Daily Vitamins

These days, there are so many options for prenatal vitamins and it can give any pregnant woman a headache to make that decision. 

I currently take Promise Prenatal Vitamins. I love the fact that they have vitamins for each stage of your pregnancy including after pregnancy and during breastfeeding. Each stage has different needs and Promise is smart to customize those needs in the vitamins. As I dug deeper into the company, I discovered they are a Christian based company and give vitamins to women in less fortunate areas of the world. Let's be honest: for me, if they're a Christian organization/company, I want to fully support them and what they do! 

Another 'daily vitamin' that has a been a regular for me since last September is juicing. After researching the best 'starter' juicers on the market, I decided on this juicer and have been hooked ever since. Eventually, I'd love to get a masticating juicer. The difference is that with a masticating juicer, I can juice multiple days worth at a time. I have to juice and clean it each morning with my current juicer as it's a centrifugal juicer. It releases too much oxygen into the fruits and veggies which kills the nutrients after a small amount of time. A.K.A.: You have to drink the juice right after juicing, which still works for me. I'd just like to not have to use it and wash every. single. morning. I also use these glass jars when I need to leave the house with it. 

I've skipped days here and there, but ultimately have been pretty consistent. I was even able to juice throughout my morning sickness phase and I truly believe it contributed to having the easiest morning sickness phase of this pregnancy. 

What do I juice everyday?

1 Green Apple(Granny Smith is my choice)

3 Carrots

2 Celery Stalks

1/2 English Cucumber

Lots and lots of Spinach(spinach doesn't have a lot of water content so you have to use a lot)

*The only thing I do occasionally add would be a lemon but that's only if I remember to buy it at the store ;) I like what I juice so I'm not one to switch things up. If it works for me, why change it? My husband is the total opposite, though. He likes to get brave and try all kinds of things: beets, ginger, kiwi, coconuts.....

Stella and Dot Giveaway

Top: J. Crew Factory - Jeans: American Eagle - Coat: eBay, similar here and here - Necklace: Stella & Dot

Let's talk about it...... this necklace! If you asked me my opinion on monograms a year ago I would have said they were totally lame. It's what the 'cutesy' people wear and I am not a 'cutesy' person. Fast forward to now and I want to put a monogram wherever I can reach. Pillows on my bed? Yes! Curtains in Aubrey's room? Yes! Backpacks, lunch boxes, clothes? Yes, yes, yes! 

With that said, I couldn't be more grateful to Erika, a Stella & Dot Stylist, to make my obsession a little more.....obsessed. I chose our initials: DARA (Dewey, Ashley, Robey, Aubrey) Because of our recent incident on our family, I can't tell you how much more this engraved necklace means to me. Everyone grieves in different ways so I feel like this signifies our unity-our family-the four of us. We are a team and we are solid. Like solid gold, solid. See what I did there? ;)  Not to mention, they offer several different styles to engraving initials, birthdates, you name it. They even have the "scroll" style for all you 'cutesy' people, too. 

Check out Erika's Stella & Dot page and find something that means something to you. They have beautiful, great quality pieces so you won't be disappointed. 

Want a chance to win your very own engraveable necklace? Three things: 

Follow me on Instagram (@SlashAsh)

Follow Erika on Instagram (@ErikaRFox)

Like the giveaway photo on both of our IG's 

That's it! Winner will be chosen at random and announced on Friday at 9am EST

Good luck and thanks so much for reading!!

->Ashley

Haaaaave Mercy

Aubrey's outfit: Skirt: H&M, similar here - Top: MercyAvenue - Jacket: H&M - Shoes: OshKosh B'gosh via Zulily 


Robey: Jeans: Crewcuts - Shirt: MercyAvenue - Shoes: Gap, similar here

Aren't they just the cutest?! These shirts couldn't have come at a better time for these babes! I love them. I've always admired clothing that had a wonderful message, but didn't compromise the style or quality. Christians can be cool, too!! ;) Please let Corie over at MercyAvenue know I sent you. She is a pleasure to work with and the shipping is prompt. :)

Have a great week! 

->Ashley

Home Tour: Master Bedroom

Well, well, we meet again. Muahahahahaha! 

We've been busy; like a reproducing rabbit busy. I mean, I'm not reproducing or anything so don't get your panties in a wad. ;) A couple months ago, we were hit with a family crisis....something you don't wish your worst enemy would experience. Buuut, I'm back on my horse....errr desk chair writing this post that has been way too long coming. 

Here's where it all goes down people: The Master Bedroom! Hypothetically and quite lit'raly. 

Please note that this is not a designer room. This is done on a VERY strict budget! All under $1,000, that's for sure. So if you're looking for a pinterest-worthy, perfect lighting, lots of money, and perfect photography, log on to Pinterest. ;)

To answer your question, yes, I'm very well aware there is mud on the bed skirt and duvet, and dog hair all over the floor. This is the best I could get with a wild dog and two kids who are with me at all times. :)

Source List:

Headboard: DIY, burlap and nailheads

Armoire: Craigslist, originally Rooms to Go

Bedside dressers: IKEA 

Drawer hardware: EBay

Bedding: Target

Euro pillows: IKEA

Table Lamp: Home Goods

Sconce: Restoration Hardware

Bedside Mirrors: DIY, IKEA and Overlays

Chair and Ottoman: Gift, Henredon

Floor Lamp: Marshall's, similar here

Chandelier: Craigslist, Candice Olson Lighting

Artwork above bed: Hobby Lobby

Shag Rug: Home Goods

Homeschooling Video Part 2

Video: Homeschooling 101

L O V E

If you're like me, you're probably no longer original. Let me back up. Your ideas are no longer original. Pinterest has taken over your life and, well, you're officially a loser because the same genius idea was already thought of and posted with some really cool tutorial by some chick who has more time, more money, and she is probably considering her next genius project this very moment.

I pinned this beautiful pic over a year ago.

Via

I don't know about you, but I basically remember almost every pin I've ever pinned. I'm known as the human map according to my husband, so you can just call me the human pinterest encyclopedia. ;) 

I offered to try my hand at this bad boy to use as a decorative piece at a friend's recent nuptials. I made it the same way the linked website says, but I'll still include the gist of it for you. 

 Get your paper mache' letters from Joann's for 50% off. Unfortunately, they were out of the large "E's" so I had to go with a smaller one. Buuuut, because I got a smaller "E", I had to blend it by getting the smaller "O", too. Lucky for me, the sizing was perfect for the pallet. More on that later. (Don't mind my husband's combat boots.....or my daughter's bubble blower)

Next step: Removing the top layer of the letters. This was actually the easiest part. I planned on working in this part for a while but ended taking me less than two minutes for all the letters. I just stabbed the top of the letters with scissors to make a hole big enough for my fingers to grab through and the rest just pulled right off with clean edges.

Even though it really didn't make a big difference, I still wanted a 'sheen' look to the letters. I spray painted the sides of them with leftover spray paint. FYI, I've always said Rustoleum is the best sprayer. Krylon os good for crafts just cause that's about all they sell at craft stores.

That bent part is courtesy of my dog trampling it thinking it was trying to attack me. HUH?

I got the floral foam stuff. Forgot what it's called, but if you just walk up to a lady at any craft store and say, "I need that floral green stuff.", they'll take ya right to it. It was I think $5.

Then I organized the florals. I won't even mention that it was over a hundered dollars for all these flowers!!!!!!! Buuuut I just did, so there ya go.

Cut the foam to fit anyway you want inside the letters. I did hot glue gun them in the cause they weren't very tightly fit there.

The stems were cut about 1 inch form the bud so it's just long enough to stick tightly into the foam.

And Whallah!!

We glued them onto raised pallets as a backdrop behind the cake table. I thought they added so much girlyness!
I assumed would put them in Aubrey's room when I brought them back home, but I wasn't impressed with the result.

I even took the time to add "...is all you need" to the wall. Oh and the other creative touch would my fushcia lipstick that will not come off. I think it's time to repaint her room, no?

My next stop was the foyer......or as I like to call it: Foyaaayyy!

 It looks......normal. It's not terrible, but I've been saying I've been wanting to get brave with decor and trying new things.

So I decided to paint black and white stripes. I've been so inspired lately, albeit Pinterest, so I put on my big girl panties and went to town. Actually, I didn't change, I was still in my PJ's when I did this.....Oh and I didn't go to town. I just stayed home. 

 BAM, BABY!!! I need to clean my mirror. Each stripe is 9 inches wide and believe it or not, I did not use a level and they look pretty dang straight, if I do say so myself. 

This post isn't about the stripes so I'll try to make this quick: I started by measuring the whole wall from top of the baseboard to the ceiling. Then I found the middle measurement of my wall. That middle part is the middle part of my first stripe. Make sense? So if my walls are 100", I would find the 50" mark and count 4.5" since I'm doing 9" wide stripes and go up to 54.5" to mark the top of the stripe line. Totally confusing but I hope you get it. 

Most people think to create stipes based on making them even in amount, but you just need to make your first stripe in the very middle of the wall. Just believe me. 

If you want to know how I got such dang clean, good, bleed-free stripes, check out this post I found a few years ago. Worked like a charm. 

 I really like how it turned out. I'm thinking of doing the mirror side of the foyer wall in stripes as well. It's modern, but I think it can be taken in a traditional way, too. 

Thanks so much for reading!!

Have an incredible day!

->Ashley