Toddler fashion: The cutest duds for your dapper 2-year-old dude

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This is an updated post from February 5, 2018. New season, new style and new deals! Some of the links on this post are affiliate links, and you can read more about that here.

Okay, boy mamas, let’s talk about something that weighs on my heart every time I go shopping for my 2-year-old BabyCoolJ: the lack of cool clothing for boys! As I stroll by all the pink, tutus and bows I can’t help but feel bad that all that I can find in the boy-corner is boring outfits.

So, I am here to help. Since shopping is my ‘thang, I take a lot of pride in dressing my (in my opinion) super hip tot. I’ve done the work for you, scouting out the cutest duds to make your little guy one dapper dude. Read More

How to build community as a stay at home mom

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How to make mom friends

When I made the transition to stay home with BabyCoolJ last year I went from having a very full calendar to not a thing to do. No mom friends, no playdates, no activites. As a social (yet love-my-alone-time) person, I knew I needed to work on changing that stat.

Within months I had met the most amazing moms, joined multiple groups and built real community. If we hadn’t moved, I like to think my kiddo would have grown up with all these friends, and I’d continue to have lots of play dates and mommy dates.

Now that we’re in a new town, I am starting from scratch. And I’m not letting any time pass! We enjoyed our first few weeks being home and getting to know our new town, but both my son and I need friends. We need community.

So I think I’m in a pretty good place to make some suggestions to moms out there that are seeking friendships. Here are some of my favorite ways I’ve met my mom friends:

Date night outfit: one pair of jeans styled three ways

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Y’all – it was about time Mi Amor and I went for a date! It had been months since we had done anything just the two of us. So for his birthday weekend, I planned a bunch of fun activities for us to enjoy over two days.

I’m Not Scared: new children’s book will help your kiddo face their fears

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This is a sponsored post with Blessed Coast Books. All content and opinions expressed are my own. Affiliate links are used, and you may read my full disclosure here.

I decided to take a few days off from blogging to concentrate on my sweet boy. At only 2 1/2, BabyCoolJ has been such a trooper with our move. From staging our home, to running out the door, to living out of boxes, it has been such a great change being planted and building roots in our new community. We are now almost 3-weeks-in! And every day he says “I love our new home.”

For every season and change, I turn to books for my toddler. A good book can really speak to children, and it is amazing how a story can help them get through anything. Before we began packing, we read him Boomer’s Big Day on a daily basis. It really helped the transition of moving.

How to find a new church after a move

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Being a part of a church family is important to my husband and I. We want to be connected, be filled with His Word and grow in community. And we’ve learned (the hard way) what being disconnected does to our lives and our family.

But it can be hard to church shop. Hopping from church to church can be exhausting, and while I look forward to visiting a handful of new congregations, I wouldn’t want our list to be too long.

7 thoughtful & practical gifts to give a new mom

4 / 27 / 1812 / 5 / 18

7 thoughtful and practical gifts for a new mom — First time Tia Ray Ray and BabyCoolJ met, circa 2016

This week my oldest and dearest friend had her first baby! I received the news yesterday, so I immediately did what any long-distance girlfriend would do: ordered a few must-have items on Amazon Prime.

20 quick & easy meals: What to cook while you are staging your home or packing for a move

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I’m going to miss my perfect cooking kitchen!

I can’t stop saying it….we’re almost moved!!! This year has been a whirlwind with making the decision to relocate, staging our home and now getting ready for our big move to New Braunfels this week.

We listed our home the first week in January and had to keep it staged, clean and tidy for two and a half months. Y’all, with a toddler!! A boy toddler. So, needless to say, finding easy meals has been a must.

10 Mother’s Day gift ideas: my top picks from Target

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Mother’s Day has taken all a whole new meaning for me since becoming a mom. I love celebrating the day with my family, and because my love language is gifts I’m happy to be on the receiving end of this beautiful holiday!

This list is admittedly items I would totally want (there ya go, hubby…easy!) and includes things that inspire me. And they are wonderful for any gifting occasion – Birthdays, anniversaries and just “thought of you” gifts. (MEN: take note of that last one!)

10 Mother’s Day gift ideas from (almost) everyone’s favorite retailer, Target:

From faithless to faithful: how I found my way back to God (part 2)

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While there is a lot to share my in my early years, these last few years have been a whirlwind of excitement as I found my way back to God. If you’re just tuning in, I wanted to take some time to share my personal testimony. My most popular posts like this one, this one, and this one are all about God, so what better way to celebrate than with my own faith journey?

If you read part 1, you know a little about my background pre-2010’s. Now I’m going to dive into my favorite part, especially because it includes my husband!

What’s in my diaper backpack: toddler edition

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I’ve fought this whole diaper bag thing for a while. I totally embraced it when my kiddo was an infant, but just didn’t see the point in investing in another bag after he was running around and soon-to-be toilet trained.

My last diaper-friendly bag broke and I was using a regular handbag…which is just not good when you frequent the park.