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Category: lifestyle

Because of Him

posted in faith, lifestyle, Uncategorized by Hanna on

Wicker baskets, colorful Easter eggs, and bunny shaped candy continues to fill the stores as Easter draws near. As children, we always looked forward to dying Easter eggs, searching the yard for plastic eggs filled with money and chocolate, and getting fun Easter baskets filled with goodies. And while these are all beloved childhood traditions, we wanted to take today to reflect on the real reason we celebrate Easter– that is, Jesus Christ the Savoir of the world. We celebrate His life, His death, and His triumph over the grave. Because of Him, there is no end only beginnings. Christ paid the price for our sins, died on the cross, and rose from the dead– providing a way for each of us to return and live with God and our loved ones someday.
Because of Jesus Christ we don’t have to say good-bye forever at the grave, but only for a short time. Also, because He suffered for us and for our sins, we are not alone in our trails and struggles. He knows us. He knows our pain, our sorrows, and our weakness. Without question, Hanna and I have both felt Christ’s abiding love as we have faced trails of our own; both big or small. As we have mentioned before, Hanna and I are perfectionist in almost everything we do– it is sometimes more of a weakness than a strength. We’ve always know the kind of women we wanted to be and we’re constantly striving for it, but we are only human. There are times when we loose our tempers; when other things gain precedence over our family; when we’re not as loving as we should be; or when we’ve made wrong decisions. We’re constantly falling short, but because of Christ’s great sacrifice there is no end to how many times we can start again.
This Easter we invite you to share the blessing that are yours each and every day because of Jesus Christ. Share with us through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or by commenting below using the #BecauseofHim. We challenge you to remember the Savior in your Easter celebrations this year and allow His life and His ultimate sacrifice to help you start again and work miracles in your life. We only say this because we know it to be true. We have experienced it in our own lives, and it has brought more hope, joy, love, and happiness then we ever thought possible. We look forward to your thoughts this week as we prepare for Easter!
You can learn more about Jesus Christ, His atoning sacrifice and His resurrection at mormon.org/becauseofhim.

Link’n Blogs Linky Party {#20}

posted in baby, blogging, crafts, diy, family, food, health, holidays, inspiration, kids, lifestyle, marriage, motherhood, organization, parenting, party, recipe, sewing, thrifted, tutorial by Sara on
Today we’re honored to be guest hosting the Link’n Blogs linky party brought to you by Put a Bird On It. This is our first time ever “hosting” a linky party and we couldn’t be more excited to share with you the inspiration and talent of so many wonderful bloggers! It is actually through linky parties that we have come across some of our favorite blogs and have connected with some amazing people. With that being said, we invite you all to share, connect, inspire, and be inspired yourself!

Welcome to Link’n Blogs {#20} !
A place to link up your projects and make new friends. We are all about visiting links and following new bloggers here at Link’n Blogs. Remember to leave comments and PIN PIN PIN!
Cause sharing is caring. 


**Your links will show up on ALL blogs hosting the link party!**

Interested in guest hosting Link’n Blogs?!
I’ve created a spreadsheet where you can sign up to host a link party! It’s a great way to get to know other bloggers, share a recent post with other party goers and pick the features. Sign up using the link below!

Grab my party button! 
 



*Feel free to post my party button on your blog and say you linked up here!*



I am sharing a feature I did on Warby Parker collaborating with Architecture for Humanity. It’s a good company working towards a good cause!

Warby Parker + Architecture for Humanity






Katelyn is sharing a DELISH recipe for a spin on cheesy pasta. This looks so good! I love that it has bacon in it. Everything is better with bacon!



Be sure to give some love to our guest hosts – you will love their creative blogs!



These two girls have one of the cutest blogs! You’ve got to check out the Pinterest challenge they’re doing. Today, Hanna and Sara are sharing some divine cinnamon rolls – with a twist!






Chastity has a fun lifestyle blog and is momma to an adorable little cowboy! Today, she is sharing a heart filled printable perfect for the upcoming Easter holiday. I love it!





Carolyn’s blog is all about her life as a stay at home mom to her two daughters {which she never thought she’d be!}. And her post this week is about just that.




Here are this week’s features:

My Pick

DIY Felt Flower Headbands by Maddie Moe’s




Katelyn’s Pick

DIY Stenciled Tray by Life in Velvet



Hanna and Sara’s Pick

DIY Geometric Photo Display by The Caldwell Project



Chastity’s Pick

Picnic Basket Tutorial by Over the Apple Tree



Carolyn’s Pick

Bacon, Egg and Avocado Sandwich by Belle of the Kitchen


Fan Favorites


Reversible Easter/Spring Wood Blocks by Something Splendid



Pantry Makeover by View from the Fridge




I know the bloggers featured would love if you would visit their posts and say hello!

All features will be pinned to my Link’n Blogs board. Follow it here!



Follow my blog! If you want to receive an email reminding you about the link party, leave your email when adding your link.
Link to your blog post — not just your blog.
Share the love! Visit the other links and say who sent you.
If you enjoy a link, you can LIKE it {new feature!}
Adding your link gives me permission to feature you on my blog. 
Grab my party button! – See more at: http://iputabirdonit.blogspot.com/2013/12/diy-christmas-scriptures-advent.html#sthash.mPINNYsH.dpuf
Ok, here are the guidelines for the link party:  


Follow your HOSTS and GUEST HOSTS

If you want to receive an email reminding you about the link party, leave your email when adding your link

Link to your blog post — not just your blog.

Share the love! Visit the other links and say who sent you

Adding your link gives me permission to feature you on my blog
Share this link party on social media to help Link’n Blogs grow!

*Don’t be a LINK & RUN partier. Visit a couple links before you and a couple after!*


Happy Linking!

Leave a permalink on your blog back to the party to help our party grow!
*here is the link*
http://iputabirdonit.blogspot.com/2014/04/linkn-blogs-20.html


 

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I monitor each link and may delete a link if it is not something I want to promote on my blog. If you see your link was deleted, please email me. I’d be happy to chat about why! Thanks! 

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Kid Approved Valentines Party

posted in crafts, family, holidays, kids, lifestyle by Hanna on

It has been a busy week getting caught up with everything after our trip to Florida! I was pretty much behind on everything; blogging included! So today with it being Valentine’s I wanted share with you a little bit of my week that included this Valentine’s party I did for preschool.

Since moving into our new house I joined an at-home preschool group that some of the mother’s in the neighborhood had already started. We take turns doing preschool at our homes 2 days a week. So far it’s been really great for my toddler for social interaction with some bonus learning and crafts. It’s been great for me in getting to know some of the other mothers around me and finding some friends for Mia.

This week was my week and it being the week of Valentines I wanted to do something to celebrate. We spent the first day doing a craft that would serve as decoration for the party later in the week and then as a Valentine to give to their parents.

I cut up a bunch of scrap paper and had the kids glue them to inside of the heart. They love stick glue so they had a good time with it. This craft was perfect for a quick and easy decoration for the party!

Yesterday was our “party” day. We started by decorating bags with foam heart for all their Valentine’s to go in. Felt stickers was something we hadn’t done before and it was another hit with keeping the kiddos entertained.
Next we played a game of “Pin the Heart”. My daughter, Mia was my model for the girl we “pinned” the heart on and my helper in coloring it.
Our final activity was decorating heart cookies and eating them. Yum!

Now that the kids were all hyped up on sugar and before everyone’s mom came to pick them up I passed out their bags they decorated earlier and we passed around all the cute Valentines everyone brought.
Once the kids were gone I spent a good half-hour on clean up while Mia ate more candy and then we had a lazy afternoon. What a great day!
Hope everyone has a lovely Valentines day!
-HANNA

How to Clean Out Your Closet for Good

posted in home, inspiration, lifestyle, organization, Wardrobe Basics, women's fashion by Sara on
Find out how to finally say good-bye to those clothes you never wear and purge your closet of all that negative clutter.


It’s a new year and it’s time to whip your wardrobe into shape and finally say good-bye to those things you’ve been holding on to for years. You know, those items just sitting in your closet that you see every day when you go to get dressed but never pull off the hanger for one reason or another? Maybe it’s your favorite pair of pants that don’t fit anymore but you hold on to them with the hope that one day they’ll fit again. Or perhaps it’s a shirt that doesn’t quite go with anything else in your wardrobe, but you can’t bring yourself to get rid of it because (even though it’s been years) one day it might magically go with something.

I’m as guilty as the next girl when it comes to this problem; and quite honestly, I’m tired of it. I mean really, why do we insist on keeping clothes that don’t make us feel good about our bodies?! These clothes, no matter what the attachment to them might be, are not doing us any favors. They’re merely clutter in our lives; roadblocks if you will, that are preventing us from truly embracing our bodies.
I’ve spent the past year striving to overcome these wardrobe roadblocks and build a new wardrobe for myself. You can read about my full wardrobe transformation HERE along with steps to create your own. I can’t say that I’ll ever be perfect at it but I am learning. I still make shopping mistakes and have trouble letting go of certain pieces that are more than overdue. With some of the lessons I‘ve learned, I want to share with you some tips on how to finally purge your closet of the clothes that are holding you and your style back. 
 

1. Get rid of anything that does not fit or flatter the body you have now (whether it be something from high school or a recent purchase)

 

2. What may have been your style 3 years ago may not be your style now

 

3. If you haven’t worn something for at least a year, chances are you won’t ever in the future.

 

4. If you have clothes that need mending but have been sitting in your “to-do” pile for months, either make it a goal to fix them this week or throw them out

 

5. Don’t keep something if you have nothing to wear with it (even if it is the most stylish skirt you own)

 

6. Don’t keep clothes that are uncomfortable to wear, that wrinkle easily, or that make you feel like you are always having to adjust or pull at them

 

7. Sentimental clothing can be hard to finally let go of, so allow a few minutes to remember the good times, take a picture of it, and either box it away or put it in the giveaway pile

Find out how to finally say good-bye to those clothes you never wear and purge your closet of all that negative clutter.

 

When cleaning out your closet, be truly honest with yourself. If an article of clothing falls into one of the categories listed above, get rid of it. Don’t allow yourself a lot of time to rethink your decisions. Cleaning out your closet can be hard in the moment; but believe me, it is so liberating when you are finished and you’ve freed yourself of all that negative clutter!

To reiterate what we have been talking about, let me share a few brief examples of clothes that were difficult for me to let go of and why I finally did.

 

Example #1: I bought this skirt almost 5 years ago. I fell in love with it the moment I saw and just had to have it. Before I thought much about it I bought it and took it home to hang in my closet. The problem is that it did just that…sit in my closet. I’ve always loved this skirt but have never really found anything I liked to go with it. I’ve worn this skirt a total of 6 times, none of which have been in the last 3 years. Needless to say it was time to finally let it go.

Example #2: This basic button-down shirt was a more recent purchase of mine. I bought it about 6 months ago because I wanted one I could wear and/or layer with other pieces in my wardrobe. I bought the first one I tried on in Target. It only took me several wears to realize that this was a big shopping mistake. First off, the shirt altogether was a bit too long on me which made it bunch up at the bottom when I walked or sat down. The sleeves were also too long so I could only wear it if the sleeves were rolled up. And lastly, the material was thin which caused it to wrinkle easily and loose shape when I tried layering it with other pieces. It was a literal fail; but I guess I kept holding on to it hoping that one day I’d try it on and it would magically be everything I hoped it to be. Instead I came to terms that is was a waste of my money but a good learning experience. This too is in the giveaway bag.

 

Linked to:
http://www.madetobeamomma.com/2014/01/hit-best-shot-link-party-2.html

Friday Finds #1: Stripes and Polka Dots

posted in Friday Finds, inspiration, lifestyle, shop by Hanna on
We’re dedicating Fridays to sharing some of our favorite finds with a round up of things we love! Some are things we just couldn’t live without and have already bought, while others are still on our wish list. We hope that we can send a little inspiration your way!
To kick-off our very first “Friday Finds”, we decided to do our favorite finds around the inspiration for our blog title…stripe and polka dots. Enjoy!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

A New Year Brings BIG Changes!

posted in lifestyle, New Years by Sara on
Happy New Year!
I don’t know if many of you have noticed, but I have been absent from blogging for about a month and a half. Don’t be too upset with me yet, because there is a reason– a good one at that! 
I started blogging last June, and while it has been rather hit and miss I have learned a lot. There has been much debating, rethinking, and uncertainties about it, especially since I started working away from home. I’ve really just got my toes wet, but with a new year upon us I feel ready to jump in head first. Oddly enough, it was the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon which inspired my new outlook on the matter. 
It was after Thanksgiving and the high of being at home and spending time with my family was beginning to wear off. Life was back to its usual routine. The sun was no where to be seen and it was literally freezing outside. What use to be (before having Addie) a very satisfying and rewarding job was now a mere means for income. I was a little depressed and feeling trapped. 
During Thanksgiving break we visited the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, home of the “Spruce Goose”, one of the largest airplanes ever built made entirely out of wood. As I stood besides this massive airplane and thought about the kind of work that went into building such a thing I was completely awe-struck. There I was, a young women from a small town, living a completely sheltered life, and being so completely wrapped up in my own problems. In front of me stood this great symbol of American industry during the harsh times of WW2. It was something so much bigger than me, bigger than I could ever comprehend. It was as though I was realizing the big world I live in for the very first time.
Walking through the museum and experiencing the monumental history that surrounded me I wished I could be a part of it. Not for the recognition but for the sole purpose of impacting others and being a part of something that was much bigger than myself. The routine of life I had fallen into was not living at all, rather it was doing the things to get me through each day so it could start all over again the next day. Life was not meant to be stagnant. I could no longer settle on the fact that working at a job I no longer found as much satisfaction from was going to be my life until my husband finishes school (six years from now!). I suddenly felt empowered to take a chance, to pursue what I feel passionate about. I might fail, but I’ll never know until I try.
I don’t know what this new year will bring, but I am determined to never stop learning, to live life to its fullest, and to go after my dreams…succeed or fail. I love blogging so I’m going to blog, and I hope I can somehow make a small impact in doing so. The last month has been devoted to reevaluating, planning, and re-designing in order to make that dream become a reality. We will be launching our newly designed website exactly 1 week from today. That is right, I said “we“. I have partnered up with one of my most dearest friends in the world and I can’t wait for you to meet her. Please join us January 8th for the launch of the new Stripes and Polka Dots blog!

And for those of you who are wondering; no, I did not up and quite my job. Sure, it may not be my dream job any more, but we’re blessed to have it. Accomplishing a dream does not always happen overnight. It requires planning, hard-work, motivation, and doing the things that you don’t necessarily want to do to eventually get to where you want to be. That is where I’m at. 
Here is to a great year and another one to follow! See you next week!

Milestones and Updates

posted in family, kids, lifestyle, motherhood by Sara on

Maybe you haven’t noticed but I’m pretty good at being fashionably late and here is yet more proof…Halloween pictures almost a week after the fact! But who can resist posting cute pictures of their kid? Not me! Plus, this Halloween was a big milestone for Addie…her first pigtails! It is about time!

As a quick update about things to come, I’ve started some fabulous sewing projects over the weekend and can’t wait to share them with you! Also there is a great new addition coming to my shop this month with some even greater holiday discounts so keep your eyes open for that!

I hope you’re all having a great week!