Family

May 21, 2018

Favorite Finds: Kids Swim

dress + here + pink here | swimsuit | harper swimsuit + headband | hunter swimsuit | houston top

If you follow along over on Instagram, you know that we recently took a little family getaway back to Southern California. It was so nice to be able to meet up with our residency family and catch up on life. They truly are as close as family to us and we have been missing them like crazy!! While we were there, shared a couple pics of our time on the beach. We had quite a few requests for some our kids swim favorites, so I thought it would be the perfect fit for this weeks Favorite Finds topic!

houston rashguard | swimsuit + similar || harper swimsuit | headband | similar sandals

BABY + LITTLE GIRL : I love love love buying swim suits for this age range! It is seriously so easy and I swear there are so many cute options! Maybe it ‘s that there little bodies look cute in anything…or that they are so easy to please, but I love shopping for this age! Gimme anything pink…or with ruffles and I am sold!! I especially love these little rash guard sets for Harper. I don’t know about your babes, but mine are not fans of holding still to be smothered with sunscreen! These rash guards help cut back on the places we need to slather on the sunscreen, and feel like she has more protection!

blue cover up + pink option | hudson board shorts

BOYS : Why can’t shopping for every age be as easy as shopping for boys swim suits?! You never really have to stress about the fit because its just a pair of shorts!! For my little dudes, I like to go with the more neutral timeless options since they usually end up being able to wear them for more than one year. Houston loves getting the same color as Hudson! And as long as it is something he can run and jump in, Hudson is easy to please!

hunter shorts | flip flops | swimsuit

TWEEN : Shopping swim for Hunter has been so much harder this year. She is growing up and with that comes changes in her body and how things fit. It has been so hard to know where to even look! After sharing on Instagram, it sounds like I’m not the only one struggling!! We’ve found a few one pieces we are loving, but are still kind of working on knowing what she likes and feels comfortable with. If you have been in our shoes, I’d love your input on where to look!

MOM : Since a lot of you are moms, I figured I’d throw a few of my favorites for me in too! I’m so happy with alll the amazing one piece options this year!! I shared a lot of my favorite styles here, as well as my reasons for loving each. My number one go to is always a black one piece because it is so timeless and flattering, you can wear it for years to come. I’ve been loving this one this year too! Findingd something I feel comfortable running around with my people in is a must too. I usually have two babies climbing on me so it’s gotta hold everything in place!

I think that covers all the little people and our favorite kids swim options! It can be tricky for certain ages, so I’d love to get your feedback on where you find the best suits for your people too!!

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Baby

May 14, 2018

Harper’s Schedule + 16 Month Update

Time just keeps on flying by and somehow my BABY is 16 months old already! It could be because she is our last little babe, but Harper seems to be growing up way too fast. Can we not figure out how to slow time down already?! A week or two ago I shared a little bit of a detailed look into the little peoples schedule. Since posting, I’ve had quite a few requests for more details in Harper’s schedule. So today I’m sharing whats new with our little babe + a peak into a typical day for her!

romper (sold out) similar + here | headband | moccs

MILESTONES…

Running around like a pro trying to keep up with the big people. She is fast!
Being a pro stander, her new favorite thing is digging through and emptying alllll the cupboards and drawers. These locks have been saving our sanity in the Master Bathroom…and I’m starting to think I need to Harper proof the whole house!
We think she is getting some more teeth so she has had some grumpy days. Hoping that is done soon!
She has the best chub ever! I got sick of buying two sizes of diapers so I moved her up to wear size 4 like her “big” brother Houston. She is already wearing size 2T in her jammies except maybe these ones that stretch right over her belly. Most clothes she is wearing 18-24 M, but can still do 12-18 in a few things.
Speaking of chub…those feet!! We cannot find a single pair of shoes that her fat feet fit in, except for her moccs. She wears them every single day and they are saving us!
Has figured out how to go down the stairs backwards which we are so grateful for. Definitely takes my stair stress down a notch, but we’re still keeping this gate up to avoid any disasters.

swim cover up + swimsuit | harper dress + headband |

THINGS WE’RE LOVING…

She has started saying Mom so clearly all the time and I couldn’t love it more!
Will give kisses on demand and we are allll taking full advantage of that cuteness. But with the kisses also comes her turning you down with a slap if she isn’t feeling it. haha.
Is starting to be able to hold her own and will put up a fight with Houston if he takes something she wants. He better watch his back since she is pretty much the same size as him!

SCHEDULE…

7:30 – Wakes up for the day.

8:00 – Eats breakfast with the big kids. Her favorite is definitely yogurt and doing it allll herself.

9:30 – Takes a bottle and goes down for her first nap. She has been fighting this one a lot more lately. We are still trying to get it in, but some days it works and some days it doesn’t.

11:30 – Around when she wakes up from the first nap.

12:00 – Lunch with Houston + Hayden. After lunch, the three of them usually just play together while I get things cleaned up. It is one of their favorite times of day.

1:30 – Afternoon naps for both Harper + Houston. This is such a key time for our day, and we really try to get both babies down at the same time. So that means the time can fluctuate and sometimes its later. It is my saving grace to be able to clean up around the house, or focus on any work for the blog, without taking time away from my people.

One thing I always try to do is plan our life around naps. It is not easy, but has always been a sacrifice I’m willing to make because well rested babes are MUCH happier babes, and it helps so much with their sleeping at night too. If we have to skip a nap to get things done, it will be the morning one, but I do everything in my power to keep this afternoon one on schedule. So grocery pick up and running errands at night have become our new norm to cut back on time out of the house. I’ve share them here before, but these sound machines make such a difference in naps too!

3:30 – If we get her down for a nap at 1:30, she is usually up around 3:30. She has some snacks and usually follows me around “helping” with whatever I’m finishing up, or plays with Houston.

4:00 – The big kids come home and usually maul Harper with allll the love. She is so happy when she sees them come in, its the cutest.

5-5:30- We eat dinner. That might seem early to some of you, but it is what works best for us to avoid extra snacking and work around sports schedules. For the most part, she just eats whatever the rest of us our having. She is a pretty good eater as I’m sure you can tell by those thighs. She is drinking from a sippy cup now

6:30-7:00 – This is her ideal bedtime, and what we shoot for. If its a day where we have practice or games for the big kids it can get pushed closer to 7:30-8, but she does better if its earlier. She has been sleeping through the night for months and is such a good sleeper. Every once in a while she will wake up in the night, but usually just soothes herself or switches positions and is back to sleep within a minute or two.

I think that about sums up Harper’s update + schedule. Overall she has been such a good, sweet baby, and the perfect finishing piece to our crew. She totally goes with the flow of her siblings busy schedules and is rarely upset. We are all completely obsessed with her!

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Looks

May 10, 2018

Favorite Finds: The Brand I’m Crushing On For Spring Trends

tee | jeans + white jeans + black jeans | harper romper + headband

It is no secret around here that I am a huge Nordstrom girl. If I could have a shopping spree anywhere, I would pick Nordstrom with zero hesitation. I usually tend to stick to a basic tee and jeans, and keep my wardrobe pretty simple, but I started checking out Topshop and am LOVING so many of their fun trendy pieces, so I thought it would be fun to share my faves with you for this weeks favorite finds. Plus I found the most amazing jeans for $40!!!

I think the thing I love most about Topshop is it is SO SO affordable. Just about every single piece I’m sharing with you today is under $100. For me that is huge when I’m shopping for more trendy pieces, because they may not get the same long wear as a basic tee and jeans. I also love that their pieces are like the pop to an outfit. If your looking to step out of your comfort zone and not break the bank Topshop is the way to go. So now on to my favorites!

white tee | pants + similar on sale $33 | similar slides | harper romper + headband

BOTTOMS…

I LOVE a good pair of jeans. They are basically what I live in every day of the summer, because longer shorts are so hard to find. My absolute favorites for spring and summer are these white jeans. They are high waisted, which is a must in my book, and the stretch is so good. They do run small so keep that in mind when ordering. I get asked allll the time how I dare wear white jeans with 5 little people, so I’m hear to clue you in on my secret weapon. Bleach pens! They make any little spills or marks on white pants easy to fix!

These black jeans have always been one of my favorite daily go to’s as well, especially for date night. They are so easy to dress up or down and the stretch is perfection. With all of their jeans, the quality is so good but you don’t feel like you are spending a million bucks so its ok to really wear them down and play hard with your people all summer long.

As far as shorts go, I did find this pair for over my swimsuit on our beach trip and love them! Again, I love that they are high waist, which can be hard to find in shorts, and run true to size.

And now for the out of my comfort zone trendy item I’m excited to try. These trousers. I have seen a few of my girlfriends in them and they looked so dang cute I had to try. I’ll report back on how I love them, but so far I’m loving the cute stripe and of course the high waist.

TOPS…

Topshop is such a fun place to look for tops to add that extra flare to your look. They have such fun patterns and styles, especially with Spring + Summer coming up. I am dying over how cute this polka dot top is. It is so light and breathable, perfect for summer, and would be perfect with the black jeans and some heels for date night. We all know my obsession with stripes too so of course this one caught my eye. In addition to the more trendy pieces, they have some super affordable basic tees too I’m excited to try.

SHOES…

Spring/Summer + Shoes is one of my very favorite combos! I love finding fun cute new sandals or slides for the season. It is great to switch things up and let my feet breathe! haha!! If you’ve been around for awhile you know I wear these cute mules 24/7! They’re one of my very favorite shoes I have owned for years. So so comfortable and quick to slide on and go when you’re out with your people. And I’m loving these slides + sandals. I love that they are so simple + chic but would go so well with so many different outfits. What are your go-to summer shoe?

in partnership with Nordstrom

photos : aubrey taiese

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Family

May 7, 2018

Our Quick On The Go Survival Kit

This post is sponsored by Walmart and SheKnows Media.

As a mom of 5, life can definitely be busy! With our 2 oldest participating on different competitive sports teams, you could say I’ve gotten pretty good at the role of taxi driver. Most of the time the 2 babies and Hayden are along for the ride, so I always try to have a sort of survival kids kit with me to help keep everyone happy! Since I know a lot of you are busy moms in the same boat, I thought I’d share what we pack in our on the go kids kit!

SNACKS: Just before it’s time to head out, one of the little people is in charge of grabbing snacks. I shared how we keep everything easily accessible in our pantry here, and it has made such a difference! To make it quick + easy, we just grab a gallon size ziploc and stuff it full of the favorites. We ALWAYS make sure we include these Parent’s Choice Organic baby food pouches. The babies both love them + my big kids love the applesauce option too. I love that they don’t make a big mess in the car + are a healthier option. Harper is obsessed with these puffs too and would eat a whole container if I let her! Even Hunter thinks they are good. Haha! Our other favorites are baggies of goldfish, gogurt, and granola bars.

BINKIE + BLANKET: These are two items we try to never leave home without! Sometimes being out makes us miss nap time, so having these around are comforting if we are out through nap time. Sometimes just having them around helps the babies relax and take a nap! We love these blankets because they are so soft and light weight.

SIPPY CUPS + BIBS: If you haven’t tried these lightweight sippy cups, you have got to head to Walmart and get some! They are such a game changer! They work great even for Hayden, and I love not having to worry about spills in the car. Unlike a lot of sippy cups, these don’t have any little inserts, making them easy to clean. They are made to be disposable, kind of like a no-spills paper cup. The bibs are also something I always keep on hand. I don’t know about you, but I hate putting a dirty bib back in my diaper bag, so I love this quick toss and go option.

ENTERTAINMENT: Part of waiting through a practice, game, or even just a car ride is keeping everyone entertained. The babies love these little books + I think they are so cute. For Hayden I usually pack a notebook and some pens. Coloring + playing games like tic-tac-toe are some of her favorites.

Keeping our on the go kid kit stocked has been so easy with the help of Walmart. The online grocery pickup they offer in our area has changed my life! If you’ve been around for awhile you’ve probably seen me share on my Instagram stories!! I know that sounds dramatic, but it is so true. Also being able to quickly throw everything in my cart online, and schedule a time that we can stop by in our pj’s without getting out of the car is amazing. So if you haven’t checked if it is in your area, do it now. You will not regret it! And I wanna know, what are your must have on the go items for your people?

in partnership with Walmart

photos : aubrey taiese

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Beauty

May 4, 2018

Favorite Finds: 7 Beauty Items I’m Loving for Spring

Spring is finally in the air and I could not be happier!! Flowers + trees are finally in bloom and I just want to lay in the sunshine streaming through our windows! There is just something about Spring that brings such a bright + happy feeling. There are always so many cute new patterns + colors that start showing up all over in stores in both fashion + beauty. I love refreshing my typical beauty routine with a few new additions when Spring rolls around. So today I’m sharing with you the 7 beauty items ( some tried + true, some fun + new) that I’m loving for Spring!

FACE WASH :

I’ve told you guys 1000 times before that I absolutely love Tula. Their Purifying Cleanser is no exception and one of my very favorite items from their line. My face feels so clean and refreshed, but it doesn’t leave you with that tight dry desert face feeling after using it, like a lot of other face washes. It is full of probiotics to help nourish your skin. It is a higher price point than your average face wash, but you barely have to use any to wash your whole face and I promise it is the cleanest it will ever feel!

FACE CREAM : If I could shout from the rooftops about one beauty product it would without a doubt be this one. This Hydrating Day + Night Cream from Tula is without a doubt my very favorite item in my whole beauty routine. Living in Utah, especially going through the winter, your skin can get SO DRY. I love that I can use a tiny bit of this moisturizing cream and it instantly transforms the look and feel of my skin. It is not too heavy feeling either. You never have that greasy shine that a lot of hydrating creams do, just a nice clean glow. Like the face wash it is full of probiotics + is like a super food for your face! If you were to invest in any one product for your beauty routine, this should hands down be the one.

LIP SCRUB : This lip scrub is a new find for me and I am already in LOVE! I’ve always loved a good lip scrub. Who doesn’t love silky smooth lips?! All of the scrubs I’ve tried in the past have to be wiped off after using them. But with this one, you put it on just like a lipstick and can wear it all day because the little exfoliators disappear. Once they are gone it just leaves a soft rose tint to your lips and they feel amazing! And the smell! Oh my gosh you’ll die. I want to buy it for every single one of my girlfriends!

PREP + PRIME : When it comes to tried + true products for your lips, this is mine. I kind of feel like it is my secret weapon to wearing lipstick. It feels just like a chapstick, and you apply it the same. It smooths and preps your lip (just like the name says) for your favorite lip color!

LIPSTICK : I have been a Mac lipstick addict for years and years. It is always my lipstick of choice. I feel like the pigment is perfect and love the creamy texture. I get asked all the time what my every day lipstick is and it is always Mac Angel, but I love this new shade to add to my line up too!

NAIL POLISH : I don’t know about you, but having my nails painted is a must for me. For some reason I feel like it makes me feel more put together and ready to take on the day. With a busy schedule, I don’t always have time to head in to the nail salon, so I love having the option of good polishes that will last for at home use.

MAKEUP WIPES : I’m not sure about you, but traveling or not, makeup remover wipes are a MUST. I use them every single night before I wash my face to take off my makeup. I’ve tried a couple of brands and I always go back to these. I especially love them for traveling!

Also think any of these would make for some great Mother’s Day gifts!! I have given my sisters and mom at least half of these at some point. haha.

in partnership with Nordstrom

photos : aubrey taiese

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Holiday

May 2, 2018

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

dress + here + pink here | swimsuit | harper swimsuit + headband | hunter swimsuit | houston top

Time just seems to keep on flying by lately, and somehow Mother’s Day is just around the corner. I often hear that moms are hard to shop for, but let me let you in on a little secret. I don’t think there is a mom out there that wouldn’t think the best gift in the world is a nap! And maybe some ice cream to top it off. Haha! But in all honesty, Mother’s Day is such a special holiday. Mom’s work so hard day in and day out and it is so fun to take a day to celebrate the mom or mom figure in our lives! So today I’m sharing all of my favorite Mother’s Day Gift Ideas!

MAKE IT PERSONAL : The Mother’s in our life play such a special role that is definitely worth celebrating. I love coming up with personal gift ideas for my mom for Mother’s Day that really mean something special to us and our relationship. My favorite way to give a personal gift is through jewelry. It’s no secret how much I love my disc necklace with my grandma’s name on it. To me it is a special way to honor such an amazing mother role model in my life. These bracelets I wear all the time are another easy way to personalize your gift with an initial or charm that fits your moms personality.

KEEP IT COZY : So mom’s put it a lot of work to keep everything running smoothly around the house + for their little people! Mother’s Day is the perfect time to try to get them to relax!! You all know my obsession with these slippers (that are now 40% off!) I wear them every second that I am in my house and seriously love them. They would make the perfect gift for pretty much any mom! You could also go with a yummy candle and bath bomb for the ultimate cozy relaxation.

HOME DECOR : It may just be because I am still in home decorating mode, but one of my favorite Mother’s Day gifts to give AND receive is accessories for the home. You cannot go wrong with a cute vase or pot and a plant. I cannot get enough life + greenery inside my house, and I think it is something everyone would love! Another favorite for the home is these pillows that I have in just about every room of my house now. They are such fun patterns + colors that can be the perfect finishing touch to a space.

HIGHLIGHT HER BEAUTY : Beauty gifts are always a hit, especially when they are a tried and true product you love yourself! For me that is definitely my face wash + moisturizing cream. It may not seem like your typical gift, but I think as we get older we all appreciate products that help keep our skin healthier and make us look a little younger! My skin feels incredible after using it and I think its such a great product to highlight their natural beauty. Plus use can use code KAILEE20 to get 20% off anything on the site!

I also just stumbled upon this lip scrub and am instantly HOOKED. It is so so good. Unlike most lip scrubs, it dissolves so you don’t have to worry about wiping it off AND it leaves a soft rose tint. At such a good price point I think it would be so fun to gift with your favorite lip stick!

I hope these spark some good Mother’s Day gift ideas for you! I’d love to hear any ideas you have as well that you’ve given or received in the past! Hope you all have a Happy Mother’s Day!

photos : aubrey taiese

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Baby

April 26, 2018

3 Tips for Picking A Car Seat

This post is sponsored by Walmart and SheKnows Media.

When it comes to having little people, there are a LOT of decisions suddenly thrown at you. It can be a little overwhelming for anyone! I love going to other experienced moms for advice and try to share my own whenever I can, in hopes of helping a nervous new mom somewhere! Joe + I were just shopping at Walmart for a new car seat so we can keep one in his truck for easy transfers. With car seats + our research fresh in mind (not to mention FIVE kids), I thought this would be the perfect time to share 3 tips I use when picking out a car seat.

…PICK A CONVERTIBLE CAR SEAT…

I love convertible car seats. Knowing that you can pick out and invest in one care seat is a game changer. For the first few years, it works as a rear facing car seat. When your baby is ready, it can easily be switched to forward facing. I love knowing I don’t have to go find a new car seat after only 2 years. Probably the biggest benefit for us is it works for both babies! Harper can use it as a rear facing seat, but if Houston needs to use it, it works perfect for his size too. One of the biggest selling points for us in choosing the Britax Emblem Convertible Car Seat from Walmart, is the 10 position harness, it goes from tiny newborn to 50 pounds!!!

… PICK YOUR FABRIC WISELY…

When it comes to picking a car seat, safety is of course my number one priority, and I’ll talk about that next. But right below that on the list for me is finding one that is easy to clean. I feel like as a new mom, you don’t realize how messy your little one is going to be. A quick trip to the grocery store and back can mean spilled milk + smashed granola bars. So having a car seat with removable cover for easy clean up is a must in my book! Walmart had so many good options, but I love that this car seat has an easy to remove cover for quick clean up, without having to take the whole seat apart.

In addition to picking something easy to clean, the other part of this tip is to pick something that has a neutral color pallet. The excitement over knowing if you are having a boy or girl is so fun. It totally makes you want to go all pink + flowers or blue and baseballs. But if I can give some advice, it would be to save that for decor or accessories. Sticking with a neutral color means the seat can work for future babies too.

…SAFETY FIRST…

Taking a new baby home is such a scary thing. When we brought Hunter home I couldn’t believe they were letting us leave! She was so tiny + fragile. Didn’t we need some kind of special training?! Haha! So to help put your mind at ease, you want your car seat to be as safe and protected as possible. Britax has always been one of our favorite car seat brands. Their safety ratings are always at the top across the board thanks to their SafeCell Technology. The 10 position harness + 3 position recline ensures your baby is extra comfortable, as well as strapped and angled safely for their size. Two layers of Side Impact Protection help keep your baby’s head and neck secured too!

Choosing what is right for you and your baby is completely up to you. What works for your situation might be different. I love to share my experience and tips that have worked for me, in hopes of helping out someone needing some advice! So hopefully you found these tips helpful! I’d love to hear your car seat must haves + favorites too!

in partnership with Walmart

photos : aubrey taiese

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Home

April 25, 2018

Our Home: Office

After being here for almost 5 months, it finally feels like our house is coming together! So far we’ve shared how the main Kitchen + Dining area and the Family Room came together, and we are loving them! In addition to those on the main floor, we have our Office Space. It was the last of the main floor to take on, and I am so happy with how it turned out!

When we were designing our house plans, we did not want any wasted space. A lot of house plans we looked at had a formal dining room or additional living room on the main floor. We just didn’t see our family using those. We decided the best use of space would be a family office. The windows bring in amazing light, so it has become one of our favorite spaces in the house!

I mentioned + showed over on my Instagram Stories that since this was our last room to take on, it kind of became the dumping ground. With it being the first thing you see when you walk in the door it drove me crazy. I was kind of at my wits end + just done with organizing, so I reached out to Chelsea from Neat Method, who I now consider a great friend, and asked for her help.

So after seeing what she accomplished in our pantry, I knew she could help! I honestly wish I would’ve taken before and after pics. They were only here for a few hours and completely transformed the space. It went from piles of papers and endless boxes of crayons + markers to organized heaven. Every single thing is labeled and has an easy to find home. They even folded and made a home for my tissue paper! It makes all my organizing dreams come true!

In addition to being home to all of our art supplies, these beautiful cabinets house a few others things too! I love children’s books, and having them in my home. Living in a rental, we have never had the space to really display them. I l love that we can just open a cabinet and take our pick. The office is also home to all of our wrapping supplies, as well as one of my favorite little spots, the present basket. This basket is full of lipstick, gift cards, hot wheels, and other fun gift ideas. When my little people have a party to go to they just pick a present out of the basket. They can use the wrapping supplies that are in the very same area and take care of everything themselves! We have all loved it + it makes last minute gifts so easy!

While I’m loving the look of everything perfectly organized, life gets messy with little people. I know it won’t look like this every single day. For this reason, I really wanted everything to be able to be closed off and hidden. I love the way we accomplished that with our custom cabinets. Our designer Ashley worked her magic to help me create the clean, modern look I wanted that complimented the cabinet work perfectly. So I love the pop of color the chairs and couch bring and add to the bright light from the windows.

Because with the help of our amazing designer Ashley + Organizing Queen Chelsea and the team at Neat Method, the room came together just how I had hoped. It is equal parts clean, organized, comfy and cozy! We are definitely loving having this space complete and ready to enjoy! If I missed sources for anything you are curious about, leave your questions and I’ll add to the post!

grey + white basket + large basket w/handle | black hanging tags

TILE

Also this has got to be one of my favorite little details is this charging station!!

photos : aubrey taiese + design: ashley cooper design

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Family

April 23, 2018

3 Tips for Cleaning with Kids

It’s no secret I’m a super clean person! I can’t handle messes + germs and really feel like I am so much more productive + happy in a clean space. As the little people get older, Joe + I have tried to teach them they all have a responsibility to help with the cleaning. I talked about how we do our daily chores here, but they are kids and aren’t always jumping for joy to pitch in. haha. Over the years we’ve figured out a few tricks that have helped! So today I wanted to share 3 of our go to tips to make cleaning with kids not become a chore itself, and why eBay is my new favorite place to shop cleaning supplies!

MAKE IT FUN…

Even as an adult, cleaning can be so mundane. It is amazing to me how a few changes to the typical routine can make it so much easier. The best thing we like to do during a big cleaning session is turn on some dance music. Something about dancing around just makes it feel like a party instead of a chore. Before I know it, all the complaints have stopped and my people are laughing and having the best time. Plus have you seen the babies dance moves?!

Another fun one we do a lot to motivate the little people while cleaning is turning on a timer. Something about turning it into a competition or race against the clock makes it so fun! I’ve seriously never seen my people move so fast just to get that satisfaction. They are so distracted by the clock they don’t have time to complain or snail their way through it. Major win in my book!

MAKE IT KID FRIENDLY…

When we moved in to the new house we installed a central vac to keep up with the messes. Right now with two babies eating multiple times a day, pulling out the central vac is not very practical, and really a pain in the butt. I didn’t want to buy a huge vacuum because that defeats the purpose of the central vac. I wanted something small that the kids would think was fun + easy to use so they’d be more excited to pitch in.

A few friends online had shared this hand held vacuum with rave reviews, and had me interested. I wanted to try it! It looked perfect for the little people but the price was a little shocking. When searching online, I found out eBay had so many good options at up to 50% off the typical price + free shipping. There are tons of “buy it now” items, and while used is an option, they have refurbished and new for great prices too.

But back to the vacuum, it has seriously been such a game changer! I’m not kidding when I say my little people now fight over who gets to clean up little messes around the house. By far the most in love is Houston. I’ve shared over on my Instagram Stories how obsessed he is with cleaning, so getting this vacuum was like a dream come true for him. Haha! He follows Harper around with it, cleaning up her every crumb. Had I known that, I would’ve bought it years ago!

Another way that has helped bring things to their level is letting them pick out their own cleaning supplies. Something about having your own cleaning supplies, or even dishes that are yours makes them take an ownership and want to keep their things nicer.

REWARDS…

Cleaning with kids, and the complaints that come with it can be frustrating. For us, we always try to focus on a reward and not a punishment. If I really want their help and little complaining, I’ll offer 15 minutes of tv, or a trip for ice cream if they can get it done in a certain amount of time.

I’m really no expert in this, but we do our best to try and push the importance of taking responsibility. We are in this as a team and we all gotta pitch in! I hope some of these tips will you and your people be a little cleaner + happier at the same time!

in partnership with eBay

photos : aubrey taiese

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Family

April 20, 2018

April Update

April has been a busy month for us! It has been a few weeks since our last update, so I thought I’d catch you up on what is new with our little crew . . . including our house, travel plans and more!

HOUSE UPDATE :

The interior space is FINALLY almost done! It feels like it has been going on and on forever, and the piles of dust were going to be never ending! But we are feeling so grateful to be able to create this dream space. For the interior of the home, we just have the boys room + the girls room left to finalize a few design items! I am loving how they are coming together and can’t wait to share with you.

In case you missed anything, so far we’ve shared the Family Room, Kitchen + Dining, Harper’s Nursery, Playroom Closet, and the Laundry + Linen. We have some fun reveals of the Master, Office, and Basement space coming soon! If we’ve missed sourcing on anything you haven’t been able to track down in those above posts, you can probably find it in our Frequently Asked Home Questions, but leave any additional questions you have in the comments and I’ll be sure to let you know!

TRAVEL UPDATE:

Joe and I had such a good time in Arizona, especially eating allll the food. We shared about all our favorites here. We are excited to head down to St. George today to be with family for our sweet nephews baby blessing. There is nothing I love more than family time in the sunshine! I haven’t been to St. George since Thanksgiving so I can’t wait!

As soon as we get home we are heading to California to spend a week with our medical school friends we haven’t seen for a year! They really became like family to us and we are all so excited. The little people (and even me) have been counting down the days! I really feel like this will be so good for my heart. Going through the process of medical school + then residency is hard to be away from family, but you are so lucky to kind of be dropped in to pods of friends. Everyone is kind of in the same place in life, and can totally relate to the crazy you are going through for your career dreams. I think going through the trenches together instantly really formed some of the best friendships that we really cherish now.

It has been such a change and different transition to be thrown in to the real world where everyone kind of has their own agenda and making friends isn’t necessarily as easy. We really do LOVE our neighborhood and having so many sweet families close, but I think just feeling that connection will help boost my spirits.

FAMILY UPDATE:

harper – Sweet Harper girl has officially conquered walking and running around the house with ease. She totally thinks she is one of the big kids and can keep up. Her new favorite word is “uh uh” (like no) and is her answer to everything. Not sure where she picked that one up, but it’s still pretty cute! A not so fun new stage she has gotten in to is taking off her diaper. ALL the time. If she doesn’t have pants or leggings on over it, it is off within minutes!

houston – We are slowly taking the steps to potty training Houston…sometimes. Ha. I am so not into it and he goes back and forth, so I’m not really pushing it yet. His love for cleaning gets funnier by the day. He loves to wipe Harper’s face and help vacuum up any messes she makes.

hayden – Hayden is thrilled to be starting the Chinese Immersion program at her school next year. If any of you have done this with your little people, send me all the advice! My bigger two never did anything like this in California! Her obsession with LOL Dolls is still going strong and you can usually find her accessorizing or seeing if she has enough money to add to her collection.

hudson – Baseball is in full swing for Hudson and he is loving every minute. If he isn’t at practice or a game, he wants to be outside practicing with Joe. We also dealt with our first Instagram conflict too. You may have seen I shared a little video of him talking about kickball over on my Instagram stories. Some of our neighbors saw, and showed their kids. When they told Houston, he was SO embarrassed. We’ve never really dealt with that before because I mostly share the babies. So now we are figuring out where we draw the line on these things, because I never want my people to feel uncomfortable.

hunter – Cute Hunter is growing up way too fast. She is in the stage where she wants to choose being with her friends a lot more then family and it kind of breaks my mama heart. I just want her all to myself, but she is growing up and wants that freedom. First this then what?! Can’t time just slow down for a minute?!

I think that about does it for our update! We can’t wait for this warm weather to stick around! If you have any questions from the last couple of weeks, you can always leave them in the comments or send me a Direct Message! I hope you are having a Happy Spring with your people too!

xx kails

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Home

April 18, 2018

Our Home: Laundry Room

Today on the home tour is a space that is not necessarily one we all get excited about, but is definitely used daily! When we were designing our house plans, this was a huge space that was a big concern to us. We’ve never had the space to dedicate a large room to laundry + organizing but we were excited to be able to utilize it. So today I’m sharing all the organizing details that went in to our Laundry Room!

With 7 people in the house, I swear the mudroom/laundry room has become the dumping ground for all the things. From baseball equipment to snow boots it all seems to find a home in this space. After seeing how well the pantry organization has worked for us, I knew I wanted something similar for the Laundry Room. So when The Container Store reached out to help, I was ready for an organizing overhaul!

I was actually shocked at how well the little people have kept things in their place in the pantry, thanks to designated boxes and easy to read labels. I wanted the same easy flow in the Laundry Room too. Everything from light bulbs, sports equipment, snow clothes, and first aid supplies each has an easy to locate home. It has made it so much easier to keep clean. My biggest tip is to have the option to close door to hide everything away, like these cabinets. If you don’t have time to completely organized, you can keep it covered.

cabinet hardware | storage basket | houston jeans | harper romper + headband | bag

I also love having these lockers. Each of our people has their own locker and love it! Joe + I have even been sharing with the babies because they are so convenient! It is just so nice to have one easy to find spot for their school things.

So if you are looking for easy organization options, The Container Store is the place to go! They have a box, bin, or basket to fit every need you could have. Even if you feel like you don’t know where to start, they have organizing experts to offer their tips. My favorite options are these white + grey baskets. I have them in the Pantry + Master Closet because I love them so much. The white are so easy to clean and I love the simple look. The grey hide their contents well and a pop of color + texture, so it isn’t completely white and sterile.

white containers | labels | basket | hanging tag

Even if you aren’t quite ready to take the plunge and organize your space, now is the time to head to stock up. Also The Container Store is having their closet sale now through May 13th and the prices are some of the best they have all year. I always take advantage and stock up on everything for future projects because you can’t beat the deals!

black wire organizer

light | roller shades | washer + dryer (from Boulevard Home Furnishing) | grey towel

clear bins: small + large | black tags

. . . LINEN CLOSET . . .

grey baskets | black tags | towels

in partnership with the container store

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Family

April 16, 2018

My Kids Daily Schedule

Back in January when I asked what kind of content you wanted to see here on the blog, I got a lot of requests for kind of a peek inside our kids daily schedule. Most people hear 5 little people, and assume it’s pure insanity. It definitely has its moments of crazy, but we have kind of figured out a system that works for us. Now keep in mind I am no expert, and what works for us may not work for you. But since there was a lot of interest, today I’m taking your through a day with us!

MORNING…

Every school day we set the little peoples alarms for 7:30. Since we moved in to the new house, we have been using these as their alarms and LOVING it. The girls struggle to wake up in the mornings, and we usually have to set 2 alarms before they are actually up. I love that I can talk to them through the alarm from the speaker in the kitchen, instead of yelling down every 5 minutes. They have been such a game changer for us in the mornings.

Once they are awake, they start on their daily chores that I talked about here. They are pretty basic things like getting dressed + making their beds. Once those are done, we get hair done + lunches packed before breakfast. If I could give you only ONE TIP when it comes to the schedule it would be to have your people do everything before breakfast. It has made the biggest difference with their time management. Instead of eating slow, and then being in a frantic rush to get lunches packed and out the door, they know that the longer they take to get ready, the less time they’ll have for breakfast, so they work much more efficiently.

Once they are done with breakfast, they are out the door to school. I am one of those mean moms that makes them walk to school, but they have survived just fine!

Around 9:30 Harper goes down for her first nap, and it is my one on one time with Houston. Things are usually so busy around the house that I really cherish this special time with him. Lately we’ve been working on his speech, but even something as simple as being able to read a book with him has been so great for us.

AFTERNOON…

Hayden gets home from Kindergarten at around 12 and we start lunch + homework. We usually try to bust out her homework packet and finish it in the first day or two of the week. She is our drama girl and we have to get it done while she is still interested!

Around 1:30-2 both of the babies go down for naps, if they are in a cooperating mood! haha…totally depends on the day recently. While they are napping Hayden finishes up any homework she still has and plays while I try to squeeze in some work for the day. One key to the babies taking naps at all when the big people are around is these sound machines. Hayden is never very quiet during their naps, but they usually sleep right through the noise thanks to these! We have used them for all of our babies and seriously never go on a trip without them!

At 4:00 our busy shift starts! 2 days a week Hayden has a tutor that comes over to help her with her reading and sight words, because we’ve found she usually works better on this + stays more focused with someone that is not me. Some days are fine and we read together, and some days are tutor days, but that is what works best for us.

At the same time Hunter + Hudson get home from school. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at least one of them has baseball or soccer practice so we usually have time to change clothes, grab a snack/snack bag, and jump in the van. If it is an off day they will eat a little snack + do any homework they have.

EVENING…

5:00 is when I always try to start dinner prep. For us it is the best time that works the most often between practices and games. Sometimes we are eating as we drive from one event to the other, but at home I try to be consistent with 5:00 so my people are eating meals and not doing a ton of snacking.

Everyone helps with dinner clean up. Cleaning up after yourself + helping load the dishwasher are things everyone pitches in on. When their individual zones are clean, we start on baths/showers.

Right now Harper goes to bed for the night around 6:30-7. Usually around 7:15, we start our bed time routine. Everyone brushes teeth, lays their outfits out for the next morning and does their prayers + scriptures. This is probably the biggest struggle in our day as far as time it takes. On a good night they are all in bed by 7:45, but a bad night its closer to 8:30-9.

That about sums up the kids daily schedule. Of course this is not always consistent. It really depends on our day and what we have on our plate. Fridays are our friend days + of course weekends are full of sports and playing. For us we have found having a schedule helps my little people stay focused and know whats coming next in their day. Hopefully this was helpful to some of you out there! I’d love to hear any tips you have that make your day go a little smoother – cause we all know sharing is caring!!

xx kails