A Quiet Morning.

It was 6:45 a.m. and both of my babes were upstairs sound asleep. I don’t normally wake up a minute earlier than I have to, but after waking early to feed the baby I decided to stay up. I put her back to sleep, and quietly tiptoed downstairs. I put on a pot of coffee and made myself breakfast. An actual breakfast. I sat at my kitchen table and ate my breakfast alone,  in the quiet. I was tempted to turn on the news or put on some music. But instead I sat there silently, basking in the solitude. I love mornings with my sweet loves… but there was something really nice about having the morning to myself. I took the time to savor every sip of my coffee, while reading a few chapters in my Bible. 

It was such a lovely way to start the day. I would love to get into the habit of doing it often, but sleeping longer is always so irresistible. But I think I may try to do it at least a few times a week. To have balance and time for myself. 

It’s a beautiful day. I hope you enjoy it. 

With Love, 

Monika

Consignment/Resale Shopping

Oh how I love darling little baby girl clothes. I could very easily spend a fortune buying my daughter cute new outfits & shoes (I’m obsessed with baby shoes. Even though she kicks them off in about two seconds!). She grows so quickly, and goes through about 2-3 outfits a day, so clothes are definitely a must. But I just can’t justify spending a fortune on clothes that will be spit up on, pooped on, and quickly outgrown. BUT, of course I still want her to look adorable. So, I meet in the middle and I buy most of her clothes at resale stores. This works well since the hubs and I are on a budget and trying to stick to our Dave Ramsey debt snowball. I have to be smart and budget- conscious. Trendy clothes at budget-friendly prices are a definite win in my book. 

See that picture above? I bought all of those clothes for a total of $62.49. Thats: 6 pairs of shorts // 5 tops // 3 pairs of pants //1 romper // 1 dress 

Most of the items looked brand new, maybe worn once or twice. And many of them still had tags on them. So baby gets several new outfits and mama doesn’t have to have buyer’s remorse. Score!

Below I’ve listed a few tips for consignment shopping for your little one. 

5 Tips For Consignment Shopping:

1. Give yourself time. Good finds are out there, but they require the time & patience it takes to find them. 95% of the clothes at consignment stores may be outdated and not very cute. But gems do exist. Fabulous, stylish, cheap little gems.  Tap into your inner hunter-gatherer and scour those racks!
2. Look up consignment shops in the nice, upscale areas on town. If I have the time, I drive the 20 minutes to the fancier neighborhood and find better brands and clothes. Most of which have never been worn and still have tags on, or are very gently used.
3. Search out clothes from your favorite stores. I love the style of clothes at Baby Gap, Zara, H&M, Cotton On… So I search out those brands & styles specifically. Finding cute pieces at a more wallet-friendly price.
4. Sign up for shop email lists to be the first to know what sales are happening. Sometimes they’ll even send you coupons! One time I went to a weekend 99 cent sale and got a whole bag of clothes for Eveleigh for $20. I got an email the week of the sale, and went the first night before everything was picked over. I scored big that night, even getting a Baby Gap peacoat for 99 Cents!
5. Go alone. While as a mom this is challenging and not always feasible… It is easier to shop alone for obvious reasons. Fewer distractions = more focus. Plus, it’s good for you mamas to take a little hour to yourself here & there! 

Happy Shopping! 

       ^^Eveleigh in one of her new outfits!^^

Getting Fit: Week 2 Update

           

So last week, after an incident in Target, I began Jillian Michael’s 30 Days to Shred. The first week went pretty well. It’s great that I can easily do them at home while the baby is napping or playing nearby. There was only one day where she got fussy in the middle of my workout and I had to stop and finish it later. The main struggle was that my ankles were really achy & sore from a run I went on the week before. So some of the moves were challenging and I felt like an 80 year old. The first workout was definitely the hardest. Even though I exercised throughout most of my pregnancy, I still felt so out of shape. I struggled to finish, but when I did, it felt really good. As the week went on the workouts became easier & easier and I felt my endurance lengthening. I think in a few days I will move up to level two of the program. 

It’s been a struggle to eat healthier. I’m breastfeeding and so I am just so hungry. All. The. Time. Being so ravenous sometimes, just want something quick & easy. Also, coming up with healthy meals has proven to be more challenging than before. All of my go-to foods (veggies, salads, etc) make the baby a little gassy & uncomfortable. So I have to get a little more creative. But I am trying! 

I’m also making sure to keep my motivations in check. While I do want to lose a few lingering pounds and fit better into my cloths, that’s not what it’s all about. The most important thing is to be healthy. I want to exercise and eat well so I have the energy & stamina to make it through long days. So I can feel my best to give my best each day. 

Lake Arrowhead Family Trip

A few weeks ago Ryan’s family came out to visit us and meet Eveleigh. We rented a cabin in Lake Arrowhead where we could all stay and relax and enjoy time together as a family. It was our first little getaway with the baby, and it was really wonderful. It was so beautiful there, and the weather was perfect. We played games, watched old movies, relaxed, and enjoyed each other’s company. And I even got some time to relax and read on the balcony while there. Not easy to find time to read with a newborn, so I soaked it up!

One day we all ventured out for a little hike. It was our first hike with E, and she did great! She loved being snuggled up with her daddy in the moby wrap. It was so nice to hike for the first time in forever. Oh, how I’ve missed it.

The landscape in Lake Arrowhead is just breathtaking. It feels like I’m in an entirely different state. It’s one of my favorite things about California, that I can live by the beach and yet be in the mountains in two hours! 

After our stay in Lake Arrowhead, we came down the mountain and spent the remainder of their stay at our place in Orange County… but I’ll share more about that in another post :)

Let It Go.

Thursday Ryan left town to go on a men’s retreat with our church. Which meant that Thursday night I did not sleep. I tossed and turned and just could not get my brain to shut off. I finally dozed off around 2 a.m., and only slept a few hours before waking up to feed Eveleigh. I was exhausted, but had Eveleigh’s two month doctors appointment scheduled for that morning.

I power through, making my way downstairs to make some much needed coffee. I remember that I needed to call our health insurance company to update Eveleigh’s primary care physician. Half awake, I wait on hold for twenty minutes until I get through. I update everything and confirm that we are good to go for the appointment. Me and E get ready and head out the door, running our usual 10 minutes behind. (No matter how hard I try, how early I get up, or how quickly I get ready… we are just always at least 10 minutes late everywhere. I’ve accepted it.). 

We arrive to the doctors office and Eveleigh is beginning to get fussy because it is just about her nap time. I sign in, and they have me fill out a few forms confirming Eveleigh has been added to our health insurance. Then they proceed to tell me that her primary care physician has not been updated. I tell them I just updated it that morning and it should be fine. They say it is not updated yet. I say to call Aetna to verify and that it shouldn’t be a problem. They say they won’t do that. They say it needs to be updated in their system. I ask them to try. They tell me no. I ask them to reschedule the appointment for next week. They tell me no. They will not reschedule until the information has been confirmed. At this point my exhaustion coupled with my frustration is making me on the verge of tears. I think I’ve got to get out of here. I quickly tell them it’s fine and I will call in next week. Though it was not fine, and their rudeness stung.

I walk out of the office defeated, fighting back tears. How embarrassing to cry over something so stupid. But I couldn’t help it. I get in the elevator and luckily I’m alone. Just hold it in a little longer. Just get to the car. Just get to the car. 

A minute later I’m in the car and I finally exhale and let the tears come. I give myself the moments needed. I know that crying is not a sign of weakness, and sometimes it just feels good to let it out. Then, I breathe deeply. I put on some feel good music and I drive home with my daughter. I take in the beautiful mountains and California sunshine and I’m thankful to be alive.