HW

Hi! I’m Lauren. It's been awhile since I introduced myself to all the new readers that have stopped by. First I want to say thank you! Thank you thank you thank you for being here and supporting lil ole Lauren in whatever crazy adventure she's currently pursuing. I dug down deep and wanted to share a few things about me that resonate to the bottom of my soul. If I were to lay down outside in a rainstorm. (Much like the one happening as I am typing this.) These are the things that would be left when everything else is washed away. The bare bones so to speak. . . I love the smell of fresh laundry and the top of my baby’s head. I enjoy hearty belly laughs that result in fat tears rolling down my cheeks. I value the magic of nostalgia and the power of imagination. I hope I never get too busy to forget to admire the stars; or to wrap up in a blanket and listen to the rolling thunder. I want to always find time to make flower crowns and fairy houses; to kiss the freckles on my kids n...

We've survived our first month with four babies and it's been a dream! Going from 3 to 4 kids has definitely been the easiest transition so far. Thank goodness! I've been super excited to get photos of all my babies together but tend to stress about coordinating outfits. (Silly, I know. You just never know when you'll get the perfect photo to frame for your house, right?!)  Here's a few things I've learned about looking our best for portraits! How to Coordinate Outfits for Family Photos   Don't Wear the Same Thing You want to coordinate not match exactly. Sure, it'd be so much easier to all get the same tshirt for everyone to wear, but it definitely wont look as good as it could.    2. Consider Textures I absolutely love textures and these can be pretty easy to incorporate into your outfits through a scarf or a hat or sweater. If someone is wearing a sleek and slim dress, put someone else in a chunky sweater   3. Don't Forget Patterns Pattern mi...

You know when you have plans all lined up for something and absolutely nothing ends up following the script you had in your head? That was what happened to me the last day in the hospital after having baby Chez. Hubby and I woke up Halloween morning anxious to be discharged so we could watch the girls in their costume parade at school. I planned to get some pics on the way out the door so I could do a "coming home outfit" post. But Gavin's back had different plans.  A little background story, a few months ago, he was helping his brother move some things when he threw out his back. Guys, it was bad. He couldn't walk, he couldn't stand on his own, he couldn't do anything he was in so much pain. Luckily, he got better quickly, but after sleeping on a hard pull out couch at the hospital for a few nights must have done a number on him because as he bent to take off the sheets, he threw out his back AGAIN.  So instead of wheeling ME out of the hospital in a wheelcha...

  Hello Whimzies! It's been a minute... or a few. I wont lie, this pregnancy has been a kick in the pants, but all is well and I have something exciting up my sleeves... Not sure when I can announce it yet... but my goal is sooooon! In the mean time, I want to share what I've been doing to prepare for this baby's fall arrival. Yes, yes... This is my FOURTH baby and I am embarrassed to say it has taken me this long to take a class for nursing! We all know there's soooo many benefits of breastfeeding and each of my babies was a totally different experience. So with this "knowledge" I figured it wont hurt to take a class as a refresher as to what this go around might be like, or to prepare me for something totally new. Either way, it feels good to be prepared!  So let me tell you a little bit about this class! Breastfeeding with Confidence Course  Number one: You will feel PAMPERED.  I cannot tell you guys how much I needed this day to feel like a person agai...

We are absolutely GIDDY with joy! . . . Because we found out that we are expecting baby NUMBER FOUR this November! AND . . .   We are thrilled to be adding another GIRL to our crew. I have been wrong guessing the gender for EVERY SINGLE KID so I dont know why I was so surprised when we found out it was a girl. We decided to go in at 14 weeks to Fetal Photos  to find out what we were having early because WE ARE THE MOST IMPATIENT PEOPLE EVER. I knew the moment she got a good shot of the baby that it was a girl and whipped my head around to see my kids reactions when she told them. Posey's face light up and she threw her hands in the air and said, "CAN WE KEEP HER?!" Poppy was thinking it was a boy but was really happy to have another girl. Drix had no idea what was going on. Gavin also thought it was a boy so his face probably looked just like mine did. We continued with the ultrasound and told the girls they could make cupcakes to tell the rest of the family that weekend....

I recently posted on my Instagram how I was having a hard time. For years I've been depressed and had some various forms of anxiety. You wouldnt really know it from the things I post, but it's true. My little corner of the internet is where I can escape from it all and hopefully make the lives of others just a little bit better. Being a stay at home mom, (or mermaid) I find my life is devoted to my three little munchkins. Don't get my wrong, I wouldnt want it ANY other way. But sometimes I find it hard  when so much of my time and energy is put towards serving them and finding ways to take care of myself is kind of on the back burner. On my Instagram post, I shared a few things I do to lift my spirits when the day is getting to be too much to bear. It started to turn into a novel so I thought I'd share five more ideas here as well.  Five Ways To Not be Depressed Get help Whether it's a doctor, a friend or family member (or me!) talking about your feelings helps ...

As a stay-at-home mom of three, trying to meet the daily demands of three tiny (albeit adorable) children is an adventure. What amazes me, is that despite the daily adventures, they can so easily turn into monotonous routine and can even suck the life out of you. You just get so caught up in trying to meet everyone's needs on the daily and forget how to find joy in the every day. I'm sure a lot of you out there can relate.   I've always been a very energetic, productive person. I guess I only have myself to blame for my daughter's never-ending battery pack of energy. But everyone gets run down, and I've definitely found myself in that monotonous rut a time or two before. There are a few things I've learned that get me out of that rut and into my whimzy, time and time again. I'm a how-to blogger, so I bet you can see where this is going. ;) Re-prioritize So much of that rut comes from where your priorities lie. It's time to examine your life and decide wh...

Isn't it interesting how you can walk down one path expecting life to take you in one direction, only to be surprised when a new path offers you wonders you've never even dreamt about? Spreading Happy Thoughts has always been a part of who I am, and it always will be. However; I've come to realize that if I wanted to have a better impact on my readers, I needed to really focus on what I wanted to contribute to the world. After much research I was excited to take my brand in a new direction. So without further ado, I'm thrilled to announce that Spreading Happy Thoughts will now be known as... I knew a name change was in order when I realized that something just wasn't meshing as well as I wanted it to with my blog and my mermaid business. It seemed like a match made in heaven; happy thoughts and mermaids go hand in hand, right? I've learned that when something is right, it just clicks. Unfortunately, something just wasn't clicking.  So I went to work. I'...

Our hearts have been bursting since we welcomed our new little man into the family. We are on cloud nine! A name, birth story and more pictures coming soon. We love you sweet boy!