From One Former Bride To Another

As this is wedding season and lots of you ladies are getting hitched in the coming weeks and months, I thought I'd share a few pearls of wisdom that I've gathered in our very long (okay, just shy of two years) marriage ; ) You do learn a LOT that first year, though.

Here are a few things I've learned that might help ya out, (or make you feel more normal if/when it happens.)

1) With men, it's better to just tell them how the heck you really feel. The beauty of guys, (and probably something we ladies should adopt), is that they typically prefer the blunt route. In the beginning, I used to keep S guessing. I wanted him to know exactly why I felt the way I did about something without me having to explain. Yes, clearly I that was flawed logic.

Problem is, this genius method of communicating with my spouse usually ended in me getting even more upset with him that he didn't just inherently know the cause of my foul mood. Men aren't psychics; do not treat them as such. Tell them when you're ticked and save yourself the extra time sulking. Besides, the making up is pretty fun ; )

2) Decide which household "jobs" you'll each take care of. We went into this with a 50/50 mentality. We'd each take on half of the household chores because we both worked outside the home and for us, it just made sense. We decided that Stephen would take care of the lawn, pets, kitchen cleaning and ironing (he's really quite good at it), and I'd take care of vacuuming, dusting, mopping and bathrooms. Laundry is a first-come, first-serve. On Saturdays, we split the chore list in half and in just a couple hours, it's done. Again, this method worked for us, but I know it's different for every couple and every unique situation.

3) Thank each other for the little things. I make sure to try and acknowledge his hard work both in our home and at his job. He does the same for me. Trust me, this will pay dividends.

4) Pray together. Shortly after we got engaged, we started praying together - out loud - daily. I understand that not every couple might feel comfortable with this and everyone has different religious backgrounds, so this is totally an "it works for us" thing. But, I love the connection that I feel with him when we openly share what's on our minds and talk to Him together. I'll be honest, when we first started doing this, it was a little awkward. But, I promise that within a week, you'll love the feeling of  intimacy that it brings.

5) Date. This is going to become even more important now that we are about to welcome Caroline to the picture. Be sure to take time one night a week or so and go on a real date. It can be as simple as getting a burger and walking around the outdoor mall, or having a fancy dinner and going to a movie. We even have "couch pizza" night where we get a pie and eat up while watching old episodes of The Office. The point is to turn phones off, disengage from social media for a few hours and concentrate on your partner.

6) Decide in advance whose family you'll spend each holiday with. For us, this came pretty naturally, as each of our families has different traditions. We always do Christmas Eve with Stephen's parents, Christmas Day with mine and Thanksgiving, we try to do with both families by hosting the dinner ourselves. Again, it works for us, but each couple's family sitch is different.

7) Remind them that you think they're attractive. Frankly, I married out of my league. My husband is a bonafied hottie. I make sure to tell him that I still think he's crazy cute, because, well, he is.

These are just a few of the things that keep us in check. It's tricky finding that balance of what works versus not, but hey, give yourself some time, sister. You'll get there.

Happy wedding bells, bunnies.

A Must-Read from my SIL

For starters, my prayers go out to all the victims of the tornadoes this week in Oklahoma. I cannot imagine the terrible heartbreak and overwhelming loss that they are feeling. I hope that they are able to find comfort through prayer and our Lord during the coming days, weeks and months.

There are several posts waiting in the queue this week, but when I read this article my sister-in-law wrote, I knew I needed to share it with y'all. If you're an expectant mom, (right here!), a new mom or a long-time mom, I think you'll identify with her sentiments.

Weather pending for outfit photos, I should have two fun posts coming this week featuring cute threads from Riffraff and Savoir-Faire. We shall see how the forecast plays out, I suppose.

The Other Side of Maude

Many of you know Maude Boutique for their amazing selection of on-trend women's clothing, shoes and accessories, BUT did you know that located mere steps away from the racks of dresses, tops and pants is a literal treasure trove of gifty goodies? Well, there is. Meet the other side of Maude.

She's a real beauty, too.

With everything under the blazing Arkansas sun, this gift + home store is the perfect spot to pick-up a unique birthday gift for a friend, special outfit for your little one or eclectic piece for your home. And, most importantly, for a budget-friendly price.

Girls Floral Jumpsuit

Girls One Shoulder Bow Dress

Boys Tuxedo Romper and Girls Floral Romper

The Maude Home + Gifts gammit runs deep; I'm talking greeting cards, one-of-a-kind Ruf Nek collars for fur babies, Tocca fragrances, Voluspa Candles...you get the pretty picture.

Ruf Nek Paracord Dog Collars

The sweet girls at Maude recently gifted sweet Caroline with this PRECIOUS little dress, which I plan to put on her next Easter. I mean, really - have you ever seen anything more perfect for a baby girl? I think not.

They also generously sent some of this amazing new fragrance, which has become my new favorite: Library of Flowers. Have you ever tried it? Because, um, you must. It's clean, crisp and downright perfect for this discerning critic's nose. (Trust me, as a pregnant gal, your sense of smell is in hyperdrive.) I have a feeling one bottle won't last very long!

Check out some of these other gems...gaw, so chic!

What I'm trying to say is, next time you're in Maude, take a few steps back into the gift store. I betcha a Grande Carmel Macchiato with Extra Whip you won't walk away empty-handed.

Mark my words.

A Little of This, A Little of That

I rarely blog on Sundays, but the darn humidity is so thick outside, it has turned into an inside kind of day. We had every intention of going to Heber Springs to visit my parents this weekend, but I was so sick (hyperemesis...pregnancy puking) on Friday and Saturday, that those plans fell through.

Instead, between trips of running to the loo, we planted our summer flowers, looked at tile and hardwood (we're getting ready to tile our master shower and replace our carpet with hardwood in hopes of helping Stephen's allergies) and took the pets for a few walks.

Here's a little randomness for your Sunday:

1. Have y'all tried the Kuhn Rikon knives? Let me say: WE ARE OBSESSED. These puppies will glide through a watermelon like it's a stick of butter. We received one as a wedding present and I finally broke down and bought a couple more off Amazon today. Check 'em out, if you're in the market for some new knives, (or just fed up with your current set.)

2. I really want to dress up our front door for summer. If I were crafty, I might attempt to DIY the sucker, but since we know I'm not, I'm relying on my friends at Etsy. I am LOVING the little initial door hangings and I think this S would be just perfect for us. Thoughts?

3. Have you Instagrammers downloaded the super fun A Beautiful Mess app? It's the perfect little tool to add cute words, doodles and borders to your pics! Read more about it here.

4. With our steak tonight, we'll be devouring some more of The Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes. These are a MUST if you're a meat 'n potatoes kinda gal, (or if you cook for a meat 'n potatoes kinda guy.)

5. And finally, because I'm baby crazy right now with our little Caroline on the way, I bring you the Baby London Victoria line featured on Zulilly today. Cannot get over this adorable Yellow Joan Top & Bloomers for a sweet summer outfit option on baby! Since Cee will be a fall babe, I may have to go ahead and order this in a bigger size for her to sport next summer : )

Hope your weekend has been a fabulous one, love muffins. Until tomorrow...

Confessional Friday: {Soon-to-be-Mommy Edition}

I wanted to change things up for my Confessional this week and fill y'all in on what's really been going through my head lately:

1. I confess that I am sick of puking, (no pun intended). Morning sickness, (or all day sickness, in my case), is for the birds. Caroline, if you're listening, please give mommy a break : )

2. I confess that I really do feel some days like I'm living a dream. I really cannot believe that God has given me this life and I'm living it. Just needed to say that out loud.

3. I confess that being a mom excites me to no end. It also terrifies me. And worries me. And makes me so happy that I feel I might burst.

4. I confess that before Stephen and I got married, I never really had notions of becoming a mom. In fact, I was that chick making a quick exit at the baby showers when everybody started passing the baby around, ha!

5. I also confess that I can't imagine not having kids with Stephen. Something about meeting someone that you love more than life itself...well, it makes you want to create little someones with that person.

6. I confess that changing other children's dirty diapers makes me gag. In fact, I've only done it a few times. I'm told this changes though when the kiddo is your own. I think the good Lord must give us strength to raise our own babies. And change their stinky diapers.

7. I confess that I have no clue how to make a bottle or swaddle a baby.

8. I confess that I will not be taking bare belly maternity pics. That's fine for anyone else - hey, to each her own - but this chica isn't participating. No ma'am. Not something the world needs to see from me.

9. I confess that Stephen and I text back and forth daily about the exciting things that we'll get to do with our baby girl. First trip to Reynolds Stadium for a Hogs game, first trip to Rick's Bakery for donuts on Saturday morning, first trip to her Grandpa Lacy's farm...the list goes on. Good thing we have a long time to fit it all in.

10. I confess that the thought of breast feeding scares the mess out of me. (Can I admit that? Sure. It's Confessional Friday.) I mean, you are a walking dairy case. And a source of food for a living being. And those are my boobs! (Okay, enough. I'll stop. I just had to get that off my chest.) Pun intended.

11. I confess that each piece of unsolicited advice that I receive about our child makes me want to punch that advice giver in the face.

12. I confess that I started crying yesterday just staring at the sweet ultrasound photo on my phone. It's a feeling like no other to know that you helped create that face, that body, that beating heart.

13. I confess that, at this moment, I have a baby fluttering in my tummy, a puppy asleep on my lap, a husband laughing hysterically at a re-run of The Office...and he's begging me to stop blogging and hang out with him.

And frankly, who could say no to that?

Later, gators.