{Personal} Living Life a Little More Slowly

Diaper bag by Seaport Stitches

Doing this the second time around, I'd like to think that I've learned a thing or two about motherhood. Although, I'm definitely re-learning and remembering things forgotten (i.e. diaper blowouts, creating a new sleeping schedule and cooking/cleaning/doing the laundry with one hand), one task that is teaching me a whole lot is leaving the house. With a newborn and a toddler in tow, time is usually not on my side. So, I've reminded myself of a couple things and figured I should write them down for refreshment and/or let some new mommies in on a few things.

1) Don't plan on being everywhere on time. I tend to stress out if I'm late to events and outings. Having a new baby though, I've re-learned to be patient and more lenient in this area. Usually, others will understand too and life isn't about rushing through it. You will get to your destination eventually. If though, I must absolutely be somewhere at a certain time, I tend to get everything ready(this includes myself and the kids) about 3 hours ahead of time.

2) Make sure everything is absolutely ready to walk out the door about an hour before you have to leave to give you time to relax and feed your baby. Since I'm breast feeding, I have to make sure our little girl is full and happy before I put her in the car seat. Otherwise, we will be making a stop or two on our destination to feed her which is definitely not uncommon.

A few places we've stopped so far? An Autozone parking lot, a gas station, a dirt lot next to a gas station, a dirt lot next to a stop sign where we imagined giving tickets to several cars making california rolling stops (I must laugh at this one), a grocery store parking lot and off a random dirt road as I counted 110 cars on a train going by...just to name a few "detours". My husband and our three year old son are complete troopers because they have sat patiently at just about every stop!

I remember just how quickly Levi went from being an itty bitty baby to being a rambunctious, independent toddler. I know our little girl won't be so little real soon so I'm enjoying Lyla's time as a wee one. The snuggles, the little giggles, the feedings, the random stops, the diaper changes, the tiniest outfits, the innocence, the coos, the cries, the soft skin, the spit up and all. I'm remembering to live life a little more slowly and enjoy it a day at a time.

Life Lately

A little compilation of Life Lately. I'm a momma keeping up with two kiddos now. Trading sleep for coffee and baby snuggles, clean shirts for spit up stains, skinny jeans for yoga pants and quiet time for chore time. I've been taking a break from the shop to spend time with my family and I am so thankful that I've been able to do so.

Follow along on my personal IG page @kayla.lsp for more.

Morning coffee...seeing how I'm currently sleeping in 3 hour increments when it comes to bedtime

Family trips to the Farmer's Market

Morning Kisses and Baby Smiles

Afternoon chases, bug hunts and flower picking in the sunshine

 Afternoon snooze fests...because it takes a lot of energy to keep up with the babes

Morning, noon and night feedings.

 Movie dates on the couch

Bike races

We recently got some chickens and and they are finally laying eggs! Mornings have now included egg hunts.

Follow along @kayla.lsp for more of life.

{Personal} Slow Down.

This season has been a busy one as I'm sure it's been for everyone else. Several penciled in days full of events, errands and things to do have taken over the norm. 

As much as I love seeing our family, friends and marking things off a list, it just feels amazing when you can take a step back and enjoy life in the moment.  

Relish in the last couple weeks of this season.

Linger in stillness a little while longer.

Breathe.

I've learned that when there is constantly something to do, miracles get missed and the smallest things in life get taken for granted.

This season is a hard season for many of us-especially in our family with the remembrance of many deeply loved ones. Slowing down to appreciate and be grateful for what we have, who we have and who has left meaningful impacts in our life truly is what matters most...not checking menial tasks off a list, making sure your holiday decor is just right, or spending our savings (or lack there of) and running up credit cards on things because that's what Christmas is all about. 

Find the raw beauty in life and let those that you love, know. Even in a messed up world, there is so much to be thankful for. 

Slow down.

24 weeks & 5 days.

"Be still and know that I am God..."

Psalm 26:10

We are having a baby GIRL!!!

A baby GIRL will be gracing our lives this coming Spring!

A few days ago, we went in for an ultrasound to "confirm" the gender of our second little love. With our closest family and friends around us, we were all so excited when we were told that the tiny baby growing inside of me is a GIRL! I cried tears of joy and so did many others...which made me cry even more (hello hormones).

Honestly, I thought I'd have all boys. I grew up with 3 brothers (now 5 including my step brothers) and with our first child being our crazy man Levi, I thought I was destined to live with boys my entire life! Deep down, I wanted a little girl though and God said yes! So thankful!

Levi on the other hand, knew he was having a sister all along. Every time I asked him what mommy was having, he said "girl." That kid has instincts!!

So in love with my little family and I can't wait to meet our little love in March! She will make our nest a home of four.

See more of our family photo shoot by Kayla V here.

An EXCITING Announcement!!!!!!

& then there were 4 in our nest...

Another little baby love will be arriving this Spring!

We are so excited to finally announce that our little family is growing and our little man is going to be a big brother! I am now just about 14 weeks along with our due date at the end of March 2015.

We recently took our family photos by the seriously talented photographer, Kayla Von Der Heide of Kayla V Photography. We had quite a bit of fun during this shoot. We only had one melt down and one attempted run away in the desert by little man but that's of the norm. Levi kept playing with the nest and calling the eggs his "babies". He'd walk up and share a "baby" with each of us but then needed all four eggs back in the nest. He was cracking us up!

Here's just a glimpse of the photo shoot with my little family that I love dearly and am so incredibly grateful for.

So excited for this new chapter in our lives! Each time I ask Levi if mommy is having a boy or a girl, he always says, "girl." We will find out next week if he really is having a little sister or if he's having a baby brother. Either way, this little sibling is in for a crazy ride with it's energetic, spunky older brother and mommy and daddy will be preparing for more random gray hairs, yet more love to share unconditionally and another little soul to cherish wholly.

Thank you Jesus.

A lesson in VALUING your time (for small business owners + creatives)

I keep debating whether or not I should post this but my heart is heavy this morning and I'm sure many of you can relate (especially if you are a small business owner or creative) and if not, maybe gain some perspective.

This morning, I received an email which sadly was the first thing I woke up to and read. There were words in there from someone who wanted to express her feelings (which I respect) but said things that went a little too far because they were statements that she knew very little about.

Statements such as "I know that once you've made a crown or 2 should only take up to an hour at most to perfect a crown. And while you do have embellished flowers with pearls in the center....there's no way your costs are that high." & "While your crown is gorgeous, a price tag of...seems to me highway robbery." As well as several other VERY HURTFUL statements.

Although, I DO NOT need to explain my business, my passion and why things are the way they are, I feel like I need to speak out for those who DO own a small business as well as many of whom who are juggling several roles as a wife, momma, care-taker, home-keeper, student and many other titles all at once.

First off, my prices aren't just the way they are because of supply costs. Yes, they are in there BUT my time is what I value the most. I am a stay at home momma (one who is also currently trying to potty train my son which is not an easy task in itself), I am a wife who needs to make time to spend with my amazing husband, I am a home-keeper who is trying my best to make sure that the dishes are clean, laundry is done, the floor is swept, the same messes are picked up every single day amongst SEVERAL other things that go on throughout the day.

I run my shop the BEST I CAN because I LOVE what I do but I can't do everything all the time. Each floral crown piece DOES NOT take "an hour at the most". In fact, it can take double that if not more at times and triple that time on many other pieces. There is quite a bit of hand-stiching involved, petals taken apart to create completely new flowers, measurements taken, trimmings done, etc. etc. This all takes time-time that I choose to take away from my family to fulfill my customer's needs. Not only that but I love creating and working with brides and many other women who want a special piece created for them to celebrate important moments. It also takes time to list items, schedule photo shoots, market items and the shop, schedule collaborations, package items, ship items as well as the time it takes to get supplies. 

Supplies in itself is not a one stop shop and go. My supplies do not come from one store. In fact, there are 3 retail stores and several online stores that I order from. The retail stores alone take me about an hour round trip (EACH) to drive to and from and many times, I have to take several of these trips a week so I can get the supplies needed for custom orders as well as stocking up for current ones. Many times, I even drive up to a 2+ hour round trip to get supplies.

Running a small business is completely different than creating something for yourself or even a friend once in a while. Keeping up on inventory, marketing, emails and SO MUCH MORE is a full time job in itself. Most handmade sellers pour their hearts into what they create. There is no dollar amount that can equal the value that we give into our passion.

Handmade DOES cost more and if it doesn't with some sellers, it SHOULD. Our creations are NOT created by machines. Most handmade shops consist of ONE person. Two hands to create. One mind to think and One heart to give. 

Not everybody knows the story behind each piece that is created. Many assumptions can be made but unless you are in that makers shoes, it's unfair to make hurtful statements devaluing someones time and effort they put into their pieces. Who is one to say how much something is really worth unless you poured your heart into it?

Yes, opinions are opinions but they don't have to be unkind. 

Creators, VALUE your time. You only get a certain number of hours in each day. What are they worth to you?

NY PART III: NY Skyline, Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial

Part III of my NY trip with my momma. See Part I & Part II.

On Monday, April 28 2014, my mother and  I woke up bright and early in the Upper West Side of NYC (so again, please excuse the messy hair and tired makeup ha!). We walked to the local Coffee Bean right under our hotel to grab a toasted bagel, a vanilla latte and my mom tried her luck at some scratchers. With that, we were off to our next adventure!

We took the subway down to Fulton Street and walked through the seaport down to Pier 16. The aesthetic of the modern design amongst the historic buildings was pretty fascinating.

When we arrived to our Pier, we waited for our yacht, Zephyr-a part of the Circle Line Downtown tour. Once we were on board, we were able to take a ride around the Hudson River to see views of the amazing NY skyline, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Coney Island as well as cruise under the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge! It was the perfect day to be on the water since the sky was crystal clear, the sun was shining and the monuments were gleaming. If you are visiting NY, I definitely recommend this tour. Not only do you get to see the city's historic beauty for an hour from the sea but it's also really affordable!

Ellis Island

Statue of Liberty. She's a beauty. Thank you France!

The Freedom Tower-built after 9/11

After the tour wrapped up, we walked through the financial district and towards the 9/11 memorial.

Once we arrived to the memorial at Ground Zero, it took a while to realize where I really was, what happened in the exact place I was standing 13 years ago and the thousands of precious lives that were lost. Seeing the names engraved around the tranquil double waterfalls made it seem real. It's hard to gather the words to describe the feeling you get when you encounter such a sacred place. It's almost impossible not to look out at each waterfall-which once encompassed the tallest towers in the U.S. and not replay the images of screaming men and women covered in ash and soot.

 I still remember where I was when this tragedy hit, much like most of us. As a 12 year old girl, I remember having dreams of airplanes crashing into everything after seeing what had happened to the World Trade Center buildings on the news.  Even as a girl in Southern California, on the other side of the country, this day has affected me. I pray for the families who have been directly affected by September 11, 2001 and deeply love one or more of the names written in the stone at Ground Zero. 

So solemn.

Taking a peek into the 9/11 museum. It just opened a few weeks after we left NY.

When we left the memorial, we immediately saw Morton's Steakhouse. Since it's supposed to be one of the best steakhouses ever, we made this our lunch stop. I have a fillet mignon burger and my mom had a prime rib french dip sandwich. I'd love to say that I could vouch for the "best steak anywhere" but seeing how both of our meats (especially my mothers) were actually cooked a lot more raw than we ordered (we ordered medium well), it wasn't as best as I would have hoped. The customer service was really great though and the manager was super nice about it. He even gave us some yummy chocolate mousse to enjoy. I didn't mind that one bit!

After lunch, we headed to midtown to do some shopping at MOOD (a very much anticipated shopping trip), enjoyed the alluring and peaceful atmosphere of the New York Public Library and experienced Grand Central Station at rush hour...NEXT POST. Stay Tuned.

See previous NY posts:

NY Part I- Sunrise over Manhattan and Magic in Central Park

NY Part II- How NOT to ride the subway, a bald lady and the Empire State Building