I’m sure we can all agree that this is such a weird time to be alive and our “normal” days are not so normal anymore… but with the weather warming up it feels so incredible to get outside and do some activities as a family every day!
I’ve always loved Sonnet James dresses and Whitney’s (the founders) mission to create dresses that women can do any activity in… while still feeling comfortable, covered, and playful.
After they sent me this Celine dress, I put it to the test with our favorite morning activities and it passed the test big time!
Whether it’s a walk around our neighborhood, gardening, chalk time, or snack time… I loved that I was able to still do EVERYTHING I wanted to do even though I wearing a dress. And it’s breastfeeding friendly! 👏🏼
Also, these are my mother-in-law’s garden boxes and my last project of my maternity leave are garden boxes for our backyard! So if you have any recommendations of what I should grow, send them my way!
One of my most common direct messages has to do with my JEWELRY! I love wearing jewelry (obviously) so today I am sharing ALLLL the pieces I own.
Below you can click on any piece of jewelry to shop (if it’s not working, make sure you’re browsertab has finished uploading!) But I’ll also link some of them below too.
I would say that these pieces pictured below are my MOST WORN! I wear all of these items almost daily.
Braided ring. (I have one of these in the middle of my stacked rings!)
June Hope Band. (just the freaking best ring of all time)
Here if my lineup of Made by Mary rings. I have worn these every day for YEARS. I shower in them and everything and they’ve held up great. I actually used to work at Made by Mary so I’ve seen firsthand the quality of craft that goes into each and every piece. (they are linked above!)
These two bracelets I wear daily make me smile every time I look down. My babies!
And this is the BEST jewelry organizer that I put all of my jewelry in! It comes in the cutest colors too.
And last but definitely not least is this gorgeous June Ring! I did a collaboration with June back in November and we gave one away! It is my favorite ring and you can shop it here. They even gave me a discount code! Use OLIVIA10 for 10% off any of their rings.
AND Made by Mary gave us a 10% code too! OLIVIABETH10 for 10% off the next 48 hours!
I hope that helps! If you have any more questions, feel free to comment below or email me!
Anytime I post pictures of our home, I always get questions about our art! I have loved collecting art pieces throughout the years and will share where I bought all of ours on my Instagram Stories today (and I’ll save them as a highlight after!)
I know everyone has different preferences/taste when it comes to art but here are some of my favorite picks that I would definitely buy and put into our home!
(clicking on the images above will take you to the retailer’s site)
Also, I print our big family picture prints from Amazon Photo and have a great experience there. They are always great quality at a great price point!
Ralphie from Simply on Purpose was the most recommended! I have attended her in-person workshop before and am saving up for her audio course! I love her and her perspectives.
Easter this year was definitely different than in the past… From how excited our daughter was about everything (and her hilarious commentary), to not seeing our family, it was for sure one we will never forget.
I love Easter for so many reasons but one main reason that I love it is because of the time I have to reflect on our Savior and all that he sacrificed for us. We’ve been trying to teach our daughter about Jesus lately and it is the SWEETEST thing to watch her excitement every time she watches a video or sees a picture and recognizes him. It melts our hearts every single time and we are so grateful for her Christlike example to us 💛
Our favorite video this Easter season was this one.
It’s safe to say she absolutely LOVED finding Easter eggs and eating all of the candy! This girl had a complete sugar rush all day long and is currently going through withdrawals.. which is super fun for all of us.
These two… melting our hearts every single day.
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter as well! I also put together this little home video below. Try to catch both of our daughter’s “Oh my heck!” ‘s. It is my absolute favorite thing she does these days. I crack up every single time.
I will never ever forget hearing the words “It’s a BOY!” come out of Will’s mouth. Waiting to find out the gender is truthfully the most exhilarating experience and it’s an experience I wish I could relive over and over again the rest of my life!
Throughout my pregnancy, I always communicated to my OBGYN that I really wanted to go into labor naturally. I still wanted an epidural, but I didn’t want to get induced. I wanted to see what my body did naturally because I did that with Penelope and loved how quickly my labor went with her! (Read Penelope’s birth story here!)
However, when I went into my 35-week check-up (the day after the big work retreat I planned in Park City… I think I over-did it up there haha), I was already dilated to a 3 and 60% effaced! This baby was positioned SO low so I started to get concerned this baby would come sooner/faster than I anticipated…
BUT I took it easy and stayed dilated at a 3 for a couple of weeks (phew!)
At my 39 week appointment, as we were getting closer, I finally asked my doctor what HE thought I should do… after all, he’s the professional! Not me!
Me: “Do you personally think I should still wait and go into labor naturally? Or should I get induced?”
Doctor: “Let me check you.”
2 seconds later…
Doctor: “Soo… if you want to have the baby in a hospital and make sure you have enough time to get an epidural, I would get induced tomorrow or Friday.“
(I was still dilated to a 3 but now 70% effaced and he could tell this baby was LOW)
Me: “Okay well OOOOBVIOUSLY I don’t want to have this baby at my house or in the car… and I am wanting the epidural so obviously let’s do it!!”
He left the room to look at his schedule and came back saying I was scheduled to be induced the next morning!
I left my appointment shaking. What in the world?!
It was the craziest feeling KNOWING when the baby would come. It was always unknown with Penelope (which I secretly loved) so it was crazy to KNOW.
I went home, made sure my bags were all packed, went out to dinner with the 3 of us for the last time, received a priesthood blessing from Will, and went to bed feeling SO much peace knowing I’d have a baby in my arms the next day. Ah! I could hardly wait!
I was told I would get a call from the hospital in the morning telling me what time to come in and if I didn’t hear from them by 9, I needed to call them. I was all ready to go at 7 AM (just to be safe)… so after not hearing from them, I called them around 9:15 AM and they said I was the very last name on the listand there was a possibility they couldn’t fit me in that day. They said they would call me around 4 PM to update me if anything changed.
I was devastated! I felt like I was getting stood up for the prom haha! I seriously felt so sad and just wanted to get the show on the road!
To pass the time, I went and had my nails done (haven’t had them done in 6 months so why the heck not), washed my car (let us not be surprised here) and wrote some thank you notes while watching This Is Us.
Then, around 11:50 AM I had a call come in asking if I could be there by 12:30 PM! I couldn’t say yes fast enough!!!
Penelope was napping when we left the house (my mother in law came over to watch her we aren’t horrible parents I swear) and I couldn’t stop crying leaving the house over the fact I couldn’t give her a hug before we left… pregnancy emotions at an all-time high. I pretty much cried the entire way to the hospital. SO many emotions going on!
Excited, terrified, totally ready, not ready at all…
We got to the hospital at 12:30 PM and checked-in.
We started my pitocin around 2:30 PM.
They broke my water around 3 PM.
I received my epidural around 3:30 PM.
My parents and little brother arrived around 4:30 PM.
Then, at 4:50 PM, my doctor came in to check the status and said,
“YOU’RE AT A 10. IT’S GO TIME!”
All of a sudden the lights came down, my doctor was all suited up, the nurses prepped the room and I started pushing a little after 5:01 PM.
At 5:04 PM, a BIG, healthy BOY was in my arms!
Yeah… I told you he was low!!!!
I’ll never forget the shock I felt the second I saw him.. he was HUGE! Haha. I started laughing/crying the second he was placed on my chest (we video record our babies deliveries on Wills iPhone behind my head so I can watch them over and over and remember all the little details)
Okay sooo THAT’S why I was in so much pain this pregnancy haha! Big baby cooking (very low) inside of me down there…
But HE was healthy, here, and we were all so very happy!
Penelope was able to meet him around 5:30 PM and it was one of the absolute happiest moments of my life.
Welcome to the world, George. We couldn’t be more thrilled you are ours.
Okay, I thought it would be fun to write out all the similarities/differences in both of my pregnancies so far! I think it will be fun to look back on one day… especially after we find out the gender!
Last pregnancy I felt like I had more energy than normal. I was going to the gym every day like it was noo big deal! Never really took naps. Felt amazing.
This pregnancy I am SO tired all the time. Granted, I have another child I’m chasing around but I have zero energy to do anything.
Last pregnancy, dessert NEVER sounded good to me.
This pregnancy I enjoy chocolate and sweets.
Last pregnancy, my first trimester was a lot rougher and I had extreme hunger up until week 23-24 and then felt fabulous the rest of the time!
This pregnancy, hunger (no matter how much I eat) is my only “real” symptom of pregnancy and it hasn’t ever gone away. I did have a lot more nausea with this one too!
Last pregnancy, my placenta was in the front so I only really felt the baby kicking a couple of times a day.
This pregnancy, my placenta is in the back so I feel the baby all. day. every. day. I really am not kidding either. I feel like it never stops!
Last pregnancy, due to the placement of my placenta, I really only felt back pain here and there. I would take a tub almost every night with Epsom salts and felt completely fine after.
This pregnancy, I have zero back pain but I feel so much pressure in my pelvis and my hips kill if I try to exercise or walk. So I pretty much sit around all day which is very outside of my comfort zone!
Last pregnancy, I exercised 5-6 days a week up until my due date.
This pregnancy, I have probably exercised 5-6 days TOTAL haha. I am in too much pain afterward if I do!
Last pregnancy, I would have heartburn occasionally.
This pregnancy, I have to take heartburn medication every morning otherwise I have it all day long. Nights are the worst!
Last pregnancy, I KNEW Penelope was a boy… so that was quite the shock when she came out!
This pregnancy, I have kept my mind completely open and haven’t convinced myself of it being one gender over the other! I kept calling my daughter a “he” in the hospital even AFTER she was born so I’m trying to not let my mind get convinced of it being one vs the other.
Okay, that’s all I can think of for now… so now I want to hear your vote! Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?! Obviously it seems like these pregnancies have been so different (which they have been in some ways) but I hear from people all the time that their pregnancies were soo different and they still had another girl etc.
I have been going through my iPhoto this weekend trying to clean up/delete duplicate pictures etc. before I get a new hard drive to store all my photos on and have LOVED coming across photos that I took of our past apartments and places we’ve lived. It’s crazy to have all of these memories/emotions come flooding back when I look at photos of the spaces we’ve lived.
I think Gretchen Rubin has suggested a practice like this before too but I can’t remember what she called it. Essentially, I want you to take pictures of your house, apartment, room WHATEVER… exactly how it is right now! Clean or dirty… that’s up to you haha.
Sometimes I feel like we only take pictures of people (or food lol) but I love the spaces, the closets, the toy rooms, the kitchens… the spaces you may not live in forever and never want to forget!
I love seeing how I styled things a certain way and always love looking back at different things I owned at one time that I don’t anymore.
Anyways, I hope you do it this week and that in 1, 10, 20 years it brings you immense joy when you look back on the photos!
When I was pregnant with my daughter, we went to Hawaii as a little “last hurrah” before our family changed forever and we constantly talk about how special that trip was for the two of us. A couple of days after I found out I was pregnant with this baby, I knew I really wanted to go on a babymoon again with Will and once again, we are so happy we decided to take this trip together.
As sad as it was to leave my daughter at home, it felt pretty special to know we still had another baby with us. My placenta is actually in the back this pregnancy which means I can feel almost every single movement the baby is making this pregnancy. It is WILD! I really did feel like the baby was with us the entire time because it was constantly kicking and joining the party.
One of the best things we did was just RELAX. We both live pretty crazy lives but it was so incredible to just SIT and talk and watch the sunrises and the sunsets and read and have no care or plan in the world. That’s what Hawaii is all abought, right?!
Loved reading THIS BOOK while we were there. One of my new favorites!
If you ever go to Kauai you MUST go explore the Na’pali Coast. It was hands down one of the most breathtaking places I’ve ever laid my eyes on. We couldn’t get enough of it!
You can see it by driving to certain lookout points, actually hike/camp in it (you need a permit to do this) and/or see it by boat. We drove to all of the lookout points and also saw it by boat and both were incredible. I can’t suggest paying for a boat tour enough. Worth every single penny! We did the Captain Andy’s one but I’m sure other companies are great as well.
Make sure you try to book your boat tour on the day with the least chance of precipitation. That will give you the best chance of seeing dolphins and the mountains clear.
Kauai food recommendations:
Dolphin Sushi. Hands down the best meal we had the entire time in Kauai! Get the Waimea roll and thank us later!
Porky’s. A lot of you recommended this and we are so happy we tried it! It may or may not be coming to Utah soon 🤤
Anakē’s juice bar. Located inside of a supermarket. Favorite açaí bowl we found while on the island!
Makai sushi. YUMMIEST fresh poke bowls. Also located in the same supermarket as Anakē juice bar. If you love poke, try this place.
Puka Dogs. Great sauces. Came highly recommended as well!
Bubba’s Burgers! Their fries are my faaaavorite! Loved their ceases salad and Bubba burger.
Stevenson’s Library. Sushi restaurant located in the Grand Hyatt! We loved their rolls and tons of the locals said they go to the Hyatt to eat there!
Craving Thai food truck. Yummy food truck with Thai food! Look up their location on Google Maps.
The Fresh Shave. Shaved ice truck using natural fruits. No dues etc. Super fun flavors!
Kountry Kitchen Cafe. Reminded us a lot of Original Pancake House in UT but with a Hawaiian flair, of course. We got the banana, macadamia nut pancakes and they were fab.
Overall it was the absolute best trip together and one we will cherish forever and ever.
Until next time, Hawaii! Which I hope is very very soon… but let’s have this baby first! 👶🏼
For today’s Happiness Hack, I wanted to share what others shared with me on how they are living more sustainably! I find this more important each and every day and feel so inspired when I hear what others are doing.
Here are 20 ideas on things you can do too to help take better care of our earth! 🌎
Eat less meat! Especially red meat. This one was HUGE. Someone said that ONE hamburger is equivalent to driving 200 miles. That’s probably the biggest difference we can make is eating less meat and/or dairy. HERE is an awesome article on this.
BAGGU BAGS. I take these things EVERYWHERE and have tons in different sizes. Anytime I am offered a paper or plastic bag, I opt to use these instead (including at the mall etc.) Next time you’re handed a paper or plastic bag think to yourself “Do I really need this or can I manage without the bag?”
STASHER BAGS. These are expensive and a little hard to justify at first but they make a huge difference! We use them all the time.
Shop secondhand! Purchase clothes from places like Poshmark and ThredUp.
I love REUSABLE NURSING PADS for mothers that are nursing vs. using the disposable ones.
Where my drink lovers at? This is one I could be so much better at and I am trying! Try bringing a REUSABLE STRAW or MUG next time you go get a soda or coffee!
Supporting companies that value sustainability as well.
Buy things in bulk with reusable containers.
Meal planning so you don’t waste food! This one was interesting to me and one I’ve honestly never even thought about but I love it.
Walking instead of driving as much as possible. Some people said they got rid of one family car which I think is AMAZING!
Buying more organic foods.
Conscious water usage. Try not to let the water run for 3+ seconds if not in use.
Pay to support carbon offsetting projects with Project Wren. Someone said they always fund an offset project after they book an airplane ticket which I think is awesome.
Don’t let your car idle. Also buying cars that are electric and better for the environment.
Only ordering from Amazon once a month. Not just ordering one thing. Waiting until you have a lot of things to order!
Doing laundry less often. I can be so much better at this! Only doing everything once a week rather than little loads throughout the week.
Calling and supporting politicians that believe in and support climate change efforts.
I hope that helps give you some inspiration on where to start! I definitely got some great ideas from everyone so thank you ❤
My friend Tara posted the top links/posts of 2019 and I thought it was such a fun idea to see what everyone loved the most from what I posted throughout the year! Of course, the tanning drops win the #1 spot haha! No shame here. I can’t believe I lived so much of my life without them! Here are the Top 19 Links from 2019 below:
The Tanning Drops. No surprise here! I have loved seeing how many of you are loving these drops as much as I have! They seriously give you the best glow and I love the fact they have cleaner ingredients compared to most.
Starling Birdie Flats. My newest OBSESSION! I am not kidding these flats completely live up to the hype (for me, at least).
Cabana Sunglasses. I wear this 360/365 days of the year! The perfect price point for sunglasses. If I buy sunglasses any more expensive I swear I stress about losing them so I never even wear them.
Woven Rug. I get a lot of questions about the rug in our living room and here it is! Such an incredible price point for how big the rug is.
On the Fly Skirt. I am sorry but this is on sale for $19 right now??! Run!!!
Align Legging. No surprise here. I live in these leggings every single day… pregnant or not!
Vintage Fruit Print Set. These are so fun! I feel like they would go so well in almost any room in a house. Great Etsy shop!
Oh, Hello Doormat. If you’ve been around for a while you’ll know I used to have a hashtag just for my posts with my doormat! Haha. I love a good doormat at the entrance of a home and this shop has darling ones.
Etsy Linen Shop. We love this Etsy shop! Great linen products (our pillowcases are from here!)
Vaenait baby pajamas. The verdict is in… these are the best baby pajamas! We love buying them for Penelope as well as gifts for our friends about to have a baby.
Dymo Label Maker. The 3rd love of my life! I label everyyyything and it’s the best.
Core10 Scallop Bra. Love this Core10 brand on Amazon! I love the scallop details on this bra and also have the ruffle strap bra which is super cute as well.
Rifle Paper AirPods case. I am that girl that is obsessed with all things Rifle Paper over here… this AirPods case is no exception!
Self-Inking Address Stamp. Lives were made much, MUCH easier when these stamps were invented. This was the first thing I purchased after closing on our house this year!
Women’s Relax Bra. Currently in one and proud of it. Feels like you’re wearing nothing which is the goal, right?
Kohler Sink Brush. Fun fact: my mom showed up to her Christmas Favorite Things party with her girlfriends and gave them all one of these… but they all already had one from my post! Sorry mom 😅
Well, that’s it for now. Can’t wait to find you guys even more favorite things in 2020. Love you all! Have the best week.
