joking a lot about how I feel like you can see more of my French heritage now and then also I got a turtle neck after telling friends a week prior I would never wear a turtleneck… So one of my besties documented this moment for me… The moment I felt very fashion and turtlenecky. This friend also had her friend from France tell me I looked very French over FaceTime and it was so funny and I’m just really grateful for my friends who have laughed with me and helped take care of me and truly helped me reach my goals!

Thank you for real to Madewell for helping make my wardrobe dreams come true and to all of our friends and loved ones for all of your kind words and encouragement! I am grateful to be feeling so well!

Disclaimer: Many of the clothing pieces featured were gifted from our friends at Madewell or thrifted, and I have tried to link all of the pieces in the post for you! All of the opinions stated here are my honest opinions and I wrote this blog as a way to share some of the changes I have been making and to thank Madewell for partnering with me!

This is a first

August 3, 2019November 4, 2019

We have found ourselves in a new place and I don’t really know how to feel about it. Chris and I found out we were expecting our first child in December of 2011. Norah was born and our lives were forever changed in the most wonderful ways! Six months after she was born we found out our sweet Charlie was on the way. Then fast forward to her being a bit older and we discovered Ada was on the way, and then since we had this system nailed down, we found out we were expecting while Ada was mastering walking. I think. Is it terrible to say I can’t actually remember if Ada was walking or not when we found out. I should know this:D #mombrain. Anyways, I have been pregnant and/or breastfeeding without a break for more than 7 years now!!! And I have LOVED it!!! And I don’t know that I’m ready to be done. But there is a reality that we might be.

My thoughts exactly, Frank:D

I really wish I would have documented breastfeeding more, but just never really thought or remembered to do so as much as I wish I would have. I don’t have many photos nursing Norah or Charlie and I hate that! Breastfeeding, for me, has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I was so fortunate in that I got to exclusively breastfeed the girls for their first 6 months of life and then continued nursing until the next baby was due. I was extremely blessed in that I didn’t have the difficult time breastfeeding that many of my friends have had. It came to me like a second nature, I loved it from the very first time, and I never experienced any kind of clogged ducts or mastitis or really even sore nipples. They all basically self-weaned and was just awesome! Aside from Ada thinking a pierced nipple might be a cool idea while she was teething, it’s been a really enjoyable, more so magical, kind of thing for me.

I have actually mostly always looked forward to the girls waking up at night. Night time nursing was this quiet time where nothing else in the world seemed to matter. It was just me and our baby and I loved it so much. I have been able to nurse Frankie the longest, and while I have loved it, I know our time is coming to an end because no baby is due.. and she’s almost 2… Plus, maybe she’s been the most demanding and is still wanting to stay up all night partying and binge drinking…And momma is tired. And we miss our bed being our bed. So, send all the weaning tips my way!

This is the first time we’ve made it to the weaning stage not being due with our next or already nursing a newborn. The first time in almost 8 years where my body is about to be completely mine. And it kind of hurts way more than I thought it would. I’m not growing a baby and I’m not sustaining one’s life with my body and it’s seriously SO weird. I think I’ve kind of been thinking maybe we aren’t actually done having babies, but then maybe we really are…or maybe we aren’t… or maybe we are… or maybe we aren’t… This is kind of what I go back and forth thinking all the time now. Either way, there is a reality that I am almost done breastfeeding… for now… or maybe forever. Even if it doesn’t feel possible that we’re really at a place where we could be done, we might be.

Anyway, knowing that this season is coming to an end, I needed to document a few things. One of my all-time favorite photographers, Bethany Meysenburg, came and spent some time with us and documented me in my favorite element. At home, with our family, nursing from room to room, hanging out with the little ladies, just my absolute favorite! The girls are more so little ladies than the little girls it feels like they were yesterday. They are growing and changing so fast. It’s amazing watching their personalities develop, but I would be lying if I said I’m not emotional about how fast it seems to have all happened and is happening.

I don’t really know what else to say except, thank you so much Chris for choosing me and giving me the most incredible gifts I have ever known. Thank you to our midwife who became family to us and gave us some of the most incredible experiences of our lives. Thank you to our friends who joined our family, and thank you for sharing your gifts with us, Bethany… Also a quick shout out to stretchy pants and push up bras:D

(Warning: These are breastfeeding photos so some of these photos contain slight nudity. I tried to make sure I didn’t post any that would make anyone too uncomfortable, but I also wanted to share the special bond that I don’t want to censor.)

Thank you so much for capturing these very precious moments for us, Bethany!

A few shops we love that are featured in these photos.

Frankies tunic & bloomers- BloomHandmadeCo

Frankie’s Button Up Vest- LittleCottonWood

Norah’s Dress- Fin & Vince from BarbaAndRoo

Charlie’s Dress- JuneIsleClothier

Ada’s dress- Roaming Threads

Frankie’s & Charlie’s Bows: KDBird

Ada’s Bows: CraftedAndCo

Momma’s Clogs- LottaFromStockholm

Black & White Striped Pillows: ChapelAndCo

Table Runner- NotPerfectLinen

Momma’s Bedding- Parachute, MaeWoven, TheCompany Store

Diaper Bag- Josefina bags

Linen Nursing Cover- VeniceAndJune

Norah and Charlie’s Bedding- SchoolHouse

Getting Cozy with Garnet Hill

April 18, 2019November 4, 2019

2A03C197-5AEE-4EA5-9676-F8726D17F57C

If someone told me I had to pick out one outfit to live in and then also told me to fill a basket with a few necessities, I can tell you right away what both would be! I would pick leggings, a pretty sweater, house slippers, blankets, pillows, coffee, and more baskets😂🤘 Basically, my mom uniform is a real thing and it consists of leggings, slippers & a pretty sweater.

40D788D8-2EF9-4523-B6C7-98C591392CE1

Being home the majority of my time the last few years, I have really started understanding what makes me feel cozy and at home… And I have no shame about it! Homeschooling the girls has been one of the greatest things I have ever known! Being home so much has made me take notice to how my environment affects Chris, the girls, and I and our days and has kind of forced me into new habits, new routines and even a bit of a new aesthetic.

9492AF32-122C-4AD6-A568-45C38BA3D20D

When I feel cozy and comfortable, but also put together, I truly function better. I feel more relaxed, our days are smoother and it’s just so nice!

6DEFFAA2-8D15-4EC1-8666-6CB9B56ADEE3

So, with that being said, we have partnered with our friends over at GarnetHill to share with you a few of our favorite things that have helped us stay cozy at home!

E5FBCC97-411A-42F0-8C1D-B147300A88DA

1.) Them leggings though! I never knew how much a person could stretchy pants… Until I was pregnant for 6 years😂🤘 but for real, a nice pair of leggings are a staple for me and these are perfect!

9B87DC57-F2C1-4237-ADAA-B4AADCB98CEF

2.) A pretty sweater to make me feel more fancy when living in the stretchy pants. Do you guys know about cashmere?! I didn’t, and now that I do, I’m obsessed! SO soft and cozy! But like, it’s even softer than you’re thinking. It’s like wearing a baby sheep… but without all of the judgement and inconvenience that would probably come from wearing a baby sheep😂 I have a few cashmere pieces from Garnet Hill and I bet I will have more one day☺️ I also like the fit of this sweater. It’s a bit oversized so it helps hide the last bit of my mom pouch that doesn’t seem to want to leave, plus, I’m still breastfeeding and this one is super easy to get access to them goods☺️🤘 I’ll link the products featured here at the end of the post🙌

9E82A469-EDC3-4F45-8B5A-38EED3AB7F17

3.) House slippers. I never knew the goodness of slippers before this stay at home business… Now I have a couple pairs and they’re basically the equivalent to business socks for me. You know if my slippers are on, I’m reporting for duty, or most often literal doody😂 Remember how I don’t get out much…☺️ Just let me have these mom jokes☺️😘 But for real, I feel so cozy and ready for the day in my slippers!

57B7F23F-5024-4165-8AD8-0276F35B98DB

4.) Did someone say waffle weave? 😂 Can you even have an Instagram account without some pretty white waffle weave something? 🙈 This merino wool blanket is my new favorite! When we go to watch a movie or cuddle up with a book, it’s the first blanket the girls grab! So, so, so soft… We’re talking that baby sheep softness over here again!

D4D383E3-2315-4939-8D28-28B1A1D83A9E

5.) Pillows! If you know my husband, you will know we disagree on very few things. But pillows are one of them. He thinks less is more, and I think fit as many pillows into each living space as we possibly can and then add a few more😂. It’s a problem, but he still loves me ☺️ We, and by we I mean the girls and I, and not Chris, 😂 are loving these gorgeous 26×26 big ol’ down pillows!!! I have them on our couch and chairs and bed and enjoy them so much! Chris will learn to love them too, I’m just sure of it.☺️

7A80CFEB-382D-4D5B-AAB9-442D19DC19DD

Anyways, what is your mom uniform? What things make you feel cozy at home? Should we start a recovery group for pillow and blanket addicts? Thanks for reading friends! A864FF3D-86DC-4D19-89F0-51D0EE2E24A4

8B14C7AF-A035-4C76-9834-8F1714354AF5

📷 MegganHarrisonPhotography

Garnet Hill products featured:

CashmereCroppedSweater

GreenCottonKnitLeggings

Slippers

WaffleWeaveMerinoBlanket

EuroPillowInserts

(Disclosure: this post was made possible by Garnet Hill, but all opinions expressed are my honest opinions)

Spring baking with Rough Linen

April 19, 2018August 13, 2023

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know momma likes herself a baked good!

You know what I also like? Baking delicious baked goods with our daughters!

You know what else I like? Linen!

You know what I really like? Matching with the little ladies!

You know what I really, really like? Baking delicious goodness with our daughters while wearing “matchy matchy” linen pinafore aprons!!!

I am so grateful to get to partner with the lovely shop Rough Linen! What is it about linen that is so perfect?! I can’t get enough of it! If I had to choose one kind of fabric to live in, it would be linen. I want to wear it, sleep in it, use it in the kitchen and dining room and bathroom and on my furniture and pretty much it is just the best ever!

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

For real though, I absolutely love baking with the little ladies and I am so grateful to get to partner with such a beautiful company to make our baking sessions ever more enjoyable!

The girls love wearing aprons when we bake, but they love it even more now that they all have their own special pinafores!

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Tricia Rose, the owner of Rough Linen says her company kind of started by accident. She used linen that was very special to her to make lovely things around her home and her friends started asking her to make the items she was making or herself and from that passion and sharing her gifts, Rough Linen was born.

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

I have the Regular Natural Pinafore and it is absolutely perfect! The girls have both the Children’s Smooth Natural and the St. Barts Aqua. And, if you know a mom and daughter crew who might love these, Rough Linen is currently offering a Pair of Pinnies Gift Set made up with a mom and daughter pinafore in the colors of your choosing! Seriosuly so adorable!

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Ada’s pinnie has been very well loved!

Since Spring time is among us, making lemon bars just felt right! I love lemon bars. Homemade lemon bars paired with a delicious cup of coffee is like one of my all time favorite pairings! My husband’s too! So, I asked him if he would take some photos if I paid him in lemon bars and coffee and he kindly obliged. Thank you husband! You are awesome!

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Chris and I have been trying to eat much healthier, but we definitely splurged with these bad boys! We were inspired by a Paula Dean recipe, and man… she does not disappoint! I have to say inspired though because I promise the girls took some serious creative licensing with the proportions in this recipe. However, I’ve never enjoyed a lemon bar more, so good job ladies! Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

While I absolutely love baking with the girls, things have also changed a bit since Ada has joined the girl club. She is amazing and hilarious and the sweetest kind of sweet that exists… But, she’s also TWO! So, as lovely as it is to bake together, you also need to know that I definitely lose my patience with the girls in this season of life too. We have a blast, but after the third prematurely cracked egg and fifth handful of flour in Ada’s hair, we also had to have a regroup, an explanation as to why mom is yelling and another cup of coffee:D Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

sooo much flour in ada’s hair:D and the table and the floor and in the pockets of her apron and just errrryyywhere. #worthit!

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

aaaaaaand, we still haven’t finished painting the kitchen:D we’ll get there!

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

The crust was the most delicious thick buttery shortbread and the lemon filling was moist but almost more like a cake brownie than your normal “gel like” filling. The edges were super chewy and caramelized and I don’t know what the girls did, but I definitely wish I would have been taking notes!

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Paula Dean Inspired Lemon Bars

Here is the Paula Dean recipe we used, but like I mentioned above, the girls got pretty creative:D

Ingredients

2 cups for crust, plus 6 tablespoons for filling all purpose flour
1 cup plus more for dusting confectioner’s sugar
pinch of salt
2 sticks at room temperature, plus more for greasing butter
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Directions

Preheat that oven to 350 °F. Lightly grease 9x13x2-inch pan.

Make the scrumptious crust by combining 2 cups flour, confectioner’s sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter to make a crumbly mixture or have toddlers smash it up in their hands for a more spa-like experience. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and by press, I mean let your toddlers punch it in the pan for 15 minutes. You may need to dip your fingers into a little flour or confectioner’s sugar to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers. We’ve also found that dolloping heaps of flour into the crust and everywhere else works great! Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the filling, mix the eggs, granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons flour and lemon juice. We’ve found that it’s more more time efficient to crack the eggs into a bowl. Pour this over the well- beaten and baked crust and bake for 25 minutes longer. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and try your best to practice that self-control!

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

you ever just look at your babies and want to cry the most grateful tears

don’t be fooled. they were actually fighting over the stool:)

she doesn’t look 12. she doesn’t look 12. she doesn’t look 12. why does she look 12?!!

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Thank you so much Rough Linen for helping make our baking even more exciting!

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

(Disclosure: This post was made possible thanks to Rough Linen but all opinions expressed here are my honest and genuine opinions.)

Baking with my babes!

July 11, 2017July 11, 2017

Hey friends! So, if you have been following me for awhile, you know one of our absolute favorite things to do as a family, is bake together! When we homeschooled last year, every week we baked/cooked something that coordinated with the letter we were learning that week. It was so fun and it’s so amazing getting to teach them baking skills and introducing them to new foods and such a fun way to incorporate learning into our week! Some things we made were healthy, some not so much, but all so fun to make together! Cooking as a family is my favorite! When Dad gets involved I love it that much more! Chris is an insane cook and these girls don’t know yet just how lucky they are to have a Dad with such amazing culinary skills! #happywife!

Having a house full of daughters is kind of like a dream come true! I don’t know that I necessarily ever imagined this, but it is truly incredible! We joke that we’re going to need to remodel our kitchen soon because our house is full of people who love to cook, including my husband who is the best of the best! But, we probably really will have to… So, if you want to come help remodel our space, let me know:D

bake1

It is so wonderful watching each of our daughters’ personalities develop, and you can see it so much when we bake. Norah takes baking pretty seriously and wants to get the recipe right. Charlie pretty much spends the whole time taste testing anything that falls onto the table and Ada just likes to bang spoons and make messes!

IMG_6171 (1)

It’s so fun watching them pick out their aprons, their whisk of choice, choosing which ingredients who gets to put in first and probably most of our recipes get extra eggs because egg cracking is their favorite part, next to dough tasting of course!

When my sweet friend Robyn told me she was flying into town from Phoenix and asked if we would want to do some photos, I knew right away that I wanted her to capture us doing one of our favorite things and do a little baking session! Guys, if you live in the Phoenix area, hit her up for photos! She does it all and her work is so good! But seriously, she does such a great job at simply capturing what’s happening and makes you feel totally comfortable. So, please check her out if you’re in her neck of the woods! I maybe ugly face cried when looking at these because she did such an amazing job capturing the girls’ personalities and the little moments that make up our time spent baking with one another!

We usually only get family photos done when we have a baby, so like once a year:D But, seriously, this was such a blessing! Robyn did a little home session for us after we welcomed Ada and I cherish those moments so much! I knew I wanted to do something to remember this special season with these 3 little ladies before their 4th sister arrives, and this was absolutely perfect! I am so excited to have those moments as our family of 6 beginning, but this was so very special!

I imagine what life will be like when they’re in their teens and I get so excited! People make lots of negative comments about how terrible it will be, and I just smile because I know it doesn’t have to be! I am so thankful to get to mother these ladies and when I imagine those years I imagine more coffee dates, more movie nights, more conversations in our kitchen… I know there will be rough moments, but I know none of those will compare to how wonderful the good ones will be!

A little alliteration for you! Cooking Chocolate Chip Cookies wearing Comfy Clogs with the Cutest Crew! See, education, education, education!

Robyn, Thank you so much for the gift of these photos! We are truly so grateful! Check Robyn out at RobynRena.com, Instagram and Facebook!

Some thoughts about Father’s Day & an Interview with my Love On Fatherhood

June 18, 2017February 3, 2020

The Pahls Family

Recently, BabyMori reached out to my super hunk of a husband, Chris, and asked him the question, “What does Fatherhood mean to you?” I was excited to read what he wrote because I am constantly amazed at what an incredible Father he is. We talked in our dating days about wanting two daughters, and now that we’re about to have four daughters, I would have 100 more babies with this man! On that note, want to have at least 5 more, husband? Just saying… think about it:D

OJ4A2780

Father’s Day is one of those days that is bittersweet to me. This will be the 8th Father’s Day that I mourn the loss of my Father and sister. While I miss my dad tremendously, I can only imagine how much joy it would bring him to see the way my husband loves me and the way he fathers our daughters. I know this is what he prayed for me when he first held me. I imagine him rocking me to sleep and praying for me to have a husband who would love me and our children the way he loved my mother and me. I know that when he dreamt of having grandchildren, he dreamt of them being fathered by a man like Chris. While I mourn the fact that my dad didn’t get to walk me down the aisle and give me away to Chris and mourn that he did not live to meet his grandchildren (he is about to have 9 now!) or embrace us as we welcomed our daughters and became parents, I know that the things he prayed over me were answered, and in more ways than I think he ever imagined.

I miss my dad so much, especially on this day… But the joy that I feel when I see the smiles on the girls’ faces when they model a new dress for their father, or the way the girls soak up the way Chris teaches them how to play a new game or the way they hide and jump out to surprise him when Chris gets home for work… That joy and thankfulness trumps the pain that comes with not seeing my father today. Chris preached at Church today, so he got there before we did. When we walked into the sanctuary, the first thing they did was look around for their dad and then took off running for him as soon as they found him in the crowd. That love they have for one another, that excitement they have as they run to their father and then watching the way he picks them up and embraces them, feeling that same excitement… It’s just so rich!

0-3

So, with that, here is an interview with Chris on what Fatherhood means to him. Happy Father’s Day to all of you Father’s out there, and for all of you may be mourning any kind of loss of a Father, a spouse or a child, I pray you feel more joy than pain today and that you are overwhelmed with love and peace each and every day you mourn those losses.

An Interview with BabyMori- What does Fatherhood mean to you?

“Fatherhood is, to me, a gift, a responsibility and a blessing all rolled into one. I get to experience what it is like to have my hands involved in molding and shaping a life, but am also being molded and shaped by my daughters. My eyes are constantly opened to new things around me, in my daughters and in myself. Fatherhood has shown and is showing me just how compassionate I can be, but at the same time, has shown me and shows me just how truly selfish I am and can be all at the same time. Fatherhood is one of the most fun things I have ever done while also exhausting and frustrating. I think Fatherhood is amazing, but also a weighty responsibility that I want to continue to grow in and handle correctly. My understanding of what it means to be created in the image and likeness of my Creator has been broadened beyond what I ever thought it would be.

0-47

On a related note, as a father to daughters, I will say that fatherhood has made me keenly aware of the way we, often unintentionally, belittle our female population. As we enter into the last stretch of pregnancy with our 4^thdaughter, I am met with many comments about my lack of sons that are increasingly frustrating to me. Many times the conversation goes this way:

Person – “Wow, your 4^th child. Do you know if it’s a boy or girl yet?”

Me – “It’s my 4^th girl”

Person – “Wow, I’m sorry” or “You must have more patience than me” or “Still don’t have that boy yet?” or “Will try until you get a boy?”

Now, I understand where the line of questioning comes from, but this is often in front of or within earshot of my daughters. I would love to take this opportunity to say that I absolutely love raising these little girls and in no way feel as though I was left out of something simply because I do not have a son, or that in some crazy way, these girls are of less value to me than having a son. I thank God for these 4 precious girls that I have been entrusted with and cherish the fact that I’m able to be part of their lives, and they a part of mine. Sure, the novelty of raising a little boy is alluring and I enjoy entertaining the thought of having a little mini-me running around. That novelty, however, pales in comparison to the blessing of this house that is filled with estrogen. I want to see the gifts set before me and be diligent to raise strong, productive, useful, and joy filled women. I am planning a small bunker for myself for the future, though, and will be practicing my most intimidating facial expressions and death threats for the boys that will be knocking on my door.” -Chris Pahls.

0-42

To read more inspiring stories about Fatherhood, head over BabyMori and read more in their Journal Series.

Photos By Robyn Bunch, Courtney Unruh & Stephanie Pollock

a m a n d a p a h l s

Category: At Home

At Home with Kaley From Kansas

That rug really tied the room together | Warming up our home with Rugs Direct

Hacking laundry with Whirlpool

Something for everybody; a little holiday gifting guide

That time Madewell accidentally changed my life

This is a first

Getting Cozy with Garnet Hill

Spring baking with Rough Linen

Paula Dean Inspired Lemon Bars

Ingredients

Directions

Baking with my babes!

Some thoughts about Father’s Day & an Interview with my Love On Fatherhood

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Paula Dean Inspired Lemon Bars

Ingredients

Directions

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: