On The Go in 2015 - GIVEAWAY!!!

All moms understand that it's really hard to travel with kids, even if only going to the park or the store. Here are some great products to make getting out of the house a little easier, whether it's just for an afternoon or for a whole weekend. We are excited to bring you this awesome giveaway in collaboration with Green Scene Mom!

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Make taking kids on the go a little easier, and definitely more fun!

The Shrunks Wally Inflatable Bed Rail - $25
At The Shrunks, we believe that kids are cool. Creating stuff that makes bedtime fun and safe for them, wherever they are, is what we love to do. Keep your child safe from rolling off the bed with The Shrunks Inflatable Bed Rail! Its slim design allows the bed rail to slip conveniently under any fitted standard sized twin, queen or king size bed sheet. Each package comes with a bed rail, foot pump, and a carrying bag for easy transport to all of your destinations. Recommended for kids 2 years and up. Shop @ theshrunks.com.

Milkdot Popdots Go Pouch - $20
Popdots Go Pouch is the perfect carryall for everyday or for travel. Plus, it's insulated so it makes a great snack bag too. Use it as a toiletry bag, storage bag or quick change diaper bag. With one large elastic pocket and three smaller elastic pockets, your items will stay in place and organized. It's the versatile pouch for children, teens and women to take on the go for school, work or travel with plenty of room for school supplies, arts and crafts, toys, cosmetics, medicine, toiletries, first aid, baby essentials, snacks, drinks and much more! Shop @ milkdot.com.

Poncho Baby Pack-N-Run Organic Diaper Pouch - $35
This eco-friendly and portable organic diaper bag pouch is perfect for those times when a diaper bag is too big. Made in the USA with 100% Cotton Muslin Imported. Use it for a quick trip to the supermarket, the park or an airport bathroom. It's been carefully sized to hold just the necessities. Also works great as an insert in a purse or diaper bag. Shop @ ponchobaby.com.

Poppy Drops $30 Gift Certificate
Poppy Drops was created due to a dilemma lots of us face — when to pierce a little girl's ears? Poppy Drops earrings really are the perfect solution that is practical for parents and super fun for kids! From our signature earrings came other solutions for modern kids! We now offer Tattoo Nail Art, Mix & Match Tattoo Jewelry, Perfume Sticks & Lip Luster — all of which are designed for little ones but are great for EVERYONE! All of our products are made with natural ingredients — 100% safe for any age. We make staying young even more fun than growing up! Shop @poppydrops.com.

Yummi Pouch Reusable Food Pouches set of 6 - $15
Yummi Pouch reusable food pouches combine style and convenience in an eco-friendly container you can fill with homemade smoothies and blended snacks! Yummi Pouches are easy to fill and clean through the top zipper opening and are great for taking healthy snacks on the go. Shop @ yummipouch.com.

Zippyz Baby Footed Pajamas - $27.99
Zippyz are baby footed pajamas with a patented design to make diaper changes quick and easy. Zippyz have a zipper from foot to belly so parents can change diapers quick and easy while keeping their baby covered and warm. Shop @ shopzippyz.com.

Pacidoodle Personalized Pacifiers set of 2 - $12.50
Pacidoodle Personalized Pacifiers are the Cute, High Quality Solution to Accidental Paci-Swapping! Baby's name, monogram or cute saying is engraved on pacifiers and will not rub off or fade. "A little paci love made with a lot of His love". Shop @ pacidoodle.com.

Enter to win this Amazing Prize Set!

This giveaway is open to United States and Canada.

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SLOW DOWN.............and sip your coffee.

As I sit here, on this couch of mine, with no TV, no kids a stirring, just silence...... it hits me that life doesn't have to move at the speed of light. Life moves at the speed in which you make it move. 

Slow Down.....and sip your coffee.

One day last week was probably one of the scariest moments I've experienced in my life. I went to the ER last week experiencing chest pains, arm numbness and indescribable pain in the back of my neck. Heart attack at age 30? How could I be feeling like this? Why is this happening to me? What about my girls? Who will teach them the things they need to know about life? Who will protect them from the boys that will break their hearts as they grow? What about my wife? How will she go on? We are on a journey together, we are a team, there's no I in team.... Then I think,  I've got to much to do to be dealing with this right now. I've got too many projects that aren't complete? 

WHAT???? 

I've got too much to do? 

Who says that?  

Well. This guy says that. WHY? I don't know, but as I sit at home today, I know I won't ever say it again. Long story, but it wasn't a heart attack I was experiencing but some other health related issues that I've been putting off for a while. Side Note: when your body tells you something, don't put it off, it's a lot smarter than you give it credit for.

At the age of 24 I lost my best friend to a motorcycle accident. We were 2 modern day, Bo and Luke Duke friends (minus the badass 69 charger with rebel flag roof). We ran hard, experienced life like any midwest 20 something year old kids should. One thing that set him apart from me, was his Life's a Garden, Dig it!! mentality.  I envied that quality in him.  Now that I look back on it, I think he knew that he would not be on this earth for a long period of time and wanted to make the most of it. From the day that I carried him to his final resting place, I vowed to carry that trait into my daily life.

What happened? Life Happened? No, I chose to let it go by too quick. I read Emily's last post and realized that she was thinking the same thing. So now, under this roof we will be moving at our own speed. We will enjoy watching our kids grow and will not be the ones who in 20 years tell new parents it goes quick they don't stay babies for long. No, we will tell them, enjoy them, it will be the best years of your life. 

Under this roof, we will do things we enjoy. Things that bring us great joy. 

Under this roof, we will not be afraid to try new things and experience life. 

BE A REBEL...REBEL AGAINST A HECTIC LIFESTYLE. REBEL AGAINST GOING TO FAST IN LIFE. REBEL AGAINST NOT HAVING FUN.

Okay, enough of that business. It's been a while since we have shared some DIY projects with you. I figured I would take some quick pics of the things I've recently built and some things many moons ago.  This is one of the things I love most about our house. Almost all of our furniture in our house I have made. Basically, Emily says I saw this (insert some sort of crazy idea off Pinterest) and I was thinking that you could make it for me...But better. That's where she gets me hook, line and sinker. Always up for a competition. I always give Em a hard time about having to make another project for her (shhh...I actually enjoy doing it but don't tell her or Pinterest will be the death of me.)

I made this hutch soon after we built the house. All of the barn wood came from an old barn that a friend was tearing down at his new property. (Word of advice - if you are getting barn wood in the middle of the summer; take a gun for snakes, spray down for ticks, and have plenty of ice cold beer. Barns built back in the day were built when men were steel and ships were wood.)

I also built these tables soon after the house was built.  My lovely wife said "we just have to get us some end tables. None of the ones at the store are what I like!" Cue Charlie out in the garage making some end tables. 

I found this saw milled log in our creek behind the house.  I had a couple buddies hook a chain onto it and we pulled it out with my truck.  It was water logged beyond belief, weighing close to 400lbs. I let it sit in the garage for about a month to air out.  Emily came home the night I pulled it out and said I know where that's going......

We just hadddddddd to put a gallery wall in our house (or seven).............we wanted something different then just your standard picture frames, so i decided to make a large frame with pictures in it!

We like Wine......Could've guessed huh? Well Em always wanted to have a Chalkboard in the house. So I decided to surprise her and make her one with a wine shelf.  Check out the tutorial on how to build one for yourself.

This is probably my favorite piece in the whole house.  Im not quite sure why, but it just seemed to fit perfect in our house. The barn wood came from the Nashville Flea Market and the guys I got it from said they removed it from the old stalls at the Kentucky Derby years ago. (My little helper was asleep on the couch today while I was taking the pictures)

I built this as the guest book signing table for our wedding.  The wood from this also came from my buddies barn.  After the wedding I had this pretty cool table and didn't  want to get rid of it.  So we decided to ditch our old entertainment center and put this in its place.(Notice how fixer upper is on the TV. Yea, its on almost all the time at our house and I frequently give em the superman shirt pose that Chip gives JoJo)

Those end tables I made for the living room, well yea we needed some for our bedsides.  When we remolded our master bedroom I built these to go with our decor.  Check out how I made the Flea Market Lamps here.

This is our latest project.  With the recent addition to our family with Baby Guthrie, we needed to add on. So, I lost my garage and a master bedroom was added in its place. So we went with vaulted ceilings, fireplace, wagon wheel chandelier and barn doors.  This is by far my favorite room in the whole house.  Stay tuned to future blog posts and we'll show you how we transformed the garage into the Master Bedroom and some step by step instructions on how to add a fireplace and barn doors to your house.  

That's all for today.  Since we're pledging to slow down and spend time doing things we love, you'll want to stay tuned.  We love building and creating and making our house into a home and we plan on showing you a lot more real soon!  

Hold on January, let me take a breather....

Holy long time, right?  You might have thought we forgot how to type or something!  Almost friends...almost.  

Are you a "New Years Resolution" kinda person? I'm not.  Never have been.  But this year's different.  
More on that later.

It's been downright cray cray around here.  Please tell me you relate?

We spent Thanksgiving in Nashville, as we always do.  We came home and got to have an awesome date night out with none other than Mr. Garth Brooks!!!!  

Then left two weeks later for Disney.  Came home and two days later it was Christmas! Talk about hectic. 

Like packing and unpacking, then packing again. And long car rides and long shopping days.  Then another car ride and a quick flight that ended in puke.  

Yes, puke.  

Then princesses and parades and lines.  

Ohhhh the lines.  

And more charters and yes...more lines. And trolleys and monorails and some not-so-friendly mousekateers (more on that in a future post....they lied...it's not the happiest place on Earth).  

Then baking cookies and frantic last minute wrapping at midnight.  Lots of family and a whole lot of food.  More gifts. More food.  More toys.  Noisy ones...thanks family...

But most importantly....

MEMORIES.

Soooooo many gosh darn memories....

It's 10PM right now and I have two sleeping babies.  The house is quiet and as I sit in my dark bedroom typing... I'm taking my time...watching Shark Tank (secret obsession) ....taking deep breaths and .....soaking it all in.

All of it.   

I've had a lot of time off of work over the past two months due to holidays and our Disney vacation.  I normally work 8-5 everyday and have little time at home with my girls and hubby.  This past two months has been stressful and exhausting but oh so fantastic all at the same time.  I've been able to spend some quality time with my family and make memories that will last a lifetime. 

We're so very blessed and sometimes it's easy to forget that.

Enter New Years Resolution here...

We've got a very sick baby on our hands this week, which led to more time off of work for me.  I've seen doctors twice, Walgreen's too many times to mention and have a small pharmacy sitting on my kitchen counter.  About 3 hours ago I found myself sitting in the middle of the living floor surrounded by building blocks and dress up clothes and tissues and Tylenol, with a two year old on one knee and an 8 month old laying helplessly on my shoulder.  And slowly but surely the tears began to fall.  I felt helpless and exhausted and like I couldn't make it one more hour until bedtime routine.  Then, Paisley turned around and looked at me like she'd just seen a ghost.  I'm not sure if she's ever seen me cry.  She slowly sat back down on my knee, this time facing me.  She very slowly and gently wiped away my tear and whispered "ohhhh don't cry baby".   

Enter more tears...

She somehow got it.  She knew sissy was sick and Mama needed her help.  Her little finger to wipe away my tear and her sweet little whisper made it all ok.  

Unfortunately, my girls are used to me being gone a lot.  I have to wake up almost every day and explain to Paisley why I can't play with her today, but will as soon as I come home.  And then, I lie and tell her I'll be home really, really soon.  The 3 hours a night I get with them seems to fly by.  So these past two months of vacations and holidays and me being home a lot more than normal has created a couple of adorable little mama's girls.  

And this mama is choosing to be present.

Because in a few short days, life goes back to normal.  God-willing my sweet little Guthrie is healthy by Monday, our normal routine will once again be in full swing.  And, my hours with my family will be minimal again.

So, I'm choosing to be present.  I'm putting away the phone.  I'm not thinking about work.  I'm playing on the floor with my kids and having real conversations with my husband.  I'm going to stop staying up too late and start eating healthier so that I feel better.  I'm going to spend more time doing things I want to do that I don't take the time for.  If I do things that make me happy, I'll be happier for my kids and my husband.  And, I want to show my children how to be happy.  Not stressed and tired and on a time crunch.  

I'm choosing to be present in 2015.  

What are you choosing???