With Emmie's third birthday coming up in a few days (I know, CRAZY), I decided it would be fun to round up some of our favorite ideas for birthday gifts for three year olds. Some of these are gifts we've received and loved, others are ones that we've given to friends over the past few [...]
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I Made This One Change to My Morning & It Helped Make Me a Calmer Mom
I feel like every morning has been the epitome of chaos lately. It's been kids screaming, dogs barking, babies crying, and of course cold coffee. I never really liked coffee but something about dealing with small humans has opened my eyes up to this wonderful beverage that I somehow cannot live without every morning. And [...]
Our Favorite Books for Siblings-to-Be
The kids love two things: books & babies. So I knew I had to get them some new additions for their little library to help them get excited for the upcoming arrival of the new baby! After scouring our local book store (once they reopened) and Amazon (hello convenience), I’m happy to report we have [...]
Third Trimester Maternity Style
A little late, but that's par for the course lately! We have had quite a busy couple of months lately (read more about that here) so the blog has been pushed towards the back burner for sure. Well we've found a house and got to move in over the past few weeks (more on that [...]
What I’m Packing in my Hospital Bag for Baby #3
Today’s the day: I’m FINALLY getting my act together and packing my hospital bag! With an induction date less than two weeks away and Baby #3 (very quickly) running out of room, I figured it might be time to gather up some essentials for when she decides to make her debut. With my first two, [...]
Maternity Fashion: Bike Shorts 6 Ways
I'm not going to lie, when bike shorts started making their way back into fashion I was not really into it and I definitely never thought I'd jump on the bandwagon. But after a girlfriend swore they were the comfiest thing she wore during her pregnancy, I figured why not give them a try. Sure [...]
Life Update
Hello, Hello! I thought I might hop back on the blog to give a little life update since so much has happened in the past few weeks! We were able to FINALLY move into our new house and start getting settled. It’s been a long road to get to this point, but it was (and [...]
My Two Cents on Being Induced for Baby #3
It’s Official: We’re on Baby Watch! We had my 36 week appointment earlier this week and got to see Baby Girl via ultrasound for the last time before delivery. She’s estimated at 6 pounds and has some very long legs (might take after her Mama on that front). She’s officially “dropped” and head-down so she’s [...]
Our Favorite 4th of July Snacks
Patriotic Ice Cream Sandwiches I love these small ice cream sandwiches for the kids! They aren't full of sugar and are the perfect size for a little mid-afternoon treat. Add on some of these patriotic sprinkles and you've got an easy, festive, and tasty treat! Fruit Skewers Cut up some pieces of watermelon and strawberries. [...]
What They Wore: Fourth of July
With our lives starting to feel a little bit more normal, I've been able to get back to the blog! After a very long couple months, we are finally moving into the new house next week... but more on that can be found in this post. To kick off one of my favorite holidays, I [...]
Fourth of July Sensory Bin
Happy (almost) Fourth of July! This happens to be one of my favorite holidays to celebrate, and I'm super excited about this Sensory Bin because the kids actually picked everything that got added to it! We made a quick Target run a few days ago and I let the kids grab whatever patriotic and festive [...]
The Top 5 Things I Do to De-Stress
The Five Minute Journal I recently purchased the Five Minute Journal after hearing one of my friends raving about it on social media. She was sharing about how much of a positive impact it has made in her day-to-day life, as well as how much it has improved her overall mindset. I figured why not [...]
Life Update
Hello, hello! It's been a little while since I last posted on Embrace the Chaos so I figured I'd kick off the day with a little life update to fill you in on what we've been up to over the past few months. If you've been following along with us over the past year, you [...]
Pregnancy After Miscarriage: Milestones that Helped Me Feel Confident in My Pregnancy
After starting the third trimester of my pregnancy, I noticed something had changed for me. I was no longer worried about all of the what-ifs, I was no longer hyper-focused and over analyzing every little ache and pain, and I was able to actually accept that everything is ok. It took me a long time [...]
21 Tips and Tricks for Taking Toddlers to the Beach
I recently took the kids on a spontaneous trip to the beach to kill some time while AJ played in a golf tournament. Luckily we are only a half hour from one of our favorite beaches and we love taking the kids out for a few hours whenever we can. Living in Northern California, you [...]
Activity: Toddler Dino Dig
My parents have been in the process of remodeling their backyard and the kids have had a lot of fun exploring and helping with all the demo. They have an old planter box under their office window that they plan on turning into a patio area. To keep the kids entertained and away from all [...]
Toddler Schedule Breakdown
A few days ago, a girlfriend and I were talking about how we entertain our busy toddlers all day long as SAHMs. The mom guilt was hitting us with its full force. Neither one of us thought we were doing enough and we were hoping to get some new inspiration from each other for how [...]
Activities I Use to Entertain My Toddlers as a SAHM
Being a SAHM is exhausting. And trying to find ways to constantly keep these toddlers entertained and occupied instead of destroying the house or watching Daniel Tiger all day long is tough! I was recently talking with a friend who has decided to stay at home with her kids instead of going back to work. [...]
10 Ideas for Backyard Fun for Toddlers
The warm weather has been a welcomed change over the past few weeks and we've found ourselves outside in the backyard more often than not! While thinking of different ways to entertain the kids outside, I came up with this list. It's been a huge hit among our friends who are looking for ways to [...]
Relocating with Toddlers
We recently sold our house and moved in with my in-laws (read more about that here). Fortunately, my in-laws have the extra space for our little family to move in for a few weeks while we look for our forever home. And even better, they have been a huge help with helping us get the [...]
Toys We Love: Toddler Scavenger Hunt Cards
While looking for some fun games to add to the kid's Easter Baskets this year, I stumbled upon this set of Toddler Scavenger Hunt Cards. I figured why not throw them in the basket and worst case scenario the kids forget about them and they live happily ever after in the bottom of the stroller. [...]
Poolside Outfits I’m Loving
With the warm weather taking over this week, we spent the majority of our afternoons floating around the pool and exploring the backyard. The kids love the pool. All they need is some sunscreen, hats, some floaties, and they're good to go! I, on the other hand, need something that has comfort, support, and coverage [...]
Earth Day Sensory Bin
Happy Earth Day! We decided to put together a fun sensory bin to celebrate Earth Day today. It was probably one of the easiest sensory bins so far! The kids and I spent some time outside earlier and did some exploring in their grandparents backyard. They have one of the most beautiful yards I've ever [...]
Rainbow Rice
Earth Day is tomorrow and to celebrate we'll be putting together a fun Earth Day themed sensory bin! Before I get all the info for the bin put together (we are mid-move so bare with me in these next few weeks), I thought I'd post the recipe for the Rainbow Rice that we are going [...]
Kid’s Movie Night
We recently sold our house and moved into my in-laws while we look for our forever home. The kids have had a pretty rough time adjusting to our new "normal". To help make them feel a little more comfortable and give them a little break from the chaos of relocating, we decided to treat them [...]
Mother’s Day Gift Guides
Mother's Day is coming up so with the help of my Grandma and Mom, I've rounded up some of the best gifts for any Mom you are celebrating this year! For Grandma Inspire Me Bracelet (use code EMBRACETHECHAOS for 20% off)Grandma Photo Frame Mother's Day Card Slippers & Robe From Kindred Bravely Anything with pictures [...]
Under the Sea Sensory Bin
For some reason our kids LOVE whales. Whenever we see any body of water they immediately start searching for whales and Oliver is convinced there is one living in the river where we live. So to play off their love of whales I decided to put together an "Under the Sea" themed sensory bin! Here's [...]
One Dress, Five Ways
I had so much fun rounding up my favorite maternity looks from March, I figured why not grab one of my favorite dresses and breakdown the few ways I wear it the most! This dress was a random purchase that ended up becoming one of my favorite pieces both during and after pregnancy. Every woman [...]
A Shared Room for Siblings
I loved being able to have the kids share a bedroom. Not only was it easier on me to keep them together in one space and their toys in a separate room, but they loved being able to fall asleep together every night and being able to hear their little conversations was absolutely adorable. For [...]
Life Update
There are lots of fun things going on for us right now but before I dive into all that, I wanted to say thank you for all of the support and love that I've been receiving for Embrace the Chaos. What started out as a small passion project and outlet for me has turned into [...]
Favorites from Amazon this Week
It's been a long week... and it's only Thursday! I did a little online shopping over the weekend and I am loving all the pieces that have arrived this week! Here's a peak into some of my favorite Amazon finds this week! Knitted Lounge Set I'm actually wearing this as I write this post now! [...]
Books of the Summer
I've always been a big reader. I love to cozy up with a good book and just get lost in the story. I think I can attribute my love of reading to my Grandma. She always has a new book on her table and has always encouraged me to explore all sorts of genres and [...]
March Maternity Style
Last month my belly POPPED! I've officially boxed up the jeans and have broken out the maternity leggings (thanks, Kindred Bravely for creating some amazingly comfy leggings... check out my review on their leggings here). The first couple months of this pregnancy were rough and to be honest, I've had zero interest in most of [...]
Bump-Friendly Amazon Dresses for Under $30
It's no secret that I love Amazon. Between the fast shipping and unlimited options, it's any mom's kryptonite. I'll admit I've spent more than I'd like to admit on clothes and accessories from Amazon over the past year and with a fast growing baby bump, I am so happy that a few of my favorite [...]
Farm Coloring Sheets
Download coloring sheets to entertain your little ones here! BarnyardDownload SheepDownload CowDownload RoosterDownload HorseDownload PigDownload Like, comment, and subscribe for more Embrace the Chaos content!
Toys We Love: Little People Caring for Animals Farm Set
I love all the Little People toys for the kids. They hold up against their rough and rowdy play and they're the perfect size for their little hands! They have so many different toys, people, trucks, animals, vehicles, and more so the kids will never go bored. They are a great way to foster their [...]
Our Favorite Farm Books
We have collected so many books over the past few years, and living in a farming town has influenced a lot of the books we've picked up and been gifted. Our town has a proud history of ranching and farming which is something that has been past down from generation to generation. Local children's stores [...]
Farm Sensory Bin
We are back again with another Sensory Bin! The kids have been really into farm animals the past few weeks. With Oliver on Spring Break I decided to put together a week of farm-themed activities to keep them occupied! This week I'll be adding a few different farm-themed activities to the Blog so stay tuned [...]
A Fun Announcement!
I am so excited to announce that I am officially an affiliate for Kindred Bravely! I have loved this brand since I was first pregnant with Oliver and I am so excited to be able to share their products with all of you! Kindred Bravely is a maternity and postpartum company that puts moms first. [...]
Maternity Brands I’m Loving
There’s no more hiding this growing belly and I’ve loved dressing up the bump through the past few weeks! Over the past couple years I’ve been able to try out tons of different maternity brands and styles that have given me a chance to experiment with different looks while pregnant. I’ve rounded up some of [...]
Easter Egg Hunt Activity Sheet
Does your little one like eye spy or matching games? Oliver really liked searching for the matching eggs in this Easter Egg Hunt matching activity! Download your FREE Activity Sheet here:Download Like, comment, and subscribe below for more Embrace the Chaos content!
Letter From the Easter Bunny
Oliver has hit the age where he's starting to understand the stories around characters like Santa and the Easter Bunny. This year we will be spending Easter up at the lake so we left a note at our house for the Bunny so he'll be able to find us up there. Oliver is so excited [...]
Mommy and Me Inspo
Emmie has finally hit the stage where she actually enjoys picking her own outfits and letting Mommy do her "airrr doooo" every morning and I am loving it! The other day I unknowingly ended up dressing in the same exact outfit as her and by the end of the day it finally hit me that [...]
Carrot Feet Art Project
Oliver has a weird thing about his feet. Anytime we have a sensory bin out he always tries to put his feet in it. When he's outside, he never keeps his shoes on. Puddles? He's splashing around in them barefoot. I'm not entirely sure why he loves it but he does! So when we started [...]
Cotton Ball Easter Bunny
This project is by far one of the cutest things I've ever seen for Easter. I saw a version of it a few years ago when Oliver was a few months old and I wanted to do a little something for AJ and the grandparents to celebrate Oliver's first Easter! With the kids being a [...]
Mosaic Easter Art Project
Looking for an easy way to entertain your toddler with a festive art project? Here you go! We created our Mosaic East Art this afternoon when we were bored and doing some arts & crafts! I was trying to put together a few Easter themed art projects for the kids this week but today they [...]
Easter Gift Guide For Toddlers
The countdown to Easter is officially on! If you're like me and wait until the last minute to do your shopping then this guide is for you! Keep reading for an easy guide to filling your little one's Easter basket! Just so you know, by shopping through my links I receive a small commission from [...]
Coping with Miscarriage: When the Would-Be Due Date Comes & Goes
The past few days have been hard. There’s no other way to put it. Lots of feelings of sadness, anger, frustration, confusion, and the list just goes on and on. And yesterday, I snapped. I broke down into a pile of emotions and tears on the floor of our bathroom just feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. [...]
Baskets on a Budget
When looking around for some fun things to add to the kids Easter Baskets, I was blown away by how quickly it all added up! I figured since they grow out of things so quickly and tend to play pretty rough and dirty, I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg on basket [...]
Embrace the Chaos 