We have 3 little boys who contribute quite a mess to our home. Sticky fingerprints on doorknobs, tomato sauce on kitchen cabinets, and Skittle stains on the couch. I remember the first time I noticed the dirty handprints beneath the bathroom light switch and along the stairway wall. Sweet little hands that were jumping to reach the switch or using the wall to balance as they carefully walked down the stairs. These kind of messes immediately make me smile. I’m grateful that tiny children live in my home. You can find a basketball in every room of our house, magnets cover the refrigerator, and the playroom is hardly ever tidy.

I am hopeful that one day I will truly enjoy cooking, but in this season of life (with tiny children running around while I prepare dinner) it’s just not my favorite. Which is why I am so grateful for our slow cooker. We received it as a wedding gift, but it took several years for us to begin using it. Now, we use it weekly. We’re always trying new recipes, but below I’ve shared 8 of our tried and true favorites!

We moved into our first house when Mills was just 2 weeks old. I didn’t finish decorating his nursery until he was 3 months old. I had little design experience and a very tight budget. All of that to say, I never really loved it. And I didn’t make many changes when Saylor was born. So when we found out I was pregnant with James, I was eager to do a little redecorating. Knowing that this isn’t our forever home and that babies only use the nursery for a short season, I didn’t see value in spending a significant amount of time and money on the updates. But a a few simple changes made a huge difference!

While babies don't need much, there are a few essentials I love and recommend for the newborn days. From our favorite bassinet and diaper bag to the best swaddles and sound machine. Here's a complete list of the products we couldn't live without.

The daddy of our home doesn’t care too much for “things”. He typically receives clothing or experiences for gifts. This summer, he decided to take some golf lessons & called them his Father’s Day gift.  So while gift giving isn’t that important to him, words of affirmation and acts of service are his love language, so we still love to make him feel special on Father’s Day in creative ways!

Our little ones seem to inundate our home with so much paper. Whether it’s birthday cards or growth charts or handprint art or spelling tests, it’s just nice to have a designated place to keep it all. It’s even better if this place is an organized space (not the junk drawer in your kitchen!). Which is why I decided to create a Childhood Memory Box for each of my boys. The simplicity of this box means no fuss yet lots of organization! As papers come into our home, I simply sort them into the appropriate section of each child’s box. Currently, I keep most everything! As the box grows, I plan to sort through each folder and purge things that aren’t super memorable. I hope this simple filing system helps you take authority over that stack of papers on your countertop once and for all!

A little over a year ago, I decided to switch to better beauty. As I began my research, I was overwhelmed by my lack of knowledge and awareness of the chemicals in our home. I couldn’t dismiss what I had learned, so I immediately began swapping products in our home: cleaning supplies, detergent, skin-care, make-up, etc. My babies inspired my desire to make changes to my skin-care and make-up products. From pregnancy and nursing to hugs and kisses, my babies are directly impacted by these decisions. As I explored my options, Beautycounter was at the top of my list for skin-care and make-up. I loved their mission, knowledge, and was eager to try their most loved products.

Happy Father’s Day to the daddy of our home! We love you and are so thankful for you!