Hi, y'all! 

Blogging for me as always been about keeping our family memories. One of my goals for 2019 was to save all of my blogs.  I saved them digitally on my external hard drive and on drop box.  Another goal for another year is to get them printed out because I don't feel 100% about having them only saved in digital form.  I mean, in a dystopian society maybe they'll only have my blogs to know how life was before.  I mean, not seriously, but hey, it could happen.

So, I paused my blog because saving my blogs while still writing blogs made the goal seem unattainable.  So, here we are, 4.5 months into 2019 and I have saved all my blogs and I'm dusting off the keyboard.  Let's kick it off with a little #FridayIntroduction

I'm Emily.  I'm 33 and married to my high school sweet heart. Together we have two kids and one on the way.  Our daughter, Georgia is 7 (will be 8 next month!), our son, Milam (My-lum) is 2.5, and our surprise number 3, Barrett, is due November 2nd.  We have a dog (Penelope), a cat (Posey), and five hens.  We live on one acre outside of Houston, TX and are turning our 1965 ranch into the home of our dreams. Slowly. My husband is a high school principal and I mostly am a stay at home mom but I also run a small photo gig on the side (Emily Powell Photography).  

I watch a lot of old TV. (One Tree Hill, Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl, The OC) and my husband constantly makes fun of me for it.  I told him yesterday I like it because it reminds me of a much simpler time in our lives. We were dating, no kids or finances to manage...he responded with, well yeah, but when we were that age we wanted all that we have now.  Ok, you win. You win.  Ever the optimist, he is.

This pregnancy is kicking my butt (as has the 1st trimester of all my pregnancies).  I'm exhausted all the time, can't eat anything unless its colorless or else I have horrible reflux, and my husband is picking up all the slack I'm leaving behind.

My two biggest goals in life are two travel more and finish our remodel.  I want an A frame cabin and an RV and to visit all the national parks and to take our kids all over the world.  That's expensive so hopefully I'll start booking more weddings soon ;)  We'll finish our remodel at some point.  Hopefully this house can be all that we want it to be.

Two of my favorite family traditions are blueberry picking in the summer and Pappasito's for Christmas Eve Eve. I LOVE spending time with just the four of us.  I'm a super homebody and Jonathan is the definition of an extrovert.  (I'm a 1 and he's a 2- enneagram!)

Anything else you want to know? I'm an open book.  Leave your questions in the comments and I'll try to get around to them in my next Friday Introduction!

New Printables

Didn't know if I should add these to my etsy shop or not.  Contact me if you're interested in any of these.  (Obviously without the watermark)  I was playing around with some things I wanted to put in my own home and came up with all of these.

Emily.Powell@ymail.com

Recent Design Work

Find my shop HERE

Sweet and simple custom baby shower design.

These are not in my shop but I made them as art work for me and Jonathan's nightstands.  The one I wrote will go above his nightstand and the one he wrote will be above mine.  I think it's sweet.  We each just wrote, "I love you" once and I photoshopped it :)

A few more custom baby shower designs.  I just screen shoted them from my Etsy shop so you can get a better look at my actual shop HERE.

And, a few Disney designs.  I do have more princesses but I just need to get my butt into gear on that!  My Ariel is my best seller :)  Someone ordered these but I didn't want to put their kid's face on my blog without their permission.  So, just know I have a Georgia not a Caroline ;)  To get full details and better images take a peek at my shop!

T.L.C VoxBox

Join influenster and earn some free stuff!

{If you send me your email I can send you an invite}

Here is what came in my box:

1.Avon Anew Reversalist Express Wrinkle Smoother  2. Breyers Gelato Indulgences 3.Puffs to Go  4.Shell Fuel Rewards Network  5.Neosporin Neo to Go  6.Ivory Bar Soap

1.  Let's talk about wrinkles.  I found my first TWO gray hairs this week.  TWO!  Well, one was gray and one was half gray half brown.  And, let's not even mention my 10 year high school reunion is this summer.  Oh goodness.  So, when I was sent this wrinkle stuff I was a bit peeved honestly.  I had been thinking of getting a wrinkle cream as a preventive measure but this is makeup.  From the website:  ANEW REVERSALIST Complete Renewal Express Wrinkle Smoother, a finishing cream-to-powder skincare perfector in a portable compact, for application over moisturizer or makeup. Instantly reduces the look of any type of wrinkle on the forehead, crows feet, and eye area

So, I'm willing to give it a try and see how it looks and feels.  But I'm 28!  28 people!  Do I need wrinkle makeup?!

2.  Coupons for free gelato?!  Yes please!  They could have just sent me that and I would have been satisfied.  Jonathan and I love gelato so this was super exciting for me.

3.  I will inevitably get a cold this summer.  Mark my words, it will happen.  I love tissues with lotion.  My nose gets to the point it feels like it will fall off so it just makes sense.  And, I always carry these little packages of tissues with me around the house and keep them in the car.

4.  This is a card where you earn points for gas.  We used to use our Kroger card in the same way when we first got married.  But now, we use only HEB and the HEB gas station.  It's closest and cheapest.  So, honestly I will not use this.

5.  Neosporin is always my go to brand.  I'll be using this a lot during the summer with all our adventures at the park and the one million mosquito bites we get that we will eventually scratch to much.  It's a must.

6.  I have always loved ivory soap.  Since I was little it was my favorite.  I mean, it floats.  That's so fun when you're a kid...you can always find it in the tub!  And it's 99.44 percent pure soap and non synthetics.  That's always a plus!

All in all, a fun little box!  Thanks guys!

Friday Ramblings

Thinking of putting these on my etsy site.  Shop HERE

Last time I wrote about our house progress we were building.  Now, it's a different story.  I freaked out and backed out.  I don't want a new house.  I've waited this long so I might as well keep waiting. (Details on our housing HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE)  It only stinks because we lost $250 on top of all the money we lost on the previous house we tried to buy.  We're now at 5 houses that we've attempted to buy.

Took pictures of my niece and Georgia for an up and coming Etsy shop.  See more HERE.

Spent Easter weekend in Dallas for a wedding I was in.  Georgia had a blast with my mom and step dad.

Took my neighbor's newborn pictures.  See more HERE.

Georgia recently had her Spring Program and she was so cute.  A few times I thought we were going to see her undies but we were good.  I was down in the front taking pictures so her behavior was totally off since I was so close.  Next time I won't sit so close.

And, this week is National Infertility Awareness Week.  I love this story and you can read my story HERE.

It's OCTOBER! (Plus a freebie)

Happy October First!

{Did you join in on the HUGE blogger giveaway yet?  5 bloggers and 200$ in prizes for ONE lucky winner!  If not, go HERE and join in!}

I LOVE October.  Fall is amazing and my birthday is in October so that probably has something to do with it.  Plus, we're going to Boston in a few weeks so it's just such an exciting month!

For Trendy Tot Tuesday I'm spotlighting Halloween costumes!

For Georgia's first Halloween she was a mermaid and last year she was a yard gnome.

(Actually pajamas from Gap and I added a tutu from Etsy.  She is 5 months old here.)

(My mom made a knot dress and I added a few gnomish things.  Almost a year and a half last Halloween.)

I already posted that Georgia is wearing a Well Dressed Wolf dress for Halloween.  It's perfect because it matches Cinderella's wedding dress and Georgia is OBSESSED with Cinderella and weddings.  I have the black necklace and I bought her silver ankle strap shoes on ebay.  I can't wait to put her hair in a baby bun and slip her little crown on.  She's going to be so excited.  Still trying to find some clip on earrings for her :)

Last year she had a silver pale to go trick or treating but we never got to use it.  I thought she was getting sick last Halloween but she wasn't and the year before she was too young so this will be our first time to trick or treat with her.

I haven't signed up yet but I think I'm going to.  If you're a new customer with York Photo you can get 40 free prints and use the code TRICKTREAT (whether you're a new customer or not I think) to get a free trick or treat tote bag with a personalized picture.  Georgia would LOVE to have a bag with her face on it!

We always go to our Church's Fall Festival but I am SOOO excited to watch Georgia get to trick or treat!  She's going to have so much fun.  The cousins usually drive the golf cart around my mom's neighborhood so G's going to love joining in this year!

affiliate links used

HUGE Giveaway!

It's Giveaway time! Join us (Bren from Perfectly Imperfect Mom, Erin from Hoping for Our Own Peanut, Kelly from Modern Camelot, Emily from Live a Charmed Life and Jen from Liv, Laugh, Love) for an epic giveaway! Over $200 worth of prizes. We are helping Bren celebrate the announcement of her TWO baby girls!

Check out what all is going to be given away to one lucky reader! 

First we are giving away a $25 Gift Card to Target because who doesn't love Target? 

Next up is League of Letters. League of Letters is probably the best Etsy shops when it comes to wooden monogram letters. They are so generously giving away a 18 inch Monogram that you can use for your home. We will be getting two for the girls' room since we are going with a vintage/shabby chic theme. I can not wait.

Facebook / Etsy

Another amazing contributor to the giveaway is Stella Bella Designs. I saw these great nursing covers that also can be worn as infinity scarfs. I thought what a genius idea! First of all you can wear them out and look cute and they cover you comfortably when nursing your little one. If you don't want to wear it it still fits easily in a diaper bag. It's a win, win for any new Mom!

Facebook / Boutique

Of course a giveaway would not be complete without a little something from The Anchor & Bows Boutique. One winner will get their choice of an item from the boutique!







Facebook / Site



And last but not least is an amazing anti-aging blend from Christine's Essential Oils called Immortelle, Who woman doesn't love a good anti-aging product?



All entries are optional, the more entries you do the better your changes are for winning. You can enter daily by tweeting the giveaway.



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Petite Lemon Art Giveaway!

Petite Lemon has so many wonderful personalizable children and baby gifts.  I'm so glad to be hosting a giveway for them!

The winner will recieve ONE

8x10 Petite Lemon Alphabet Poster

More about the posters you will receive:

• fits in an 8x10" frame
• exclusively designed and packaged by Petite Lemon 
• retail value is $25
• printed on premium heavyweight card stock
• available only for this promotion — other alphabet posters are all personalized, 16x20" size

This poster is adorable!  I love the bright colors, the high quality printing, and the sturdy paper.  It would look great in a nursery or playroom.

Everyone though is a winner!  Use the promo code BLOGGERLOVE15 and get 15% off at PetiteLemon.com

It's really easy to enter.

(Closes at 9:00 PM on the 30th)

1.  You have to be a follower.  Comment saying you follow my blog.

2.  Leave a comment saying where/how you would use this print.

Host your own Petite Lemon promotion HERE

Potty Training

*A post on Pull Ups*

-Sponsored Post-

I originally posted about potty training Georgia HERE

Some kids potty train quickly and others do not.  I think a lot depends on their gender, their readiness, and their age.

We started potty training at 20 months and Georgia was 2 on May 17th and we're still no where close to being fully potty trained.  But, I'm not rushing it.  I'm not pressuring her.  I know that when she is ready, she's ready.  It just isn't a big deal to me.

Normally, she does VERY well pre nap.  She can hold it for over 2 hours.  Post nap, it's a different story.  The other day I went to put her on the potty and she told me, "No tee tees.  Tee tee on carpet."  And sure enough...she was right.  Big puddle in the living room.  Which to me, is just funny really.  At least she's honest :)

Occasionally she'll tell me she needs to go and most of the time if you ask her if she needs to go she'll say no but if you put her on the potty she'll go.  Also, she poops on the potty every day before nap and sometimes after dinner.  The only time she'll poop in her diaper is if she is asleep.

Typically, I take her into the restroom first thing in the morning and every 30 minutes after that.  Every time I ask her if she needs to go.  When she goes she then wipes, gets some candy, and then flushes.  We go right after lunch and then before nap.  Then, again right after nap and continue on our 30 minute schedule until bed time.  We also go right after dinner and right before bed.

At home we only use panties.  (The thick Gerber kind from WalMart) but for church or errands we use Pull Ups Learning Designs. (I think the Learning Designs are good for older kids but a bit over Georgia's head. A design fades when it gets wet.)  Georgia knows they are in between a diaper and panties...we talked about it.  And she LOVES that they have princesses and Minnie Mouse on them!  Two of her favs!  And, as a parent I really like the Pull Ups Wipes.  (Pull Ups kindly sent us several boxes of Pull Ups and Cinderalla wipes.)

Princess Learning Design Pull Up

They also have several ways to help kids along in the process of learning to go potty.

First Flush Celebration Kit

Celebrate in 3D

Potty Celebration Chart

Pull Ups Big Kid App

Why reinvent the wheel?  Use all the resources you can and figure out what works for you!  Make it fun and make it a big deal when they are successful.  We discuss her accidents but she NEVER gets in trouble for them.  It just happens!

Anyone else have any helpful tips?

Thank yo SO MUCH Pull Ups for supporting our Potty Training efforts.

Blog Lovin'

I don't read blogs through google reader, just the dashboard BUT I know a lot of people use google reader. So I joined in on the Blog Lovin' bandwagon.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

So, follow the link above to join in on the fun!

Sweet December Hats Giveaway

And...I'm back (sort of) to bring you a wonderful Fall/Winter Giveaway

{I'll be back for real at the end of the week!}

brought to you by:

Sweet December Hats

Here is the hat they sent Georgia!  Isn't it precious?!

It's called a Pixie hat.

They will be giving one of my readers a 25$ credit towards anything in the shop (besides patterns).  Super awesome!

The giveaway is open until noon on Friday the 16th.

Here is how to enter:

-Leave a comment if you follow/are a new follower

-Leave a comment telling me your favorite thing at Sweet December Hats.
-Like them on Facebook (2 entries)
-Tweet about this giveaway (2 entries)

Here are a few more examples of their work:

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