Luxury For many, the idea of luxury is an expensive car, a luxe home, and a closet full of Manolos. Do me and my closet full of Manolos disagree? No, we certainly do not. However, real luxury isn’t so much about the things in life as it is the *things* in life. While I’m not… Continue reading real luxury
“Middle Age Kids” No, they’re not in their 50s, but they are no longer babies and not quite adults. We are no longer changing diapers and reading bedtime stories…they read to themselves at bedtime now. We aren’t sounding out words or asking them to identify shapes. We no longer own a car seat. Strollers are… Continue reading raising ‘middle-age’ kids
August Today is August first, meaning it’s back to nonstop living for us. Any other year, I’m over the moon excited about August. The kids going back to school, the end of the single worst season of the year is upon us (Fall officially begins for me on September 1), the beginning of the most… Continue reading boundaries.
Happy Wednesday! Being a parent is hard work, y’all. Hard work. I can’t think of one thing – other than the actual loving them part – that is effortless and easy. My husband and I have been doing this parenting thing now for over 12 years, and we still don’t have a clue what we… Continue reading “She Makes It Look So Easy…”
Happy Thursday, loves! Anyone else have kids struggling to acclimate to the new routine of back-to-school? Hitting the kids with school schedules, sports schedules, activity schedules, and the rest of our lives schedules is hard on them this time of year, and it’s showing in the Raiford house. The twins are the most emotional little… Continue reading Finding Quality Time With Your Family In Busy Seasons
Happy Tuesday, loves! I’m exhausted, and I’m guessing all my fellow moms are, too. It’s May. If you have school-age children, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Exhaustion is a way of life around here during the month of May, and it’s because there are so many end-of-school year events, parties, things, stuff, places,… Continue reading 9 Ways to Combat Exhaustion When Your Calendar is Full
Happy Thursday, loves! Mother’s Day is a little bittersweet for me. On one hand, I feel so fortunate and blessed to celebrate this day each year. So many women don’t have that opportunity. My heart is full knowing that I have four beautiful babies to love not just Sunday, but every day. On the other… Continue reading Celebrating Mother’s Day with The Bouqs Co.
Happy Wednesday, loves! I’m just sitting over here in a mild state of panic because the busy season of our lives is here. Do I say that every season? Probably, but this is different busy. This is cheer competition busy. And that means we basically move out of our home and live in hotels for… Continue reading Why Our Daughter Doesn’t Have Her Own Cell Phone
Ten years. That’s how long daddy and I have been parents. You, our sweet baby girl, Addison Grace, were born on this day in 2008. You came into the world a week before your due date, and only about six hours after you decided to make it obvious you were arriving. My contractions started late… Continue reading 10 Years of Parenthood: An Open Letter to Our Sweet Girl on Your 10th Birthday
Summer is here. Oh, who am I kidding…we are Floridians. It’s always summer. But it’s really summer now that the humidity is back in full force and the kids are out of school for another 10 weeks (yes, I’m counting). I don’t love summer. I don’t love saying that, but it’s true. I’m not a… Continue reading Summer Bucket List: Per My Kids
I’m going to be late picking the girls up from school if I don’t leave here in approximately 10 minutes, but I’m sitting here at my desk in my bathrobe eating a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter with tiny chocolate chips. And I don’t feel bad. Technically, the line doesn’t even begin moving until 3:40,… Continue reading Traveling Without Your Kids: A Must Do For Your Marriage
Four years ago today we welcomed our last babies into our world. Our twins, Carter and Charlotte, were born. I was 36 weeks and 6 days pregnant when they made our debut at 3 lbs. and 5 lbs. They spent a week in the NICU, and we spent a week living at the hospital –… Continue reading Happy Birthday, Babes: Answers to the 10 Most Commonly Asked Questions We Get About the Twins
Hey, y’all! Happy Wednesday…and happy cooler weather, Floridians! I’m so happy to have this gorgeous 70-degree high situation back in my life. This weekend was spectacular – and in more ways that one. We had a house full of kids and family all weekend, and we got to spend a child-free night being treated like… Continue reading FAQs: Answering a Few of the Most Commonly Asked Questions I Get On Instagram
It’s Thanksgiving week, and that means it’s going to be a week filled with very grateful, thankful people – and there is nothing wrong with that. I do wish more people would focus more regularly on being thankful for all they don’t have rather than being upset by all they don’t; but that’s not really… Continue reading Thank You: Giving Thanks to the Men Who Helped Our Daughter When Our Worst Fear Came True
Happy Wednesday, darlings! I’m currently sitting poolside in Hawaii sipping cocktails with my love as we enjoy the sound of the ocean and one another’s company. Kidding. I’m currently running around like a madwoman trying to get my house ready for our house-sitters, the last details of our vacation handled, picking up snacks for the… Continue reading Travel Tips to Make Packing and Flying Easier With or Without Kids
Happy Mother’s Day, Mamas! If you’d told me 9 years ago when I was celebrating my first Mother’s Day as an expectant mommy-to-be that Mother’s Day would become a day that’s so bittersweet, I never would have believed it. I was high on life, on the baby we were expecting, and on everything else. Life… Continue reading 6 Surprising Things I Love About Being A Mom: The Mother’s Day Edition
Tiffany Raiford 