Sticky floors and full hearts

My friend stopped by the other night to pick up something she had left at my house. My one year old was already asleep, so I let her in and we whispered in the entryway. After a minute she looked behind me and smiled. "I love it," she said.

I turned around, not quite sure what she was looking at. I hadn't done a thing to my house all day. In fact, as far as I was concerned it was still the usual disaster of toys, shoes, and children's books that it usually is. But then I realized that's exactly what she was looking at. 

"It just makes me so happy," she said. "It looks lived in and happy." 

I kind of laughed and started explaining the messes around the house. Now that I realized how messy it was, I felt a little embarrassed, but then she said something that changed my mind. She said she hoped that her home looked just like that when people came over and saw her kid's messes. She hoped they saw a well-lived in, cozy, happy home. 

I loved that thought. 

After she left, I turned off all the lights and walked around my home. Normally I rush around before bed thinking of the never-ending to-do list I have. 

The norm is something like: Oh right, I need to call and take care of that tomorrow. And I cannot forget to run this errand. And I can't put this off any longer! And look at the dishes, ahhhhh. 

Then sleep. Then wake up and be a mom, wife, author, primary counselor, friend, sister. Do all the things. Then repeat. 

But instead, I ignored the to-do list and stopped to appreciate the mess in front of me. I felt this wave of gratitude thinking of the thousands of prayers that I said before Kenzie came. Of all the time that I so wished for sticky floors, scattered toys, and baby socks and shoes all over the house. 

Tonight I looked at that mess and got teary-eyed. I thought about how not very long ago I wished for this more than anything else-- and I am so grateful that this is my norm. 

It's chaotic. It's crazy and messy and most of the time we can't find our remotes. But I love it so so much. This is exactly where I want to be. 

And you know what? Life doesn't have to be perfect to happy. Or in my case, my home doesn't have to be spotless to be a happy.

So next week when the days get just as crazy and the dish pile looks just as high, I hope I remember back to this moment and remember what true happiness is. 

Much love, 

Heather 

Fishtail Braid Tutorial

I love this braid and it's so simple! Watch the tutorial below to learn how to do a front dutch braid into a fishtail braid :)

Disney World With a Baby

This post is a little late, but better late than never, right?! 

Last month we went to Disney World, which is seriously one of my very favorite places! Kenzie was so happy in her stroller at the parks and completely entertained seeing new places and people watching. She loved the parks, which made me love the trip.

This was her second time going to Disney World, which has four different parks, and the whole time I kept mentally making a list of advice I would give to other moms going with a baby. Does anyone else do this?

I kind of laughed at myself, then thought, wait, I really am going to make a list of advice! My list is small, but I think these things could made the difference between an exhausting day at the parks or an awesome day at the parks!

This list could work for Disneyland too, or really, any amusement park. So without further ado, here is my advice!

Take the big stroller
Wondering what stroller to take, the big one or the small one? I've done both. The umbrella stroller is lightweight and great for travel, but not my favorite for the parks. If I'm going to commit to a stroller for hours upon hours, I want to have my big, sturdy, stuff-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink-in-the-bottom stroller. Plus I wanted Kenzie to be as comfy as possible and have a little tray for her sippy cup and snacks.

Bring snacks
Speaking of snacks, Gerber baby puffs were awesome for keeping Kenzie happy. I would sprinkle some on her little stroller tray and she was content for a long time. I also brought yogurt bites, which she loves. We took a lot of baby food breaks, but I thought both the puffs and yogurt bites were a great, quick, non-messy snack for her to eat in her stroller.

Take a lot of snacks for you, too! At the end of the day you have literally walked for miles around the park. A small lunch isn't going to cut it. I bring trail mix, grapes, tons of water water bottles, cookies, and anything else that will give me energy to play all day. 

Take a Break

Nap time can be a little tricky to navigate at the parks. But I have to say, it's always best to leave during the hottest part of the day, which tends to also be the most crowded time of day. The combination of the two can lead to a big baby meltdown. And possibly a mommy one too.

So definitely leave! Go back to your hotel for a nice break. You can eat lunch, rest, let your baby take a nap, or go swimming. We did all four. When we got back to the parks I felt refreshed, Kenzie was happy, and we had such a good evening! 

Go on all the baby-friendly rides

Okay, if you're worried that there aren't baby attractions, don't be, there are tons. Not only that, Disney offers a rider's swap pass that lets parents take turns riding attractions. But if you're wondering what rides your baby can go on Disney World, here are a few:

Pirates of the Caribbean
Haunted Mansion
The Jungle Cruise
Peter Pan
Midway Mania (Toy Story ride)
Winnie the Pooh
Little Mermaid
It's a Small World
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
Finding Nemo
Spaceship Earth
Kilimanjaro Safaris

There are so many more throughout the parks, but that gives you an idea. Plus are a lot of little play areas and a splash zones that's great for babies and toddlers (once they can walk or hold themselves up).

If I left anything out that you would suggest for Disney parks with a baby, let me know!

Also, most of these pics are from the resort we stayed at, Disney's Port Orleans. As you can tell, we took a lot of swim breaks, considering most of the pictures are at the pool :) And the carriage is the real carriage from Disney's new Cinderella film! How cool is that?

The fun swimsuits are from Radswim.com. I love their suits so much and it was so fun to match with Kenzie!