GooseWaddle + A Giveaway!

I don't normally do many product reviews or giveaways on my blog but when the team at GooseWaddle contacted me about hosting a giveaway for one of their supremely cozy blanket sets I had to consider. I took some time to peruse their website and learn about the company, their products and most importantly their mission. 

GooseWaddle promotes a "Buy 1, Give 1" campaign, which means that for every one of these snuggly blankets sold, GooseWaddle donates one to a child in need.  That is seriously impressive to me and extremely generous considering this blanket and baby blankie combo is valued at $90! I love a company that gives back, especially one with an amazing product. You can not believe how gorgeous and luxurious these pretty blankets are. They are seriously so soft you guys, like my kids have been fighting over them since they hit the doorstep. Wes claimed the big one for himself and relegated the smaller blankie to Oren and they've each slept with their respective blankets every night since. I'm not even just saying that. They love how soft and warm they are and they're perfect to wrap up in on these cold winter nights. And also, let's be honest here, we all know I'm rooting to add Booth baby #3 to the family one day and I've been dreaming of wrapping a little one up in one of these puppies ever since they arrived. 

Also, can I just say how impressed I was with the packaging and the nice gift box the set came in? I keep thinking this would make a perfect baby shower gift for all the new moms in my life. This is the kind of high quality, luxury blanket that can almost be an heirloom piece. A finely made blanket that you hand down from kid to kid until it eventually becomes a staple in the household. It's definitely a treasure worth investing in.

And now for the giveaway portion of this blog post! All you have to do is visit the GooseWaddle website and take a look at the three classic color options they offer, then come back here and leave a comment below telling me which color blanket you'd prefer. A winner will be selected a week from today and announced right here on the blog so make sure to check back and see if you're our winner! Good luck and stay warm, friends!

Time to Share the Love

Hi friends, it's Friday! And thank goodness --- this week has sufficiently kicked our butts. We've been passing around the flu bug that just won't die from one family member to the next and back again. Josh has a little anniversary surprise planned for us tomorrow and I'm hoping everyone's health will hold out long enough for us to sneak away for a night without causing anyone too much misery. Fingers crossed!

So yesterday as Oren and I laid around on the sofa for endless hours of Power Rangers and Spiderman I kept my mind off our symptoms scrolling through all my favorite blogs and catching up on lots and lots of posts. As I was reading through them I thought how good so many of these ladies are at what they do; mothering, designing, writing and so on. They each bring little pockets of happiness to my day and that deserves a little recognition, you know? So today I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite online ladies and hope you take a minute to drop by their blogs so you can see for yourselves what I'm talking about. They're just GOOD.

*Documenting Delight*

I've linked to one or two of Georgia's posts here in the past, so you may or may not have visited her sunny little corner of the web before. She writes about motherhood in a way that's so poetic and endearing, yet totally natural and down to earth at the same time. And every time little Florin's face pops up in my feed I can hardly wait to click over and see her newest photo of that perfect little baby man. Cheeks for daaaayyyyysssss on that one.

Some favorite posts here (will  make your heart break in the best possible way) here, (that photo is pretty much everything there is in life) and here.

*Forever Home*

Ryan writes a super relatable blog (at least to me) about her life in Chicago with her husband, two kids and the huge project that is renovating an old house and turning it into a forever home. Huh, no wonder it strikes a cord with me come to think about it. Hmmmm... But really, it's all the little posts about life in between renovations that really make you start to feel like you know her. And if you did, you'd totally be friends, right?! Totally.

Favorite posts here and here (who doesn't love a good before and after?)

*Midwest Muse*

This is my sister in law Jessica's blog (and actually she's the one who first introduced me to Ryan's blog above). She writes a really, really great fashion blog from right here in Akron. She's taught me all there is to know about blogging. And also helps me with all my internet/blogger woes (of which there are many). She's my blogging inspiration even though my blog has nothing whatsoever to do with fashion. But I've watched her grow her blog from the ground up and watched all the time and hard work she's put into it really pay off.

Check out a recap of the year here and a favorite outfit post here.

*Style By Emily Henderson*

I think it's safe to say I love everything about Emily's blog. Apart from being a major design inspiration to me and new mama to sweet little Charlie, her writing style is really what keeps me coming back every time. How can one person be so likeable, so talented, so transparent and honest about her life and work and also so, so funny? She walks the line between blogging worlds (design/lifestyle/motherhood) with impeccable style and grace. And  also, I mean...a fellow Emily? Kindred spirits, I'm telling you. How could I not love her blog?

And yes that IS an Anne Shirley reference and yes I am deep into book number three and LOVING IT. But more on that later.

Here's an example of an amazing design project she worked on and here's an example of a personal post I love. Not that these are necessarily even my favorites because how can I even pick favorites? Every post is my favorite.

*Erstwhile Dear*

Rachael writes. Like really, really writes. If you want a blog to actually READ and not just scroll through endless photos (nudges self) Rachael is your girl every time. Poignant, simply but artfully crafted posts that will make your own writing feel anemic.

A recent good one here and I love the realness of postpartum life in this post. 

There are so many others but I'll stop there for today and save the rest for another time. Who are your favorite reads? I love hearing about new bloggers, especially the smaller scale blogs flying under the radar, so share if you have any favorites I may not be reading. And have a great weekend everyone!

In Response to Mrs. Hall

I'm sure many of you have seen the recent blog post being shared all over facebook and twitter from a mother of teenage boys addressed to teenage girls. The post is here and reading it will give context to this post if you haven't seen it already. The people sharing this in my feeds (and there have been MANY) are all women, most mothers, and some even mothers to teenage girls. The people sharing this post are my friends and acquaintances and I know and like them all. These people have good hearts and I don't doubt for a second that they only want what's best for their families. However, I wonder what message a post like this is really sending.

The gist of the post is that the author, Mrs. Hall, disapproves of the female friends her boys have on facebook posting sexy photos of themselves. She writes that her family often sits around the dining room table perusing her sons social media feeds and blocking any girl who posts anything she deems too provocative or unworthy of her sons attention.

Look, I get it. It's got to be uncomfortable being a parent to a teenager and knowing they're having all these new thoughts and feelings as those hormones start coursing through their brand new maturing bodies. I wouldn't necessarily like knowing my kid was looking at (and probably enjoying) that sexy selfie taken by the girl from his chemistry class. It's just weird and awkward as a parent, right? But is deleting the girl from their list of facebook friends really the answer? Do we even need an answer? Is there even a problem other than our own parental discomfort with watching our babies grow up and find their sexuality?

You won't find me posing bra-less with an extra-arched back taking duck faced pictures in the bathroom mirror anytime in the future. But I'd like to think I'm not so far removed from that age that I don't remember a time when that would have been appealing. These young teens are new to these bodies of theirs. They're trying to figure out what to do with these new boobs and hips and long legs. It's all a part of growing up. I may not like it if my teenage daughter were to take a picture of herself in her "scantily clad pjs" but I can still understand why she might want to. This is a right of passage. This wanting attention from the opposite sex, this wanting to be noticed. It's nothing new and it's perfectly normal.

And if this is how we treat our girls, why do our boys not get this same treatment? Why did Mrs. Hall find it perfectly acceptable to write an entire scathing post about underdressed girls vying for the attention of innocent boys illustrated with pictures of her own teenage boys, shirtless, soaking wet and doing muscle poses in their bathing suits? No really, those were originally the pictures she had in the post. I can't even make this stuff up. She has since switched them out with fully clothed versions instead. But the hypocrisy remains. How is it any worse for a girl to stick out her boobs and do a "red carpet pose" than it is for her own sons to flex their muscles and pose for the camera half dressed? Why are adults so afraid that these evil dominatrix 14 year old vixens will spoil the perfectly proper and innocent minds of their 14 year old male counterparts?  Let's get real here, they're all the same, they're all doing the same exact things. Boy or girl, they're just teenagers trying to be noticed and trying to show off their new adult bodies. They're proud of them, and why shouldn't they be? What's so wrong with embracing our bodies? Why are we always trying to shame our girls? Hey you, 14 year old girls... your boobs are perfect. Good for you! (If anything I'm just jealous.)

So if teenagers are all the same then why are the girls always to blame? How about each person is responsible for their own morality, and how about trusting your sons just a little and not policing every piece of media they will ever encounter? Do you think blocking these girls from their facebook feeds will block them from their lives? They'll still be in chemistry class monday morning, Mrs. Hall. They will still all be proud owners of their brand new adult bodies so let's start treating them like adults even just a little. Let's teach our sons that girls may dress however they want to dress  and it is not up to the girls to dress and act and look however the boys need them to dress and act and look so they won't be viewed in a sexual way. And  sons, even if you have to look at a million pictures of your scantily clad peers you are still expected to treat each and every one of them like a person. Do you think you can do that? I believe in you! And I think you shouldn't blame your thoughts and feelings and behaviors on anyone but yourself.

Instead of keeping our boys from seeing anything that they can't "easily un-see" let's let them face those challenges and help them navigate this rocky teenage period of self discovery with compassion and understanding. Let them learn from these challenges and let these experiences form them into mature, respectful men. Keeping them away from photos and posts is just babysitting their morality for them. Let them stand up and own it. Let them be responsible and be expected to act with integrity no matter what situation they are in. Stop babying them. Stop being so afraid. Teenage sexuality is not inherently evil, so please let's not make it out to be.

Two other links I love that relate...

slut shaming

a letter to a daughter from her father

(back to the) Future Posts...

double chin and blinky face circa 2008 in labor with wes.

Ok, so here's what I'm thinking. I've been going through old photographs and re-living memories with Josh that happened in the pre-blog era and it's kind of got me bummed out that I don't have them stored in this here digital scrapbook o'mine. I mean, they're stored somewhere, but that somewhere is most likely an unlabeled hard drive in a box in our attic somewhere. I'd love to have them here where I could go and see them anytime I wanted. Because that's what I do when I'm bored. I peruse my own blog and look at all the cute pictures of my own kids. (Just being real here.) I'd also probably sleep a bit better if I knew the pictures were at least preserved somewhere on the internet should our house ever encounter a tornado or flood or something and they get swept away to Oz. So the questions is, how would you (few and mighty!) readers feel about a new series of posts where I go back to these past events and tell the story and post the pictures here? I'm thinking Wes's birth and his baby pictures for sure, our honeymoon and other fun trips we've taken and lord knows what else I'll uncover as I get in to this. I'm kind of giddy at the prospect and excited to start pulling out the old files to see what I have. BUT I don't want to bore you to death either with a long (and sure to be) winding trip down memory lane. Sooooo, what do you guys think - yay or nay?

Honestly, I'll probably do it anyway even if you don't weigh in, but I'd feel much better about it if I have your blessing and you promise not to go anywhere ;) 

Thank you, Natalie

one of my fave bloggers dropped this little gem on me today. and you know, what? it was exactly what i've needed to hear lately.



how often do we despair unnecessarily? if we could only see the mere inches that stand between us and our goals, do you think we'd try even harder to get there? or just better enjoy the journey?



so thank you, natalie.

new goal: relax. stop worrying about the future and all of the what ifs. life's pretty good right now.

enjoy it.

A Little Bit of Shameless Self Promotion

As you may or may not have noticed, there have been a couple of new badges added to my blog that show that I am now a part of a cool little blog community called Top Baby Blogs 

This is just a collective of blogs where moms and dads from all over can come together in one place. The blogs are ranked by popularity and that is done by calculating the number of votes each blog gets per day.
I've had a couple questions by a few of my readers (ahem...family members) as to how you can vote, so here's how it works...

The voting is tabulated every 24 hours, so essentially if you like my blog and you'd like to help me out by voting, you would click on the Top Baby Blogs badge found on the right hand side of my blog every time you visit my blog. Each person can vote once per day. The point is to get as many votes per day as possible, moving me up in the ranks and hopefully gaining my blog a bit more visibilty and hopefully a few new readers.

Once you click on the badge it will take you to a voting gateway page where you click through to cast your vote. There are two options on the gateway page... to vote or not! So you click on the "Click Here To Vote" graphic on the left to cast a "vote" (which is just a fancy word for a unique referral).

Unfortunately you can't really tell if you've voted or not. There is no confirmation, but rest assured you have and thank you so very much for doing so!
 
And remember, you can vote 1 time per 24 hour period, per account.

And I promise, this will be the last and only time you hear about this (as I'm sure no one comes to this blog to read about voting and self promotion!) But thank you so much for your interest and I hope this little explanation helped clarify any confusion out there about how this whole thing works.

thanks again,

Emily
xoxoxo

#100

Well, here it is folks, my 100th blog post! Can you even imagine?! Confetti! Streamers! Fireworks! Trombones! (wait...trombones? ok, i guess...why not.)

To celebrate, I'm taking Adam's suggestion of a clip show of sorts for this centennial post of great epicness.

And so I give unto you my top 10 favorite posts to date --- hope you enjoy! (again)


#10 This was my first ever blog post. It had to make it to the top 10. Without this one, there would never have been a 100th post, or a blog at all for that matter! And then where would we be?! I shudder to even think about it.

#9 A clip show within a clip show - whoa, I'm getting crazy over here, watch out!

#8 I still haven't quite figured this one out yet.

#7 About my pup, whevever I'm missing her, I go back and read this one and it always makes me smile.

#6 Here's hoping days like this are few and far between.

#5 And here's hoping days like this one come a little more often.

#4 My kid, he cracks me up.

#3 Funny to look back at this time and even stranger to think that there was a time in my life where I hadn't met my Oren Henry yet. Hasn't he just always been here?...

#2 Just flat out love this one, that's all there is to it.

#1 My most popular, most read, most traffic driving post to date - where some posts have only a measly 15 or so page views, this one has upwards of 600. Whatta work horse! Guess people really do love those Duggars!


Thank you all for reading, sincerely and truly, I mean that from the bottom of my heart. On to the next 100...

Whhaa Whhaa Whhaa Whaaat?!

Dudes! I'm only two posts away from my 100th blog post. How did that happen? It seems like I just started this silly little blog. I feel like I should do a special post of some sort for the occasion, but I'm not sure what it should entail. So, to my three or four lovely and devoted readers out there, I will leave it up to you...any special requests?

(if not, josh will be the only one voting and he will surely think it should be a post about him, so just sayin' unless you want to read all about the amazing-ness that is Josh Booth you better start brain storming)

Wonka, How Much Do You Want For the Golden Goose?

There's this really great bakery you should try. No, no, not should... HAVE to try. The have croissants the size of my head. So buttery and delicious they stain the paper bag they send them home in. It pretty much made my weekend. Behold the spoils...

Did I mention you can also get these croissants filled with valrhona chocolate?

 ohhhh yeah.

By the way, this kid has turned into quite the terror since turning three. I'd say he spent approximately 70% of the weekend in time out. And when we told him he was behaving badly, you know what he said? 

"I'm still cute though, right?"

We have created a monster. A cute monster. 

But also, a cute monster who is potty trained as of last Friday! I didn't want to say anything right away for fear or jinxing it and having to later eat my words. But, the little dude just decided he wanted to start wearing underwear the day before his birthday and BAM just like that. Done. No more diapers, no accidents. I guess what they say is true, when they're ready, they're ready. 

Other great things that have occurred recently -

1. I got new artwork for my bathroom

(Is this like, so totally boring to everyone except me? I'm always afraid it might be/probably is)

2. I got a raise! And without even asking for it! I don't have a picture to illustrate this one, but just go ahead and picture me opening up my paycheck with a look of confusion turned realization turned bewilderment - then busting out into a touchdown dance type celebration at my desk - then you've pretty much got it.

3. My blog got a pretty new makeover. At least I think so. (I told you I was an instagram-aholic). As I may have mentioned before, I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to this whole blogging thing with the formatting and the html-ing and whatnot. So the fact that Josh and I actually made this happen ourselves gets me all riled up inside! Of course, it was basically the blind leading the blind over here so if anyone has any tips or suggestions on how to make it better, comments are always welcome. 

Not too bad for a week without much on the agenda. Now, where'd that greasy paper bag get to? I've got some real business to attend to...

Notice Anything Different?

my blog has a new look! what do you think?

(i'm pretty excited about it)

A Quick Note

I'm expanding my blogging universe (even though I truly have no idea what I'm doing). So, if you'd like to check out my first post for the 330 Blogger Collective on design basics and some tricks of the trade you can see it here.

Also, happy birthday to my amazing step-mom Patty. I love you and don't know what I'd ever do without you!!!

(happy friday to everyone else!)