HW

To My Love, Part of me can't believe we've been together almost ten years. In some ways it feels like yesterday, but at the same time it feels we've been together forever. Time flies when we're having fun, right? And we sure have a lot of fun together.    After whirlwind of cotton candy, a dorm room full of pink balloons and a horse ride through trees that seem straight out of Whoville, I knew you were the one for me. As we celebrate our life together I want you to know just how loved you are. When my seas are stormy, you calm the waves. When life is the bubbles, you're there to shellabrate. ;) We've traveled to depths unknown, but we've done it by each others side. You are my anchor and I love you more than all the dragons, unicorns, mermaids and fairies combined. You are my fairy tale. You are my happily ever after. Eternally Yours, Lauren       I have to say that it can be a little tricky to get gifts for Gavin, but I think I nailed it on the h...

  The other day I was nursing the babe and doing what I do best, scrolling through my Instagram when a video caught my eye. I couldn't tell you why I decided to click on it, but I did. The video was of a young girl getting her Quincenera dress and it ends with the phrase: "Femininity is a Super Power." I. LOVE. THAT. Let me tell you why. . . First off, the word 'femininity' is different than 'feminism' or 'feminist'. A feminist is someone who supports women's equal rights to men, thus making them a supporter of feminism, right? Well what is femininity? Not to go all teach-y on you, but I looked it up and here is what I found: "The quality of being female; womanliness."  Guys!....  FEMININITY IS A SUPERPOWER!   Now disclaimer here: I am in NO way opposed to feminism or feminists but I think the topic of FEMININITY is something that we don't necessarily accept as a culture. In fact, I naively went on to read the comments thinking I...

Today I’m SUPER excited to talk to you about my all time favorite game night activity we've ever had... and we have the awesome Jimmy Fallon to thank for that.  Jimmy Fallon Game Night! If you are not a night owl or if you aren't on social media, you are probably unaware of the many clever games Jimmy plays with his guest stars. You poor poor deprived person! These aren't just silly/lame games he plays. These games are hilariously EPIC.  This is actually the second time my friends and I have planned this activity for our husbands because seriously... it’s so much fun and its definitely not your typical dinner and a movie date night. And the awesome thing is… is that its not difficult to plan at all! Even my nine month pregnant self was able to pull it off without a sweat. {Ok if we are honest, I was being pregnant and smashing eggs on my head, there MAY have been a little sweat.} There were tons of games to choose from, but the ones we chose to do as a...

I pretty much hit the jackpot when I hooked this handsome fella and got him to pop the question seven years ago. When we were expecting our little Poppy, I spent many days thinking about which of us she'd look like {me} and what attributes she'd have. The same thing happened when we had our second baby and again for our third; only this time we are having a boy and though I still find myself wondering who he'll look like, I find myself hoping he'll be just like his daddy.  Here are 6 Attributes I Hope My Hubby Passes onto Our Son: Hard Working. Gavin is incredibly hard working. Even on his days off, he takes on many projects or chores to keep himself busy and helpful. I've never known him to take a day just to be lazy.  Creative. This kid has a creative side that you'd never know was there if you didn't know him well. He can put together projects like it's no ones business. He is an excellent woodsman and has made not only our bed, but the crib and c...

Whether it's pharmacy school, med school or law school, any graduate program can be challenging, especially for the spouse! For the past four years, Gavin has been attending pharmacy school at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and these last few years have been rough in some ways, but incredibly rewarding in others. Graduation is quickly approaching and we are anxiously waiting to find out where we will be going for residency, but that's a post for another day. Today I want to talk about our experience in pharmacy school and how we survived together.  How to be a Good Grad School Wife Communicate: Decide beforehand the different roles you will each play in the relationship. We decided that in order for Gavin to do the best he can, he will need time to study and work hard. I always knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom, so the housework, grocery shopping, taking care of babies, etc would mainly be my responsibility. That didnt mean that I didnt expect him to help...

There's many times throughout the year that I find myself scrambling for inexpensive gift ideas for my hubby. Despite all my good intentions and starting a {secret} "Gift Idea" board on my Pinterest profile, I seem to always be looking for the PERFECT gift that not only says, 'I love you.' but also, 'I know who you are and what you like.' One thing that has really helped me determine gift ideas for my loved ones is to take the Love Languages Quiz . {If you haven't heard about this, I'll assume you've been living under a rock and am happily welcoming you to the real world with wide open arms!}  This test helps you figure out how you {and your loved one} feel the most love. You'll obviously score a few points in each category, however, most people tend to have one main Love Language.  I've found that my main love language is Words of Affirmation with Acts of Service close behind. Gavin's are, Quality time and Physical Touch. That doe...

It's Valentines Day Week! This week I'll be posting different ways to make this time of year, magical. Let us start of with the reason for the uh... season--LOOOOOOOVE! So grab that significant other of yours and plan one (or several) of these at home date nights! My hubby and I sure know how to party these days... and by party I mean sit on the couch and binge watch Netflix or Vidangel . Being in Pharmacy school doesn't help with our energy levels (non-existent) Winter sure doesnt help either, nor does expecting baby number three. But we are making a conscious effort to make this week different and are bound and determined to give these at home date nights a try. At Home Date Nights (for after the kids fall asleep.) Date 1: GAME NIGHT Turn off the Netflix and whip out those board games in your closet you only get out once in a blue moon. Here's a few games for two or more players we think we will enjoy: -Farkle -Pie Face -Ticket to Ride -Would you Rather Date 2: FAKE ...