Today on the blog I’m sharing my goals and intentions for 2023! And if you know me, you know my main intention/goal every year is to simplify and focus on the things that matter most. I really want to keep everything simple this year and not overwhelm myself too much, especially as we’re in the middle of a move right now! Simplifying is my main goal, but I also made a spiritual, physical, and financial goal so I’ll be sharing those below!
MY 2023 GOALS + INTENTIONS
: MY SPIRITUAL GOAL
My spiritual goal this year is to continue to stay close to Christ and strengthen my relationship with Him so that I can keep receiving guided inspiration. Joe and I feel like we’ve never been more guided than we have been in the last 6 months, so we want to feel that guidance always.
Overall, my goal is to be more like Christ. I want to take on His attributes. I feel like He was always still and I really want to be like that. I want to be still… not worried, not hurried, just be present.
: MY PHYSICAL GOAL
My physical goal is to gain 10 pounds! I want to gain healthy weight and grow some muscle. We’ve been so out of our routine. I used to workout 6 days a week, but right now I’m going to start working out 3 days a week and stick to a program. The program I’m doing is Cara Loren’s Burn workout app. As I continue to feel stronger, I will add in more workout days but for now I want to be consistent with 3 days a week.
: OUR FINANCIAL GOAL
Our financial goal this year is to save as much money as we can so that when we build our house, we can make our mortgage payment as low as we can. Our focus will be to save any extra money we make and just put it away into savings. Then when the home build is done, we can put as much money on the house as we possibly can. So that’s our financial goal for the next year and a half.
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I think 2023 is going to be a great year for all of us! Comment below your goals and intentions for 2023!
Can you even believe another year has come and gone?! We’re finally home from St. George and getting back into our routine of things….homeschool, sports, school, and all of the busy things!! BUT I always love sharing a roundup of top sellers from the past year so today on the blog I’m sharing all the best selling fashion items of 2022! These are items that both me AND you guys loved this past year!
I basically lived in this Target set (link to top + bottoms) for the last few months of 2022! I’m so glad you guys love it as much as I do! It’s the perfect outfit to wear around the house. Wearing size extra small in the top and bottoms.
This popular freya sweater set from Free People was one of my favorite things I purchased last year so it doesn’t surprise me that it was a top seller. It comes in 6 other colors too! It’s a must have for spring. I’m wearing an extra small.
This free people onesie is a top seller every year!! It’s a timeless onesie that can be worn during any season. It comes in 12 other colors so you are sure to find the color you love! This is definitely a closet staple that everyone needs.
I’m not surprised that everyone loved this dress from Amazon! It is the perfect dress for summer and is easy to dress up or down. It comes in 9 different colors and is only $30.99!!
This cream cardigan was my go-to staple for fall and winter! It’s the perfect length, color, and matches with any outfit. And it’s 75% off right now!!!! Don’t miss out!!! Wearing a size xs/s.
I quickly fell in love with this sweater dress from Walmart! It’s such a flattering dress that can be worn any season of the year! It also comes in a black and burgundy color. And better yet, it’s on sale right now for $16!!! I’m wearing an extra small.
This sweater set from Free People has been a top seller for the past few years! I’m so glad you all love it as much as I do because it’s the cutest and comfiest set! It’s available in 4 colors right now so go make sure you snag one!
The wool coat in the picture is sold out, but I found similar options that are still available! Similar options linked here and here. A wool coat is the only staple you need for fall! I wear mine all the time!
These workout shorts will always be my go-to! I love the high waistband and how well they fit! They also come in 30 colors and are only $30! I have multiple colors because they are my favorite! I wear the extra small.
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Comment below what your favorite fashion purchase was last year!!! And keep an eye out for the top home and beauty sellers of 2022!
We’ve got some BIG news to share with you all!! We are moving to St. George!! Back to our hometown.
: OUR BIG NEWS
WE FOUND A LOT that’s perfect for our family and we can’t wait to start this whole journey again. Right where we are meant to be!
: THE STORY OF HOW IT ALL HAPPENED
Going back to August when we shared that we weren’t going to build on our dream lot (here’s that blog post), I had hundreds of you in my DM’s asking “Why aren’t you building anymore? What happened? What was wrong with the lot?” etc. I also had a ton of people telling me that they had done the same thing… that they too had backed out on lots and dream homes that simply just didn’t feel right. But to answer those questions, there was nothing wrong with the lot or the location. It was perfect. We did the research + tests and had prayed about it 2 years prior, and it felt like that was the place we were supposed to be.
Once we had sold our old home and were getting closer to breaking ground, it just didn’t feel right. It was such a difficult time for me… I kept having thoughts that “maybe we shouldn’t have sold our old house”. Joe and I had visited the lot on my birthday and I had the feeling that we weren’t supposed to build there. I didn’t dare tell Joe I was feeling that way. But a few days later, I told him that I just couldn’t do it and that we needed to sell the lot and he told me that he felt the exact same way. So that decision was so easy for us, we felt 100% right about selling the lot and our house plans. Even though NONE of it made any sense. We didn’t know why we felt guided to sell the lot, we just knew that it felt completely right. And that was the only thing I had complete peace in. I know that it was the Holy ghost or whatever you believe as your Higher Power. But I knew that it was God guiding us and helping us to find peace in this unknown.
: THE ST. GEORGE LOT
If you’ve been around here, you knew that we started to look for different lots. We even put an offer in for 6 acres in Bountiful and totally felt like that was where we were supposed to be. Our earnest money was about to go hard on this lot and then we found out that a road had to go through the whole 6 acres. So with the seller we tried to fight it + even called a few lawyer friends. It was becoming a big deal and then we started having our doubts. In the meantime, my parents bought a lot in St George. They are very thought-out people and like to discuss things with us and chat. They don’t do quick-spur of the moment kinda things. But they called us and told us that they had bought this lot and we were all shocked! My parents said that whoever moves to St. George first can buy the lot from them. Joe and I knew that we weren’t going to move down to St. George for another 10-15 years so we didn’t think too much about it. THREE DAYS after my parents bought the lot, we got a call from the St. George hospital (on a Friday) and they wanting Joe to come down for an interview Monday morning. We were SHOCKED! So Joe and I drove down Sunday night, his interview was 8 hours long Monday and we drove back home that night.
We got home from the interview and just waited for a response. It was the longest week of my life! We still had our earnest money on the lot in Bountiful which was supposed to go hard on Friday. Thursday morning and we still hadn’t heard back from St. George yet. Then came my meltdown. I felt like I had held it together pretty well, but I finally just broke down. We needed to know what was going to happen so we could make a decision with the Bountiful lot. I begged Joe to email the St. George hospital and see if they could give us an answer. (but of course he didn’t. haha) But within a couple hours, Joe had come home and told me WE GOT THE JOB! I literally started bawling. It was just such a relief and an answer to our prayers. We were just in awe of God’s timing in all of this. None of this made sense why the first house sale fell through, why we had to move out in 10 days, then deciding not to build on the lot we had designed for TWO YEARS, all the chaos, etc. Nothing at that time was going to plan the way we expected but it all made sense when we found out about Joe’s new job in St. George. As we reflected on all the chaos, we realized just how everything was in God’s timing.
This all happened a few months ago, so we’ve been able to digest everything and make sure that St. George is where we need to be. It’s been so hard keeping this news from all of you! When we went down to St. George to look at lots and we ended up buying the lots from my parents! Joe and I were nervous about living so close to my parents AND across the street from Joe’s parents! But we prayed about it + know it was all meant to be. We are truly excited to be in St. George and SO close to family. We have seen God’s hand in this whole situation. This has been His will and we’ve been open to listening to His plan because obviously His plan is always better than our own plan. This is something we didn’t think would be happening for another 10-15 years but the way this has worked out is better than we could’ve ever imagined! The kids are so excited but also have mixed feelings about leaving friends and leaving their schools here, but over all they are thrilled!
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Next week on the blog I’ll be sharing all about when we’re moving and our plans for St. George so be looking out for that!
When the kids help out around the house and do their chores, I add money to their Greenlight cards. But, this play money has been better for Harper and Houston because they physically see the money. So they’ve been helping a lot more around the house! I give them the play money and they can put it in their envelope and at the end of the week I put that money into their Greenlight card.
Joe and I didn’t do Christmas gifts for each other this year, but we have the Ikea bed and we do not like it… so I bought him this mattress filler! It goes between the headboard and mattress and it’s amazing!
: LUMINEUX TOOTHPASTE
I’ve loved using the Lumineux teeth whitening strips so I decided to order their whitening toothpaste so the family could try it out. Some of the kids don’t like the taste, but I personally don’t think it’s bad.
: WESTERN BOOT
I got these western boots for Hayden and they are great! She wanted them from Santa. They are great quality!
: DOG SWEATER
We bought this dog sweater for Minnie for Christmas! I love that it’s lightweight. It comes in a bunch of sizes too!
: LACE DRESS
I ordered this green lace dress for Christmas! It does run a touch big.
: DIAMOND PAINTING STICKERS
These diamond painting stickers have totally entertained my kids. Even Hunter and I love doing them! They are such an easy craft. If you have younger kids, I would get the bigger diamonds.
: CASTOR OIL
I have LOVED using this Castor Oil. I’ve been using it on my eyelashes and eyebrows just to nourish them and I swear my eyebrows aren’t flaky anymore. And my eyelashes have been amazing. Definitely recommend this!
: ELEMIS COLLAGEN CLEANSING BALM
I use this Elemis collagen cleansing balm to take off my makeup and I have seriously loved it. My face doesn’t feel as dry anymore. My esthetician told me to cleanse my face twice so I use this Elemis cleanser and then I use my Tula cleanser [code KAILEE] after.
: SKINNY CURLING WAND
I got a lot of questions about how I curled Harper’s hair that one day and this skinny curling wand is what I used! It’s so fun and makes such pretty tight curls!
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That wraps up my Amazon buys from last month! Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
I wanted to share our family favorite dip before Christmas because it’s a great snack to have around during the holidays, especially if you’re hosting! It’s such an easy recipe that everyone will love!
– INGREDIENTS –
2 packages of jimmy deans sausage
14 oz salsa of your choice
14 oz diced green chilis ( if I want it a little spicier, then I do half green chilis and half jalapenos)
1 pint sour cream
16 oz cream cheese
– INSTRUCTIONS –
in a pot, simmer the sausage, salsa, and green chilis together for 20 minutes
then add the sour cream and cream cheese
stir together and service with chips of your choice
** This recipe is doubled because I’m always making it for a lot of people! So you can cut this recipe in half if you aren’t serving a lot of people.**
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Let me know if you try this recipe! It’s seriously so good!
I wanted to hop on here and share our life update! I’m sharing my thoughts about homeschool, what’s been happening with our house plans, how Minnie is doing, and more! Right now, we’re just really enjoying this slower time as a family without too many sports. We are loving all this time together, especially during Christmas time. Hope everyone is having a great December!
LIFE UPDATE
: HOMESCHOOL
Homeschool is going AMAZING! I’ve never been happier with our decision than now. I think it’s because it’s winter and it’s cold and Hayden and Hudson have just loved being home with no rush in the morning. Honestly, I was really hard on myself for not teaching history or baking with them all the time, but the past couple weeks Hayden and Hudson have been baking on their own! They made snickerdoodles the other night and made everyone pancakes for dinner! It’s just been so fun for them. I’ve finally gotten it out of my head that these things don’t have to be done at a certain time…like baking class doesn’t have to be in the morning, etc. They’ve been coming up with ideas on their own and I’m just absolutely loving it!
Hudson has really started to get good at the guitar and he actually has asked for an electric guitar for Christmas! So we’re going to get for him!
Hayden has still said a few times that she wishes I was her teacher, but we’ve been reading together which is going great! She has read 6 full books since she started in August, which is incredible because in past years we’ve never been able to get through 1 or 2 books. She’s just loving reading which is HUGE and I’m just seeing her confidence build. It’s been so amazing. And she still gets to play! That’s my biggest thing. She still gets to be a little kid! When Harper gets home at noon, her and Hayden always play together and make believe! And that’s something we’ll never get back again. If Hayden was in school, she’d be gone until 4 and then would go to gymnastics after school, so she would just miss out. It’s truly been a blessing to see their relationship bloom! I don’t regret our homeschool decision in any way.
: HOUSE SITUATION
Our most asked question is “what’s going on with the house/our living situation?” So here’s the answer! We did end up selling our lot up in North Salt Lake, so that has been such a relief. Right now with the holidays, we’ve decided to just be content. That has been my “word” for the year. At the beginning of the year I told myself I wanted to simplify life, be present in the moment, and just be content. And God has totally set that up for us! Hunter actually loves the rental. She’s been begging us not to move out. But we’ve just decided that these next couple months that we are fine to just sit and wait. We’re in no rush. We’re just enjoying where we are at right now and choosing to be content!
: UPDATE ON MINNIE
Minnie has more than doubled her size! She can now go down the stairs, but still is slow at it. Potty training is going really well. It’s been the best thing for Hayden and we’re all just loving it! I’ll link all our favorite dog items here.
: HUNTER’S UPDATE
Hunter turned 16 last month! Hunter just passed her test, so she can get her license on the 28th of this month! She is so ecstatic (so are Joe and I)! It’ll be so helpful to have her be able to help drive herself and her siblings. She is nervous to drive in the snow because it is really scary and it’s already been really snowy up here. But, she is really excited!
She’s doing indoor soccer right now! It’s so fun to watch her be aggressive and do what she loves! It’s been fun to have her home more. We’ve just been enjoying this slower time of sports because when Spring starts, that’s when all the sports start up again! Hunter has her first “girl’s choice” dance in February so she’s going to ask someone in the next week or two which is crazy to me! So that’s exciting.
: I DYED MY HAIR
I’m loving my new hair! I honestly think I want to go even darker. I’m so glad I finally added some dark!
: CHRISTMAS PLANS
We’re going to St. George for Christmas! We’re really excited because Joe has never had the full week off for Christmas, it’s literally been 8-9 years. So we are excited!
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That wraps up our life update! Wishing every a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Today’s gift guide is for the missionaries in your life! Whether it be your niece, nephew, cousin, friend, or even your own child, these are easy gift ideas that they are sure to use and love!
Made By Mary has the best quality of jewelry! They have a beautiful state necklace and a country necklace that you can customize to where they are serving! It’s the perfect gift for the sister missionaries!
: STANCE SOCKS
Joe and Hudson use these Stance socks and they love them! They have lasted for years. It’s a great gift idea for an Elder! I use the no-show Stance socks and they are my favorite. They would make a great gift for a Sister missionary.
: PORTABLE CHARGER
This portable charger is a great gift that they can keep in their car just in case they ever need it!
: 16OZ STANLEY
This 16oz Stanley is perfect for throwing in their bag and keeps their water cold all day long! Comes in a couple different colors.
: GIFT CARD
You can’t go wrong giving a missionary a gift card! It’s less money they have to spend! A Subway gift card is a great option but get them a gift card to their favorite restaurant!
: BLUETOOTH KEYBOARD
I had a follower who is a mother of a missionary, and she requested that we put a bluetooth keyboard on the gift guide! She says it’s helpful to hook it up to their phone when writing their weekly emails!
: CLEAN SIMPLE EATS RECIPE BOOK
This recipe book by Clean Simple Eats is my favorite! They have the most delicious HEALTHY meals in there! Your missionary would love this recipe book for those nights they have to cook! Use code KAILEEWRIGHT to save 10%!
: BELT BAG
A belt bag is the perfect gift for an Elder or a Sister missionary! It makes it easy to carry their phone, keys, etc. and is hands-free! Comes in multiple colors and is under $20!
You really can’t go wrong with giving wrapping paper to neighbors and friends…I mean everyone is wrapping gifts in December! I found this cute 4 pack of wrapping paper on Amazon! You could divide up the 4 pack and just give one to each family!
: WEREWOLF
Werewolf is hands down my family’s favorite game ever! It’s our favorite when playing with a big group of people, so it’s perfect for families and large gatherings! Games are always a good neighbor gift option!
: EINSTEIN BAGELS
Every year, our neighbor brings us a dozen bagels and drops it off on Christmas Eve morning! My kids absolutely love it so I thought I could share that with you all!
: DOOR DASH GIFT CARD
A gift card is an easy gift that everyone will love! Whether it’s a door dash gift card or another gift card, you can add a note with it that says “dinner’s on us!”
: VANILLA EXTRACT
Last year, my neighbor and friends gifts was Vanilla extract from Mexico! They have the yummiest vanilla. Vanilla is a great gift because people are always baking this time of year!
: PAPER PLATES
We have some friends who bring us paper plates and cups every year and it’s the best because we don’t have to do dishes for a week! I found this cute Christmas pack on Amazon!
: FRESH BREAD
Who doesn’t love fresh bread? Whether you make your own bread or buy some from the bakery, anyone would appreciate some freshly baked bread!
: CEREAL
Another idea I’ve gotten from friends- gifting cereal! My kids love it because it’s fun for them to have a new cereal.
: KRISPY KREME DONUTS
One of our neighbors brought us a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts last year and my whole family loved it! So delicious and such a fun gift idea!
: MOVIE GIFT BAG
I found these cute popcorn treat bag on Amazon that you could fill with candy and buy some movie tickets to put in there too! You really can’t go wrong with that!
Here’s what I ordered last month from Amazon! Check out what I ordered for Hunter’s birthday, Hayden’s new dog Minnie, some Christmas gifts for the kids, and more below!
We got Minnie last month! Hayden worked for months and months to earn enough money to pay for half, it was so sweet to see. She was so surprised when I came home with Minnie! So as you can imagine, we’ve been ordering a ton of dog items for her. We can’t take her outside because she is so little so we’re potty training her inside. I ordered a turf mat for potty training, odor eliminating dog pads, and some potty training spray. The potty training spray is magical! It helps her go potty and it even worked on my sister’s dog too! We also got those dog bells so nobody steps on her and some shampoo for her too!
: PUFFER VEST, NIKE SHOE, + BOOK
I ordered the puffer vest, Nike shoes, and How to Win Friends and Influence People book for Hunter for Christmas! For each of our kids, Joe and I like to give them something they need, something they can wear, something they want, and something they can read.
: MULTI SPORTS GAME TABLE
Houston couldn’t think of anything he wanted for Christmas and my aunt has this old 4-in-1 game table that he loves so I found this multi sports game table on Amazon! It’s going to be his main gift and I’m really excited about it. It can convert into a ping pong table, a pool table, a foosball table, and a basketball hoop game!
: BATH BOMBS
I ordered these 10 packs of bath bombs for the kids to put in their Christmas stockings!
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That wraps up my Amazon buys for last month! Happy December! Check out our stocking stuffer gift guides here.
One of my favorite Christmas traditions each year is wrapping up a Christmas book and letting the kids unwrap it! It’s such a fun and easy surprise for the kids. We’ve collected so many Christmas books over the years, so we just try to read one each night during December. I set all the books in a basket in our front room by the fireplace so the kids can look through them. It’s such a fun way to get in the Christmas spirit and make memories with your people!
The picture above are the books we’ve collected over the past few years! All of them can be found on Amazon. The kids absolutely love all of them, but their favorite is How to Catch an Elf. We’ve read it so many times! This year I’ve already ordered a few from Amazon, so I’ll share those below!
BOOKS I JUST ORDERED
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Do you have a family favorite Christmas book? Please share it with me if you do! I always love collecting new ones for my people. Hope this blog post gave you some fun Christmas book ideas!
You guys know how much we love Cariloha! Their products are seriously life changing…not to be dramatic or anything. So, have you been wondering what to gift your parents, in-laws, or even YOURSELF for Christmas? Cariloha has everything you need AND want! And better yet, my Cariloha code (KAILEE40) will give you 40% off sitewide this Christmas season! This is the biggest discount you’ll ever find!!!!! Let’s talk details below!
I never used to think that quality bedding made a difference at all…. until I finally invested in Cariloha’s mattress, sheets, and duvet comforter! You guys, it’s seriously like sleeping on a cloud. Joe and I sleep on the Resort Bamboo Mattress and all of the kids have the Classic Bamboo Mattress. They are our family favorite mattresses! If you and your spouse need a new mattress, the Resort Bamboo Mattress would be a perfect gift for both of you.
The Cariloha Bamboo Bed Sheets are a dream come true! If I could recommend one thing from Cariloha, it’d be their sheets! They are completely made of bamboo and the softest thing you’ll ever find. They come in many neutral colors and would make the perfect gift for your parents, teenager, or even yourself! I also can’t forget about the Bamboo Duvet Comforter. It has a nice weight to it to give you that hugged feeling, but is so light and breezy at the same time so you don’t get hot. If you want to gift yourself or a loved one better quality sleep, then Cariloha has everything you need to achieve it!
: PILLOW
I can’t say enough good things about the Cariloha Flex Pillow! We gifted these pillows to my parents a few years ago and they are obsessed! It doesn’t surprise me. The pillow is 100% customizable to your desire of firmness. The inside “filling” of the pillow is made of bamboo charcoal memory foam. This filling can be removed to achieve your desired firmness. Joe has his all the way full, and I took out about 1/2. This pillow are INCREDIBLE and would be the perfect “treat yourself” gift!
: TOWELS
All of our bath towels and hand towels are from Cariloha! They are the softest towels you will ever find. They also keep their soft material even after washing them. And thanks to the bamboo material, they are odor resistant. They are seriously the best towels, my whole family loves them! They would make the best gift for any loved one.
: CLOTHING
Joe is really picky when it comes to t-shirts and the way they fit/feel. So, I was nervous to order the Bamboo Crew Tee for him, but he absolutely loved it! We got him the black tee and it’s his new favorite shirt, which tells you how amazing the shirt really is. If your husband or father needs a new staple t-shirt, then the Bamboo Crew Tee is a great option! Joe also really loves their Bamboo Socks, another great gift option.
My favorite robe in the entire world is from Cariloha! It’s a unisex bamboo bathrobe, so it works for both men and women. It’s seriously the softest thing in the world! If you aren’t sure what to gift your mom or spouse, you really can’t go wrong with this Bamboo Bathrobe!
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Don’t forget to use code KAILEE40 for 40% off when shopping at Cariloha for Christmas gifts this season!
