Well friends we have emerged from a pile of jump rings and gold chain and studs upon studs upon studs. We survived the Christmas jewelry season! For the third year in a row! Every year I think we won't possibly arrive on the other side. And then we do! (Our shop is here)
We have managed each year better than the year before. We've found more effective and efficient ways to manage. Last year's entire month of December was a blur of jewelry and pregnancy and stress. I really thought it would kill me. And we learned a lot from last year on how to do things much smarter for this year. We were still crazy stressed busy to the max, but we managed it sooooooo much better. One thing is for sure, the teaching school + running a business from home + being a mom to two all at at the same time is not sustainable long term. I'm not sure what the future holds exactly, but I am sure that I have to cut something out if I want to remain a sane, happy, healthy person. And if I ever want to see my kids.
Monday was my last day of teaching and also our deadline for all jewelry orders. Which means the majority of this week has been catching up from everything else I have been slacking on, but also just enjoying the season. Monday night we stayed up late playing games with my mom and sister, Tuesday we did lots of jewelry cleaning and organizing, and yesterday we got to sneak away and enjoyed the afternoon at the aquarium. In the middle of the afternoon! At the aquarium! Just hanging with my family!
The aquarium in Utah is a tad on the expensive side, ($20 for adults, $15 for kids) but I think it is totally worth it to do once a year or so. It is an amazing aquarium and you really can't beat it in the winter!
A note on our EvenFlo stroller. When Hugh was born I did major major research on the best double stroller. And then I shelled out big bucks for one that I now only kind of like. It is one of the most popular strollers, but it is still so heavy and cumbersome to me that I, admittedly, look for any way to not pack the "big stroller". After looking at SO MANY STROLLERS I thought it was just inevitable that a double stroller had to be big, bulky, and oh so heavy and I was kind of resigned to my fate.
Several weeks ago I found this Evenflo Sibby stroller system. And it is honestly the perfect solution to our stroller woes. It has the easiest fold up of any stroller I have ever used. It is so lightweight. It *almost* feels like an umbrella stroller in its lightness only it's way better because it has underneath carriage, way comfortable handle bars, and (essential for diet coke addicts like myself) A CUP HOLDER.
It is technically a single stroller, but here is where the genius comes in. It comes with a board that you can easily clip on the back for your toddler to stand on while you push it. June LOVES it and jumps on and off constantly. It was so nice at the aquarium because she would hop on anytime her little legs started to get tired, but then could easily hop off and go check out the fish, hop back on, hop back off. It is SO easy and so much nicer than her constantly getting in and out of a stroller.
This pic give you a good look at the cup holder (that is removable btw if copious amounts of soda is not your thing) and the board that hooks on and off for your toddler.
For those of you who live in Utah, the aquarium has the best kids' play place I have ever been to! It was like a donkey kong level, complete with different parts of the playground that lit up. And it even had that old school nintendo music going on. And it had the cutest play place for itty bitty kids too. Hugh was in heaven. Our kids would have gladly stayed all day.
Oh, I forgot to mention that the leg rest on the stroller comes up and the back goes down for when baby falls asleep. This is seriously the smartest, lightest stroller I've ever come across. Hugh NEVER falls asleep in public, so I think it speaks something to the stroller that he passed out like this.
(I was gifted this stroller from Evenflo in exchange for my honest review. I have stopped almost all sponsored material on this blog because it is only worth it to me if it is something I really really really love. I have a rule that I won't accept any sponsored items unless I would willingly pay full price for it. When I had the opportunity to review this stroller, all I had to do was look at its ease, functionality, and the reviews, and I knew I would willingly pay full price for this bad boy. It was really been a total joy for us and we are so grateful to have it. Also, I just checked the Evenflo Sibby landing page to include the links at is on sale right now for $133. AND it also comes with a carseat and carseat base. This honestly might be the best deal that you will see the entire Christmas season. Like I said, if they didn't give me this stroller I would gladly pay for it- IT IS AWESOME.)