SIX YEARS OF MARRIAGE + SOME MARRIAGE ADVICE
Throughout these six years we've soared on glorious highs and crawled through rocky lows. No marriage is perfect. We've had seasons where all we could do was keep our head above water. There are days where we annoy the heck out of each other BUT throughout all of it, we have seen God's faithfulness. We have seen that he has truly brought us together and as we trust in him, we both know that he will keep us together.
Today James and I have been married for SIX YEARS. My goodness, we're four years away from ten years!!
It feels like it's been a day and it feels like it's been 100 years.
Throughout these six years we've soared on glorious highs and crawled through rocky lows. No marriage is perfect. We've had seasons where all we could do was keep our head above water. There are days where we annoy the heck out of each other BUT throughout all of it, we have seen God's faithfulness. We have seen that he has truly brought us together and as we trust in him, we both know that he will keep us together.
Kids throw a giant wrench into your married relationship. And for seasons you do what you can do to survive...that was us for the first 4 months of London's life.
BUT we always try to remember that our marriage comes first and kids come second. It's easy to say but much harder to do and this one is a daily challenge!
I often get asked marriage advice (which is a bit crazy as it's only been 6 years!!) here's what I usually say:
MARRIAGE TIPS
- Keep God the centre. Again so easy to say but harder to do. For me this means, praying with your spouse, praying for your spouse, declaring God's promises over your marriage (especially through the rough times). Ask God what your next steps are.
- During conflict, remember that you are on the same team. The problem (kids, money, etc) is not between you (even if you have different opinions). You are side by side and the problem is across from you and you are called to work together with your spouse to tackle the problem. The problem is not between you!
- Talk it out. Obviously communication is HUGE. In the early days, I often had to remind myself that James could not read my mind. If something is bugging you, BRING IT UP. Don't bottle it up, you'll just resent your spouse. Talk it out.
- Have sex. Sex strengthens your marriage. It's a gift from God not to be abused or unused. Use this gift.
- Have intentional time together! Schedule a date and go out together! Get off your phone and talk to each other. Have fun and enjoy each other!
- No phones in the bedroom. This one has been a game changer for us!!! We haven't had electronics in the bedroom for over 2 years and it is such a peaceful environment. We're not really good at going to bed at the same time but I want to work on that one!
- Put your marriage before your kids. I talked about this above but I always go back to this quote....Tell your kids that they came into your life not the other way around. Don't ignore your spouse. It's a hard one for mamas because at the end of the day you are sooo touched out, ha! But make time for your hubby. It's important.
I'd love to hear your favourite marriage advice! Let me know in the comments!
Happy anniversary James. Love you for life and I'm I 100% believe that our best days are ahead of us. The best is yet to be. xoxoox
LONDON'S ROSE GOLD NURSERY
London's nursery is finally finished and it is my most favourite room in the house. Because she came fashionably late (you can read her birth story here!) I had lots of time to put finishing touches on it.....but it wasn't finally complete until months later of course!
London's nursery is finally finished and it is my most favourite room in the house. Because she came fashionably late (you can read her birth story here!) I had lots of time to put finishing touches on it.....but it wasn't finally complete until months later of course!
If you're wondering why we look a bit glistening in these photos, it's because the shoot was done on the hottest day of the year!! HA! The lighting is perfect RIGHT at London's bedtime so she was a bit of a sweaty mess but a good sport.
ROOM DETAILS:
Rug: The amazing rug is by Lorena Canals. All of their rugs are MACHINE WASHABLE. Yes, you heard me. When your baby poops or cat pukes or vice versa you can pop it into your washing machine. They also have a beautiful social mission. For every purchase of one of their rugs, you help a child in India attend school.
Unicorn Head: We purchased this one here while we were in NYC! So glad we got it.
Wall Bookshelf & Arm Chair: Ikea.
Wall Art Above Crib: DIY
Heart Decals: From Walmart but these ones are similar!
Changing Pad Cover: You can find it here.
Somebody donated the crib and dresser to us and we picked up the change table on a buy + sell site!
OUTFIT DETAILS:
ME: My shirt is from Pink Blush. I wore a ton of their clothes during maternity and was so happy to find out that they make non-maternity as well! I've been eyeing up more of their tops because I'm in need of some back to work clothes and I have so many in my shopping basket, ha! Here is the link to my shirt I'm wearing!
London: Still squeezing into this romper!
Her room is one of my favourites in the house. It's so peaceful and I can't wait to see it transform as my little girl grows up. I can't believe she'll be one in two short months!!!
Huge thanks to Rachael Alexandra for shooting these photos in the crazy heat!!
XO,
Laura
ANA LUISA JEWELRY REVIEW
Lately I have been all about the dainty necklaces and statement earrings. I honestly find that adding a little bit of jewelry can make you feel dressed up with very little effort (which is a must for #momlife!)
Lately I have been all about the dainty necklaces and statement earrings. I honestly find that adding a little bit of jewelry can make you feel dressed up with very little effort (which is a must for #momlife!)
I'm so thankful I came across Ana Luisa Jewelry! All of their pieces are high-quality and so precious. You can for sure tell that their products are individually handcrafted.
I'm wearing the Nicole Layered Necklace and Gisele earrings. They both go with everything and I honestly get so many compliments on them!
I also want about 10 more pairs of their earrings! How beautiful are these gold hoops?
You can sign up for their Membership for FREE and it includes:
- Access to all of their beautiful collections
- One year warrenty on all styles
- Free shipping + returns
- A surprise gift with every order (sooo fun!!)
And to spread the Ana Luisa love, we're giving away TWO pairs of these Olivia Tassle Earrings!! Head over to my Instagram to enter to win!
If you sign up for their free membership, you'll get 10 EXTRA entries!!!
XO,
Laura
First three photos by Rachael Alexandra Co.
FAVOURITE BOOKS FOR BABIES + TODDLERS
This week is Luca's final week taking part in our local library's (and province-wide) Summer Reading Club. It's a seven week program where you record the books you read and then at the end of the week you get a sticker and a prize! It's kinda surreal because I did it when I was a kid (at the exact same library too!!!!)
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This week is Luca's final week taking part in our local library's (and province-wide) Summer Reading Club. It's a seven week program where you record the books you read and then at the end of the week you get a sticker and a prize! It's kinda surreal because I did it when I was a kid (at the exact same library too!!!!)
If you've been following me for awhile, you'll know I'm a book lover through and through. My hope and dream is that my babies will follow suit. Thankfully they've already developed a love for books. Throughout the day Luca will bring me books to read and at bed time he would read hundreds if he could.
Here is a list of our favourites:
- That's not my Lion - These "That's not my..." books are soo good for babies! They have touch and feel parts that babies love to interact with. London just adores this book and when Luca was her age, he loved it as well. (I'd say best for age 6 months-18 months). London also gives the lion kisses at the end of the book and it is the cutest thing ever!!!
- Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You- Oh my goodness this book and every other book I've read by Nancy Tillman make me weep!!! They are so beautifully written and capture the heart of parenting (and heart of God.) I was given a number of her books when I had Luca and I was so glad because I had never heard of her books. I 100% recommend getting these for a baby shower!!
- Little Blue Truck Leads The Way- These Little Blue Truck books are sooo sweet. Now that Luca is a bit older, he likes longer stories. I love the illustrations in these ones too.
- Little Owl Lost- I just LOVE these books by Chris Haughton! We also have Oh, No George! and it's soo great. Cute, witty writing and cute illustrations. Luca loves them and often requests them!!
- Each Peach Pear Plum- We love this classic one.
- Are You My Mother?- Another well loved classic.
- Llama, Llama Red Pajama- Probably the most fun rhyme to read!
- DADA- I do NOT recommend this one if you want your child to say MAMA first, ha!! I hid this one from London. Luca said Dada first and I blame it all on this book!!!
- Goodnight Moon- Such a classic!!! I did read a funny buzz feed post on about all the quirkiness in it and made me LOL.
- Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb- We love drumming along to this one!
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?- We love this classic so much, I have a t-shirt of it!!
- Hello My Name is Bob- Luca randomly picked this one out at the library and it's SOOO GOOD. I'm tempted to buy it for him.
- Little People, Big Dreams: Rosa Parks- These books are written about amazing women who changed the world! We have Rosa Parks + Audrey Hepburn but I plan on getting London the whole set!
- The Gruffalo- Such a good book! I have it memorized.
PIN FOR LATER!
That's my list of favourites, I'd love to hear what you love to read to your littles!
XO,
Laura
photos by Rachael Alexandra Co
WHY WE LOVE OUR DIONO RADIAN RXT CARSEAT
I often get asked about the baby gear I have purchased for my babies. I have lists on lists on lists of things because let's be honest, babies need ALL THE THINGS. But one of the MOST IMPORTANT items you can purchase for your babe, is the carseat! In my city, they won't let you leave the hospital without one!
Click through to find our favourite car seat!!
I received this car seat c/o Diono but all opinions expressed are 100% my own.
I often get asked about the baby gear I have purchased for my babies. I have lists on lists on lists of things because let's be honest, babies need ALL THE THINGS. But one of the MOST IMPORTANT items you can purchase for your babe, is the carseat! In my city, they won't let you leave the hospital without one!
We used a bucket seat for the first 6 months. I love starting out with the bucket seat because you can take your sleeping baby everywhere but after about 6 months, it starts getting HEAVY and by 6 months, both of our kiddos hated the bucket seat. For Luca, we toughed it out until he was almost a year but for London, I knew I didn't want to suffer through those carseat meltdowns so at 6 months we graduated her to the Diono Radian RXT.
And we've been absolutely loving it!
Here are five reasons why we love our Diono Radian RXT carseat:
1. LONGEVITY
A child can be rear facing in the seat from 5lbs to 45lbs, forward facing in the five point harness up to 65lbs and then it converts to a booster and can be used from 50lbs to 120lbs! The carseat is also good for TEN years so chances are you can use it on your next babe!
2. SAFETY
When we took the carseat out of the box, both James and I commented on how strong it felt! The frame is made of steel and the sidewalls are reinforced with aluminum. It is one STRONG carseat.
3. STYLE
We went with the Midnight (all black) seat and it looks great in our SUV. It's so sleek as well! But that sleekness isn't just for good looks, it's sleek enough to fit THREE carseats across a single row...(can someone please tell my hubby if we have another baby we won't need to buy a minivan, ha!)
4. COMFORT
It's such a comfortable seat! London just loves it and actually fell asleep in it the other day!! (She stopped falling asleep in her bucket seat at 3 months old!!)
5. EASE OF USE
One of my favourite features of the Diono Radian RXT carseat is it folds flat and can be worn as a backpack. That my friends, will make air travel a BREEZE! It also is super easy to install and the whole cover is machine washable...I unfortunately had to find that out after London got sick all over it :( Thank goodness it all went in the wash and I was able to easily attach the fabric back to the seat.
Visit Diono's website to purchase your seat or learn more about it. Our family HIGHLY recommends it!
XO, Laura