little bit of sweet with a side of rotton!

i've said it before, but holden really is at the best age right now! sure, theres plenty of rotton in him to keep me on my toes, but he's also the sweetest he's ever been. he hands out loves like they're candy & is so smart. so smart. i am trying with all of my might to soak up this stage... his giggles, hugs & inquisitive personality. these past (almost) two years have literally flown by. i wish i could make time stand still, but i also know that what's to come will be perfect & wonderful all in its own way! today, though, i just want to remember the little moments w my boy!

falling asleep during our walk the other day. 

my happy lil shopper!

the famous spitting face right now...

he's obsessed w bunnies & i'm obsessed w him. it works! 

hope you have a great wednesday... full of soaking up the sweet (and sometimes rotton!) moments!

thrive: a resource for mamas!

there are a lot of things i subscribe to receive an email about (weekly target ads, daily devotional, big sales at my fav stores, etc), but it usually only takes getting a few of those emails before i search out that schnazzy little unsubscribe button. it just happens. i'm ocd about my inbox (read: literally only like 5 emails sitting in there and they are emails i need to respond to!). i hate hate hate a disorganized inbox and of course i married someone who literally has 10's of thousands of emails in his inbox at a time. not. kidding.

anyways, i recently subscribed to a weekly email from thrive. it's geared towards mamas (mainly preschool age, from what i can tell) and is sent every monday morning. that's it. once a week. no clogging my inbox every day or receiving so many that i just delete them instead of reading them and really embracing the challenge. today's email was about rejoicing and it just was exactly what i needed! here's a preview:

"how can we rejoice in the hard times? on the days that seem endless? the times when our kids fight naps, each other and us? sometimes we just want to scream! we want to fight back and give up... but, even when all hope may SEEM lost, He will always fill us with a newness. we will find a way to rejoice in Him if we allow ourselves to."

we, as mamas, have a tough job. the job of raising little human beings. little people that will one day run corporations, churches, our government, etc. it's a big deal. and we need encouragement from time to time to really be the mama that our kids need & deserve!

i encourage you to subscribe to this weekly email! i am only a few weeks into it, but i am refreshed by the fact that it doesn't make motherhood this false glamorous job, but it also doesn't make it out to be the worst thing that could ever happen to you! in my opinion, it's a healthy balance. check it out!!

h54f!

it's friday, it's friday, hey hey hey hey!!! and this friday is extra exciting because i get to go on a date to indianapolis tonight!!! this week hasn't been full of exciting events, but it has been full of sweet moments with my boy. i think the chart topper was last night when he was eating a post-county fair dinner (read: veggies & fruit) and he kept saying 'pray'. i didn't quite get what he was trying to say until he folded his hands. i nearly started bawling. moments like this remind me how important raising children is and how vital starting young w stuff like praying w them is! there's a super cute video on my instagram (user name: mistythompson)!

ok! here's my 5 moments of the week that i loved!!

5. on monday night, i drove down to indianapolis for a meeting w all of the stella & dot stylists in our area. since i'm the only stylist in lafayette, i'm teamed up w a group of girls in indy. there were about 30-35 of us that met! here's a pic of a couple girls sharing what they learned/took away from the yearly stylist conference that was in vegas last week!

4. speaking of stella & dot, i ordered some of my new fall samples this week & the happy lil package made my day when it arrived (as in i literally put both of my hands up in the air in a touchdown position and said 'yesss'!)! these beauties are sheer perfection!

3. i started running this week. well, i don't know if i can technically call it running, but i've started nonetheless. i downloaded the c25k (couch to 5k) app awhile ago and then i hurt my foot really bad and never did anything w it. this week, i got a healthy dose of motivation and just started. i've done two days so far. i feel quite pathetic that 30 min of alternating walking/jogging/running can leave me almost dead on the sidewalk, but it does. i just keep thinking of something i see randomly on pinterest that says 'even if you're walking, you're still lapping everyone on the couch'. it's true and every little bit counts! especially the bit where i bought new cute workout clothes. now i'm invested!!!! ha

2. like i mentioned, our county fair is going on right now. we don't usually get too into the fair, but we do go just once to eat some fair food and look at the animals. holden had a healthy balance of super excited to see the animals & scared out of his mind. i think the bunnies were his fav!

holden w his girl, emmy kate (erica's lil beauty of a daughter!)!

as good as it gets these days...

tractors, tractors & more tractors. they're his favorite right now for sure!

checking out the goats w roz, my niece!

1. honestly, like i said, there weren't any life-changing events this week for us, but lots of little moments that just make me grateful. love my boy abundantly & so proud to be his mama!

i'm linked up w lauren & jeanett!!!

stella & dot style for fall!

fall? what do you mean? it's only july!!! my exact thoughts as i strolled through hobby lobby yesterday and HALF the store had been taken over by christmas!!!

can you believe that?!?!

 now that i'm a stylist for stella & dot, i find myself becoming even MORE obsessed with everything (literally everything!) they design... even if it is the fall line that launches in the dead of summer! the new fall line launched last week and i can't stop looking at the website! i've ordered a handful of new things, but need to sell a few things i already have to make way for the new stuff! i wanted to show y'all the things that i'm literally swooning over!! trust me, you'll fall head over heels, too!

this madison bag is seriously amazing. the quality is better than the handful of coach bags i own and it's versatile--expands and condenses for different looks!

the somervell necklace is one that i had to snatch up right away. it can be layered with other necklaces to create more of a statement piece or can be thrown on with a t-shirt for a really low-key look. plus, it's only $59!! great price point! can't wait to start wearing this pretty!

                                        

scarves are one of my main weaknesses... to say the least. i easily own two dozen that i rotate through. now that s&d designs scarves, i'm officially in love with this company!! this is the frida print scarf and it's gorgeous!

                                            

these peacock chandelier earrings are BEAUTIFUL. they don't look super amazing at first, but when you put them on, they are seriously out of this world. out. of. this. world!!! AND, they totally disconnect to be worn as studs! how ridiculous is that?? in. love.

                                         

                                       

seriously, friends. i know anyone who does direct sales thinks their product is the best, but stella & dot really does speak for itself!! this company is amazeballs. don't just take my word for it... you can sell it, too! and get to have fab jewels like me! :) email me if you're interested! prom you won't regret it!!!

things i'm lovin: toddler edition

there are lots of things that make me, as a mom, a happier person. whether that be cute jammies that make snuggling a toddler in the middle of the night slightly more enjoyable or just a great invention that makes being a mom a little more convenient. let's face it... life as a mom is the best thing ever and the thing that can make you lose your mind... all in the same 5 minutes!!!

so, i thought I'd take today to share my favs for being a mama to an almost-two year old! 

first, i have to give an ode to my favorite jammies for h! old navy has the BEST two piece jams in my opinion! they are around $11-12 full price, but i can almost always get them 1/2 price on clearance or with my old navy card!

since grant & i keep our house colder than most all year round, these jammies are what i like to call "daytime jammies". we will throw these on after he gets up in the morning instead of his footie pajamas if we aren't planning to go anywhere til after his nap. this way, he's comfy all morning & during his nap!

next is our favorite tv network for holden's age... sprout by pbs!

i was so out of touch before being a mom that i really just thought there was disney & nickelodeon, but i was so wrong. sprout is the perfect network for a toddler! definitely check it out if you haven't!!

the third thing that i am loving lately are bath tub letters! these are some of holden's fav bath toys!!

these are great for h since they stick to the bath walls when wet. we go over our letters, numbers and just stick em all over the tub. bath time has always been a breeze with holden, so that's a blessing! these are just an easy to clean up toy!

the last thing that literally keeps. me. sane. as a mom is MOPS! 

if you aren't familiar w this great organization, you definitely need to look one up in your area. i have been so blessed by my local group of ladies! MOPS is for moms with kids of ages birth-kindergarten (which i totally used to think it was for preschooler and up!) and our group meets twice a month. there's a program for the littles, so that means mama gets a break w breakfast, a speaker talking about mom-related stuff & time to chat w moms of all kinds! love love love!

hope you find some of these suggestions helpful!! and please share your go-to things if you have a toddler!!

stuff can wait.

some days just don't go as planned. actually, make that most days. especially if you're a mama!

today, i had all sorts of ideas for how i wanted to spend the day... shopping at target (alone!), going to the gym, pedicure (or at least painting my nails), maybe the mall, maybe the pool, cleaning my house that got destroyed under daddy's watch yesterday (ugh)! BUT... as you can probably guess. that's not how my day has unfolded. in fact, it's quite the opposite. 

grant had a last minute project get dropped in his lap today, so immediately after church, he headed to his office. womp womp. so, i'm on mama duty all day. which means no target, no gym, no pedicure. 

we got home from church and i laid my non-paci baby down for his nap. he's been doing SO good with just putting himself  to sleep after i lay him down, so i wasn't expecting much different. after an hour of him just talking in there, i checked on him (thinking he had pooped or something). no poop... he was just havin a one man party in there. after i checked on him, he pretty much made up his mind that he wasn't taking a nap. cue my excitement. so, after getting him to sleep in my arms THREE different times and laying him down, he would immediately start crying when i walked out. after the 4th time of getting him to sleep, i decided to just forget my lofty plans for the day.

at the moment, we are having a great snuggle sesh on the couch and i am overwhelmed with how good god has been to me. i could not have dreamed of a more perfect child for us than holden! he's seriously my best friend and my heart is so full just holding him. sure, I've got stuff i could be doing... but stuff will be there tomorrow and stuff doesn't require their mama quite like my little love. 

take time today to thank god for his perfect gifts and for his hand that is over your life!

h54f

hey hey! first of all... where did this entire week go??? i mean, really. it flew by. we had a good week over here in thompsonland. busy, for sure, but mostly busy with things i like and don't mind being busy with. today, I'm linking up with lauren (as usual) and jeannett (for the first time)! linking up is a fun way to connect w other bloggers and i love doing the high five for friday post! so, let's dive right in!!

5. grant's parents just closed aon the house that they've owned for nearly 16 years. it was a bittersweet day. lots of good memories at that house. i visited grant there before we ever started dating & then spent time there after we started dating to get to know the fam. and then when we moved across the country, we lived with grant's parents for a year in that house. it's crazy to think that it's no longer "ours". we had a fun picnic and pool party one last time! :(

4. yesterday, holden & i met some mops friends at the pool! to say that water isn't his favorite thing is an understatement. asin, last time we went to this pool (a few weeks ago), he practically was clawing my neck hanging on because he was so scared. i'm thinking he is getting used to it, but it didn't hurt that his lil lady friend, emmy, is a daredevil and she was there, too! :) we shared a small twist cone afterwards! ah... summer!!!

3. i had my first *official* stella & dot trunk show on monday!!!! it was fun & nerve-racking all at the same time! my good friend was the hostess, so that helped, but it still takes some getting used to! here's to many more (i hope-haha!)! this is me on the way out the door! obsessed w fun color combos-- such as magenta & kelly green! to die! the earrings are stella & dot (of course!) and the come in multiple sizes and multiple colors... and i want every single one!!

2. this week, we had some friends pass through town that we haven't seen for literally 4 or 5 years! i met them at our other dear friends' wedding 6 years ago & hit it off with amy! both of our men were groomsmen, so we got to know each other at the rehearsal and just connected! when i heard they were passing through town and wanted to get together, i was so excited!! i only have ONE pic from the whole night because dinner was a disaster... 6 adults, 4 tired & crazy kids... no fun! we did hang out afterwards, though, and the babes were fine since they could get down & run! three of the four kids are 18 mos, 19 mos & 20 mos! phew! and all boys!!! george, ben & holden had a blast together! 

1. i honestly wasn't quite sure i'd ever see the day come where holden didn't have a paci. he's had one & only paci since he took to this specific one when he was 1 week old. we got it as a gift (tied to a diaper cake) before he was born & i seriously have looked so hard to find another one like it... assuming they've discontinued it. anyways, a week ago, holden bit a hole in his paci and it's just been getting bigger & bigger. so, yesterday, when i felt like it was posing a potential choking hazard, we said goodbye to the yellow paci!!! i had to rock him to sleep for his nap and then again at night, but this is a HUGE adjustment (and i haven't rocked him to sleep since he was like 3 months old!!)! here's to a better day sans paci (aka no crying for an hour before i rock him)!

hope y'all have had a great week! if you've never linked up (i'm looking at you, tessa!!!), you totally should!! :)

life stuff. random ramblings.

i would have never used the word anxious to describe myself. well, that is, until now...

something about starting my own business and doubting myself... wondering if i made a huge mistake is what keeps my mind busy at all hours. nighttime is when my thoughts run a million miles a minute. you know... the 'you're extremely tired & falling asleep on the couch, so you go to bed & then can't shut your mind off' type of thing. i can't even really explain the source of all the anxiety or why i have so much to think about... mainly doubts and worry.

doubt is real. and if you're not careful, it'll crush your dreams before you even realize it! i kick myself all the time for not getting in a better habit of writing in a prayer journal. a prayer journal is gold to me because through several trials, i have looked back and read how god was faithful to ME. the bible is anointed in so many ways and you see god's hand working in the lives of those people all the time, but to be able to read how YOU weren't sure how things would work out and then to read and see how god's sovereign hand was working the whole time... it's just different. 

i've found myself getting busier and busier with various things in the last few weeks. mops steering team, my stella & dot venture and the children's dept leadership team at my church are just a couple of the things that will be keeping me busy! i'm excited, but also trying so hard to be overly aware of time commitments and such and not burn myself out. but... sometimes, i think we can totally miss things in life by trying to control everything... by trying to not be too committed. y'know? sometimes, we really just need to trust that god opens the appropriate doors at the appropriate times and just leave it at that. 

lafayette is feeling more & more like home every day. the people i would've thought we'd spend all of our weekends with ended up being some of the people we see the least. and most of the people i'm closest to are people i hadn't even met before moving here. but ya know what? that's totally ok. i love how everything has panned out! i truly believe that god knows exactly who we need in each season of life. and, to be honest, just within the last 3 mos or so is when i've really started finding my niche. and it. feels. great!

h54f

it's been awhile since i've linked up w lauren to do high 5 for friday!! mainly just because we've been busy, but i've also been a lazy blogger... oops. link up with us & share your weekly highlights in whatever format works best for you!!

5. if there's one thing that i love, it's shopping. BUT, i really love shopping for holden & finding cute little boy clothes! i love it more when i find good deals! one of my fav stores in the past was american eagle's children's line, 77kids. well, either they were bought out or just changed their name, but i just scored a handful of stuff for holden for $17 and got free shipping, too! great quality stuff & it came quick, too! check out ruum!

4. last night, my MIL took holden for a couple hours. i debated going to the mall or doing something more for "me", but i decided to just go home & clean. exciting life i live, guys!! so, after my cleaning frenzy, grant got home, we put holden to bed & i headed to the grocery store! yep... 10 o'clock grocery shopping! not only did my fridge get stocked, i did if sans toddler! i highly recommend it!!

3. holden & i really have been having some sweet moments lately. he's just at such a fun age (i know i beat a dead horse when i say that, but 'm serious!)!! yesterday, we made a trip to the library & he was so sweet! i told him we had to be quiet an said 'shhh' w my finger over my mouth and he kept mimicking me the whole time!

2. remember that one time holden slept til 10??? oh yeah... that's only happened once and i milked the heck out of it!! i probably should've gotten up, started my day w a healthy breakfast or sown thing, but instead i slept. no shame here!!!

1. my top moment of the week is definitely all the family time! we made lots of memories and i'm grateful for vacation time!!!

do you link up?? if not, i highly recommend it!! it's a great reminder to appreciate some of the little things that would have maybe gone unnoticed!

the hard days of motherhood.

some days are just hard. i don't really know how else to say it.

after spending time with my family, i always come away from it feeling a little empty. like a part of me is just missing on a daily basis. i just really love my parents and the role they play in my life. and not having that on a day-to-day basis (especially after spending time w them for a week straight) is just sad. 

now that holden is a full-blown toddler and grant is working lots of long days (many days, he's up and gone before we wake up & home long after holden has gone to bed), some days just drag on. the tantrums are becoming more frequent, his opinion is stronger than ever before and some days (like today), i'm exhausted by noon!

i would not trade being a mom for anything and i cherish the days that he and i have together-just the two of us. i just so look forward to my parents living down the road on the hard days! y'know... drop in and have my dad take holden for a walk while i gather my thoughts for a minute. or stop over and have my mom cook dinner on a night that i have no energy to even think about what we will eat!

parents are a wonderful thing. i'm blessed to have a mom & dad who, most importantly, love jesus, but they also love one another. i'm finally an adult, i believe, because i see the gold mine that parents are. their wisdom, encouragement & guidance. and now, friendship, too. 

today may be a long one, but i know that the years are far too short... deciding to appreciate the time i have with just holden right now. 

fourth fun!

we survived! 20ish hours in the car with a toddler... i'd say surviving was quite the accomplishment!

wish i could say he was happy like this the entire way...

this past week, we hit the road to minnesota to visit my family for the fourth! the main purpose of the trip is my dad's side of the family has their annual fam reunion. my dad has 13 brothers & sisters (all biological & no multiples!), so getting the abbott family together one a year is no small task! 

12 of the 14 siblings. my dad is number 12!

i cherish this time w family each year. it's the one time we get together, play games & catch up for the year unless there's a wedding or funeral!

we set up a mini pool & sprinkler for the littles to play in! there was a high of 89 that day, so keeping them cool was key! oh, and water balloons added a fun twist, too. did i mention abbott's like to prank one another?? :)

playing in the grassy water (yuck...). the water was freezing and he never actually made it in the pool!

we had a great time watching fireworks on the fourth, too! this boy sure loves his grandpa!

there was plenty of down time this trip, which is unusual, but more than great! 

the relaxing view from my parents' house. such sweet memories from this house growing up!

we played yard games, chased the doggies, ate ice cream, went for "tractor" rides... 

my dad is so good with holden! anytime holden saw grandpa, he immediately started saying tractor and wanted to play with the dozens of tractors my brothers had growing up!

and, thankfully, holden adjusted perfectly to sleeping at my parents' house! that's always a concern... although it's really never been an issue (clearly!).

on our last day there, we blew up a little pool for holden & went out to eat. our last dinner as a fam was at one of our favs! side note: i'm loving holden in rompers right now! 

again, he wouldn't get in...

he slept longer on the way home than on the way there. we may have run tolls, though, to ensure he didn't wake up!! oops. 

all in all, it was a great trip! good family time, fun stella & dot party for my mom & a great time enjoying the freedom we have here in america!