The Boy's Bow Tie + a Giveaway with Turbans for Tots! (Closed)

Turbans for Tots. FOR BOYS

Yesterday I shared about my son's baby dedication and how meaningful it was. But I'm gonna be honest with you... a significant part about what makes baby dedications so frivolously fun are the outfits. FOR SURE. And I wanted my little baby doll to look like a dream boat, so fresh threads were a must. Enter Turbans for Tots. And this rad bow tie situation.

When I was thinking about what Everett should wear for his big day, I knew the centerpiece of his OOTD would have to be a swanky new Turbans for Tots bow tie. If you aren't familiar with Turbans for Tots, you should be! My friend Jenna makes the most adorable baby & toddler accessories, and when I was pregnant I would find myself pining away as I flipped through her Etsy shop of little girl hair accessories. When I found out I was pregnant with a boy, I knew I would have to put my Turbans for Tots obsession on hold, since her shop didn't offer any boy items. Sigh. But oh, the world has come into alignment, and recently they launched BOW TIES FOR BOYS. (Insert hallelujah hands emoji here).

// His big day outfit: Turbans for Tots Bow Tie, Baby Gap Oxford, Freshly Picked Moccasins, Baby Gap Socks (similar) (Not pictured: Polo Baby Blazer (a few seasons old, a gift!), Baby Gap Jeans (similar)) //

Giveaway!

I am excited to partner with Turbans for Tots to gift this Sibling Set, which includes a bow tie and a turban, for those adorable (and necessary!) matchy-matchy moments in your kiddos' lives. Easter Sunday ain't too far off folks, just sayin'. Everett will most definitely be sporting another bow tie for that occasion :) Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter below. 1 winner will be chosen at random within 1 week. The winner will be announced here and contacted by email. Good luck to you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Everett's Baby Dedication.

Everett's Baby Dedication.

Hi Friends! Last weekend we celebrated our sweet Everett boy by dedicating him to the Lord in front of our church family and friends. It was such a sweet service, and I'm actually surprised at how very much it meant to me. I guess I am a sappy person. Surprise. Stevie & I took a bit of time to discuss what a baby dedication meant to us, and we felt compelled to really celebrate this occasion. And by celebrate, I mean buy Everett a rad new outfit to wear (more on this later!) and host a party after the service. Too much? What is too much? I tend to go overboard, so I probably need some more accountability in my life.

We were excited to stand in front of our loved ones and vow to raise Everett in a home that honors the love and life exemplified by Christ Jesus. Ultimately, it's Everett's choice in his life to select and follow his compass of faith, but it is our responsibility to follow our convictions and "raise a child up in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). To me, it is much like a vow you make on your wedding day, in front of all your friends and family. Making a commitment to another person, seeking the support and accountability from your loved ones to hold you to your word; heavy stuff. But also extraordinary and exciting and suuuuuuper special.

Our church does a really great job of honoring the families by making a fun little film about each babe. Try to tune out the annoying fact that I practically beat Stevie over the head every time he tries to speak. Ugh sometimes I can just be the worst. I need discipline. But many thanks to Daniel Turner and Bethel Atlanta for making this clip!

Hale Baby Dedication from Kristen Hale on Vimeo

Check back tomorrow for more details on Everett's dedication threads and a sweet giveaway!

Resolutions. Lists. Mindgames. Whatnot.

Resolutions. Lists. Whatnot.

Resolutions are silly.

And yet I am SO typical. I want to do all the ones that are just completely run-of-the-mill and obvious. Exercise more. Read more. Watch less TV. Learn something new. Blah blah blah. This post is much more for my own sake but sometimes it's fun to share the loopy journey our minds take during the month of January. I don't think you have to be super Type-A to feel the resolution energy. It's another thing entirely to actually do something with that mind energy. Here's my scrawling list of resolution-esque things to play around with over the next few months.

Work It.

Obviously, exercise and get back in shape. Like for REAL shape. It's been a long time since I've had a waist, due to this. And I've been rocking this lingering double chin a bit longer than I had anticipated. I got a gym membership a while ago. I've been twice.

A note about this: I can differentiate this goal from previous years because I don't want to exercise to achieve some kind of bikini body (omgaaaah is that season coming soon? Curses.) I really, really want to be strong. And able. To chase my child around and keep up with him and be healthy for him. It's amazing how growing your family really showcases your own personal weaknesses. And I don't just mean emotionally and sleep deprived and all that. I mean physically, too. That child just wears me out. And I'm young! I want more children! I am realizing that I have to strengthen my core, my back, my legs and arms - just to keep up with the daily lifting and moving and playing that we do. I shouldn't be feeling tired at 11am and have sore knees and headaches all the time. Clearly, some things are out of balance. I'm still mulling over some serious changes in diet, vitamins and supplements (that are all breastfeeding-friendly!), but in the meantime, figuring out how to incorporate more exercise into my daily routine would be a really rad start.

Paint Stuff.

I want to get back into painting with watercolors. Once upon a time I DID THIS. Just for funsies. I just think it would be really lovely to spend my afternoons watercoloring. Don't laugh. And don't remind me that I have a newborn and I can barely keep our doctors appointments straight, let alone HAVE A HOBBY. I already know all of this. But I'd like to defy the odds. I'd like to watercolor paint again. So there. Although, it does sort of seem like the kind of thing you see some French babe do in a movie and nowhere else.

"Is that a Ferruginous or a Red-Tail?"

And birdwatching. I really want to get into birdwatching. And maybe have a bird passport. You know. For marking off all the exotic birds I want to see in my lifetime. The non-exotic ones should count, too. We've got some hawks in our neighborhood that I've started naming :) I really like this particular "goal", because I can bird watch in my back yard. I can bird watch today. I can look out the window and see birds. NAILED IT. Moving on.

Write "Me".

I've been assessing this little blog of mine. I love it. It's not perfect, it's not exactly what I envision, and there are things I've love to change/do more of/do less of. But mostly I'd like to continue to make strides to grow it in a way that is organic, fun and "me". I am grateful for this forum as a way to document our family's journey and celebrate life's sublime moments. I'm so grateful for how it's connected me to such wonderful friends and the broader online community. Yes, there is a lot of hate on the Internet. But not everywhere.

I hesitate to really expand beyond these goals because having a lengthy to-do list of resolutions is the most surefire way to accomplish nothing. I mean, I bought a planner this year, so I might actually show up somewhere on time in the very near future. That would be PROGRESS. I'm ready to reel my life back in and focus a little bit more on my personal wellness and development. I share these little goals with you because I know many of you are sifting through your own goals, both personal and career-oriented, and sometimes it helps to share in the journey together. To keep accountable. To encourage. To watch birds.

What are your goals? Have any tips on how to follow through? I would love to hear!

Hello January!

Well, 2015. There you are.

I hope you are all staying warm and doing oh so swell. I hope your holidays were every bit as indulgent and satisfying as you imagined they would be. I took a bit of time off from social media and this blog after the holidays. I wanted to refocus, spend quality time with my family, catch up on some seriously needed sleep, and simplify all the clutter that has been stacking up like dusty old books in my brain. Perfect timing, too, since I spent the 10 days after Christmas fighting off a nasty virus and just sleeping. And then sleeping some more. I have about a year's worth of sleep to catch up on. Whew. We are slowly getting there!

I have really relished the quiet and rest that this month has ushered in. It seems like everything slows down in January. It's not too fun being outside. The dark cover of evening envelopes the day all too soon. There is a stack of literature that I'd like to be reading, and yet somehow Netflix wins out every time I reach for a book (we have really gotten into The West Wing. It's sort of delicious. And hilariously outdated.) January is an old friend with a minty-fresh feeling. It's the time for dreaming again. Planning. Goal making. Resolutions. Budgeting. Sometimes all of these things can feel overwhelming, I'll admit. But going through the motions and putting a bit of discipline into these tasks can really help solidify that refreshing, refocused mindset, which has been super helpful for this gal who has been living in a bit of a fog for the past 6 months or so. How has January been for you?

Here are a few pics showcasing how we vegged out enjoyed the last little bits of 2014.

// Skewed amount of daddy & baby pictures in relation to mommy & baby pictures. Which is fine by me :) Clearly, Stevie keeps putting all kinds of athletic equipment in our child's hands. And then photographing it. Womp womp. Note the adorable "Marry Me?" photo - found that on a walking trail one day! So sweet! I hope she said yes, whoever she is. //

As for 2015...

I'll be back tomorrow with some resolution snippets. Don't worry. I've set the bar hilariously low for myself this year. I've decided to set myself up to be a WINNER in 2015, which sort of means that my list of "resolutions" are, well, not super resolution-y. Ha. All you new moms know what I'm talking about (as in, a walk to the mailbox crosses off two to-do's on the list: making it out of the house AND exercising).

Let's kick it, 2015. Happy to be back!

The 1st Day: Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Friends!

Oh, there has never been such a time as this! I hope this day is filled with so much love and joy that your heart practically bursts. I pray that your loved ones find unity, even in matters that always seems to divide. I pray that all the wishes in your heart, no matter how big or small, are acknowledged by those who cherish you. I pray that you can pull your loved ones close, smell their hair and feel their skin and soak up the reverent moments you have with them. I pray that you can articulate all the words you feel for them. The wonderful reasons why you adore them. I pray that if you are far away from the ones you love, you have the opportunity to take a moment, look up at the sky, and know that they are blanketed by the same good God above who loves you immensely. I pray that this holiday marks a turning point into the best year of your life yet. May this day be cozy, silly, sweet and most of all - memorable. I really do wish that for you.

I want to thank you for reading along with me over the course of this year. It's been a stellar journey and all your encouragement and support has been so appreciated - more than you will ever know. I hope this blog continues to be a little corner that you visit every now and again for a bit of inspiration and a good laugh. I am going to be taking a few weeks off from the blog to enjoy some much needed time with my little family. You can still find me here, probably over-exposing my joyful antics. I look forward to even more fun & rewarding content here on the blog in the new year. See you in mid-January!

All Photos by Rachel Koontz.

From our little family to yours, Merry Christmas!