Family Trip to Yellowstone

Over Memorial Day weekend, we packed up our silver minivan and started the 16 hour car ride up to Idaho. Kyle’s family has a cabin close to West Yellowstone in Island Park, ID. We must’ve been a little crazy planning this trip with two toddlers and such a long trip! The boys really did great! We broke the trip up every 5 to 6 hours, which helped a lot! Next time we do this trip, though, we’ve decided to just fly. Our first stop was in Vegas at my sister’s house! The next day we drove up to Bountiful, Utah to stay with Kyle’s grandparents! We play shuffle board and had a yummy BBQ! It was so fun to stay and chat with them. Our last leg was finally up to the cabin. We stopped at Reed’s Dairy for some of our favorite ice cream, stretch our legs, and to see all the fun farm animals. They had goats, cows, sheep, and more.

We were greeted with the fresh mountain air when we finally parked at the Cabin. As much as I love Arizona, I’ll never get tired of summer in the mountains! They had added some fun things to the cabin this year. One of the kid’s favorite things was the swing set. I particularly liked the new reclining sectional.

Our first day in Island Park was pretty relaxed. We let the kids play outside, while us adults unloaded the cars. I organized all the food we bought for the weekend, which was A LOT. Kyle unloaded all the rest of the luggage and set up our sleeping arrangements for the night. We slept under the stairs on a mattress while the boys slept in pack and plays next to us. it was quite cozy even though we didn’t sleep much.

The second day we decided to venture into Yellowstone. My sister brought binoculars and adventure bags for all the kids! They looved them!! Such a cute idea! Kyle and I had only been up to Yellowstone once before shortly after we got married. Last time we went we didn’t see much wildlife. This time, however, we saw herds and herds of buffalo! It was way cool, even though they did hold up traffic! We loved seeing swarms of fish in the rivers as well. Everything was so green and beautiful. The water was so clear. We saw the hot pots next. These are always my favorite! Soo smelly but so fascinating and beautiful. Last we stopped at Old Faithful! I was hoping we would be able to eat here but the food was not as good as I remembered. Old Faithful was remarkable! It shoots up so high for so long! The boys really like playing in the grass there and seeing the “Big Fountain.” Next time we go, I’ll have to remember to bring more snacks and even pack lunch and dinner so we can stay in the park longer.

On the third and final day Kyle and Danny went Kayaking. Me, being the fool that I am, opted not to go and stay back with the kids. Big mistake!! They took pictures out on the river and it was absolutely breath-taking! That is something I will not pass up on again! It looked like so much fun! We also played games, played outside, took some family pictures, build a sledding hill with some of the build up snow on the side of the cabin, and ate yummy food! It was a pretty chill day!

On the fourth day we started our long trek home. I loved this trip, but I didn’t expect my kids to love it so much. I am writing this all out now 5 months after the trip and Oliver still talks about Yellowstone regularly. I am so grateful for the memories we made both at the cabin and on the journey up. Kyle’s grandma has since passed and I will forever cherish the time we were about to spend with them that May.

xoxo, Tay

Last Minute Father’s Day Gifts!

Where are men so hard to shop for? Is it that they only have expensive taste or most the things they like can’t be wrapped? Or how about that they always end up buying everything they want anyhow? Either way it can be challenging! Over the years, however, I’ve come up with a pretty list of FOOLPROOF gifts that the father figures in your life will love!

#1 Amazon Echo

This is a pricier gift depending on which one you go with but a big win! We recently got my mom the Echo Show for Mother’s Day and her and my dad LOVE it! It has so many uses that appeal to everyone! You can play music, watch recipes, video chat, have a photo slideshow, watch sports games & more! They have echos for the car even!

#2 Stance Socks

I know, I know, this seems like the boring old gift that you’re trying to avoid but these are different! These socks literally have a rip warranty! If they get a hole in them, they will replace it! I don’t know about you but my boys wear down socks like nobody’s business! But that’s not all. They have such fun designs including their favorite sports team! Ky loves them!

#3 Walmart Lounge Set

Top

Bottoms

Okay this one might be a little more for the women then for the men (because it’s so dang cute) but Ky really does love this! It’s affordable, stylish, and comfortable!

#4 Jersey/ T-shirt

The men in my life are BIG sports fans. They always love a t-shirt or jersey of their favorite team! If they are not a sports fan you could always go for something representing their favorite hobby or band! I’ve gotten my dad motorcycle shirts and a Pink Floyd shirt.

#5 Movie Night Bundle

Shhhh don’t tell Ky, this is his gift this year! We picked a movie Ky has been wanting to see for awhile and then filled a popcorn bucket with all his favorite candy and popcorn! It’s like an experience and a gift in one! Win win!

Of course Father’s Day isn’t all about the gifts but these men do deserve to be celebrated. Fatherhood is a tough gig! Other than gift giving we like to make yummy desserts and a big breakfast to celebrate. What do you like to do to celebrate?

Xoxo, Tay

What I’ve Learned After 4 Years of Marriage

I’m crazy.

Juuuust kidding!!

But wow! Four years! Honestly if feels like it should be more. Four years have flown by! We sure have packed these four years. We’ve had two kids. Graduated BYU. Applied, interviewed, and got in to Dental School. Had countless jobs! Lived in 3 apartments and two states. Just SO MUCH!

We truly have experienced such highs like our sons being born. What a truly spiritual experience. And getting into Dental School! I remember waiting on pins and needles for weeks!

We have experienced some super lows. I’ve had some really really hard pregnancy that put a big strain on our relationship. I swear I become a different person as my hormones change and it’s been HARD. Kyle’s stress from school has caused him some real mental exhaustion that also has put a strain on our marriage and family life.

We’ve fought for our marriage everyday for four years.

I hate the phrase “marriage is work” because it doesn’t sound romantic at all. I like to think that marriage does take effort though. You don’t just wake up after four years or twenty years or fifty years with a perfect marriage. It takes two people giving all that they have to the other. It’s not going to be “fair” or “equal.” Heavens knows there are times when I can’t give as much as he does and same for him. He picks up the slack for me and I do the same for him.

Love is an action word. Love is FUN. Love is staying up too late making TikToks. Love is listening to your husband explain a dental procedure to you when you have no clue what he’s talking about.

I guess what I’ve learned after four years is that it’s the little things. They make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things. Never underestimate the power a 15 minute chat, a hidden note or a night out can have on your marriage. We haven’t always liked each other but it’s those little moments that remind us of why we got married in the first place. No one will drive you crazy like the person you love! Just like no one will make you feel more loved or cared about.

Can’t wait to see where the next 4 years take us!

Xo,

Tay

Easter 2021

I honestly can’t believe how much these photos capture their personalities! Taking pictures is getting more and more challenging…as you can tell! We told Oliver if he smiled good in the pictures that he could have a candy…you can tell he was pretty determined to get his treat! Especially that last picture!! Having two kids that are 19 months apart is BUSY! There are so many unique challenges but when I see them together I am filled with gratitude. Those boys were meant to be brothers and I am so glad they have each other. They are soooo different but it’s crazy because their strengths and weakness kind of align. Where one is weak the other is strong. I can just imagine how much they will help each other grow. I want so badly for them to just be best friends. This is one of the coolest parts of parenting! You get to see things from such a different perspective!

For Easter we spent time with both Kyle’s and my family. We listened to the Prophet speak and we felt the Spirit. We ate some really good food. It was a special weekend where I was reminded of the most important things in life. Being a mom is like living in a bubble. It’s all baby all the time and I find myself looking under a magnifying glass. It was nice this weekend to take a step back and see the bigger picture.

The boys were so restless and noisy as we were trying to listen to General Conference. I swear, though, for a brief moments they would both be quiet and at that very moment the speaker would say something so profound. It’s like it was specifically meant for me! God does work in mysterious ways!

This post is kind of just rambling but I hadn’t posted in awhile and I want to remember these little thoughts and moments. Time moves so fast, ya know. So thanks for remembering with me! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend filled with family and renewed faith!

XO,

Tay

DIY Boho Wooden Frame

This was my first time ever making my own picture frame! Usually I just make a trip to the thrift store and use one I can find for a couple bucks there. I was going for a very particular look with this one, however, and I needed it to be big! So a week later I had my picture frame.

You guys, no shame if this takes you a week to make, but honestly it should be done so much quicker than that. I got so tripped up on making sure the math was correct and trying to get the glue to stick that I ended up having to re-glue this frame THREE times! So ridiculous I know! The first time I didn’t push the pieces of wood tight enough together. I tried using tape to anchor the pieces which did not hold it nearly tight enough. What ended up working was getting the heaviest books in my house, which happened to be year books, and staking them on each side of the frame and using them to push the two wood pieces together.

Wood glue has to dry for 24 hours! Wait the full 24 hours, don’t get impatient and only wait half the time and then have the frame fall apart on you…that may or may not have also happened to me…

You also don’t have to glue it. I was thinking that glue would give me a more seamless finish but nails is probably the better choice because they are a lot easier to work with. No dry time, no pushing heavy books together, and much smaller room for error. You would just need to make sure that the nails are long enough to go all the way through the width of the top piece of wood into the second piece.

Here’s what you need:

  • Wood 1 1/2 inches wide and enough length to make desired frame size
  • Wood stain or paint (I used Special Walnut 224 wood stain)
  • Wood Glue or nails
  • Saw to cut the wood. Home Depot or Lowe’s will cut the wood for you for free with purchase of the wood.
  • Sand paper

STEP ONE: First measure you wood.

If you are doing like me where the top piece of wood goes all the way to the end and the side piece nestle in between the top and bottom, here’s the math you will use

Top- length of the top wood piece + width of the wood + width of the wood piece – 1 inch. Ex. 18 + 1 1/2 + 1 1/2 – 1 = 20 inches

Side- length of wood – 1 ex. 24 – 1 = 23

I’m subtracting the inch so there is room on my frame for the picture to rest on when it’s time to attach my picture to my frame.

STEP TWO: Cut your wood

I used an electric saw but a hand saw would work just fine. If you get your wood at Home Depot or Lowe’s, definitely have them cut it to size. It will save you a lot of time.

STEP THREE: Sand your wood

I would recommend sanding the sides of your wood that will attach to the other pieces of wood really well. Try to make it as flat as possible so that the pieces match up with little to no gaps showing through. You want them to be flush together.

STEP FOUR: Stain or paint your wood

I chose to stain mine because I was going for a boho look to match the vibe in my house. Painting would also look really good and help hide the nails, if you choose to go that route. I applied my wood stain using a paper towel that way I could just throw it out after. You could also use a towel or paint brush. Let the wood dry completely before Step Five.

STEP FIVE: Attach your wood together

Like I said earlier, I used wood glue. I applied a very generous amount of glue to the parts of the wood I was attaching then I used heavy books to push the sides together for 24 hours. If you are using nails then there will be no dry time or no need to push the wood together.

THAT’S IT!! This is the simplest wood frame that I could come up with, perfect for your first project!

I’d love to see how your projects turn out! Follow me on Instagram @frommytulips and tag me in your projects!

Love,

Tay

How-to Throw a Party in a Small Space

This January, we had 27 people over in our tiny 900 square foot apartment to celebrate our little Jesse! You heard that right, 27 people! Half of which were children! We have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining area, and living room. Believe it or not it wasn’t as crowded or hectic as you might think!

Kyle and I love throwing parties! As fun as it is to throw a party in someone else’s space, there is something so thrilling about inviting people into your own home! Our dream home is definitely planned around the parties we would throw in it!

This party felt no different! This was the first time we had done anything like this, since we’ve always been in tiny apartments. This one has two bathrooms, however, we thought we could get away with it!

This particular event was for Jesse’s baby blessing. We first had everyone meet at our church building to watch and participate in Jesse’s blessing. Kyle gave him such a beautiful blessing. Then we had everyone come to our apartment for lunch!

I really believe everything wouldn’t have gone as smoothly if I wouldn’t have followed these few simple tips.

  1. Separate the food so not everyone is crammed in one spot. I put the main dishes on a table across from the dessert and drink table. This also made it so I didn’t have to use such big tables.
  2. If your inviting children, designated a certain spot for them. I gathered up all the toys in our house and put them in Oliver’s room so the kids wouldn’t be running around everywhere.
  3. Move unnecessary furniture out of the way. We have an ottoman and extra chairs that we moved into our bedroom so it would open up more space in the gathering areas.
  4. Open windows, turn on fans and if necessary, open doors to the outdoors. The light makes it feel bigger than it is. It also makes it feel less stuffy, with the fresh air coming in and the fans moving it around.
  5. Invest in decorations that can hang on the wall. This will keep extra space open but still allow you to accomplish a theme or add some fun “accessories” to your party!

Just because you are living in a smaller space, doesn’t mean you can’t throw an awesome party! Hope this helps!

Love,

Tay

Spring Break 2020

This week Kyle was off school, so we celebrated in our favorite way! We loaded up our car & our kids and headed to Southern California! We really wanted to try some new things and go to places we hadn’t been before since we both grew up vacationing in California!

This time we went to Carlsbad, La Jolla Cove & Ocean Beach in San Diego. Our first stop was Ocean Beach. That’s where Hodad’s is and when we are even remotely close to this place, we have to go!! On our honeymoon we were staying in Huntington and drove all the way down to San Diego just to eat these burgers! We regret nothing!!

After Hodad’s, we walked to the beach and saw a bubble show put on by their local street dweller. The bubbles were huge and Oliver was LOVING it!! Then we drove down to our hotel in Carlsbad. I had read a lot of reviews while planning this trip and that almost caused us not to go! People had written awful reviews on about ten of the hotel I looked up. Finally I just picked a hotel and didn’t read the reviews haha! It turned out great! No bugs, no weirdos, and close to the beach! I did bring Clorox wipes and cleaned and sanitized everything in the hotel just to be extra cautious with all the sickness that has been going around. We spent the rest of the day hanging out, eating snacks & watching basketball. Apparently Ollie loves watching basketball games! Who knew!

The next day was beach day and family pictures! The pictures turned out probably what you would expect from a family with two babies…only Mom and Dad were looking and paying attention. But they are cute and make for good memories. The beach was wayyyy different than we expected. We are used to going to beaches that are level with the ocean and the soft sand stretches on for miles. The beach we went to was off of a literal cliff! We had to walk down 3 flights of stairs to get to it, with a stroller mind you! When we finally got to the bottom we realized that their was hardly any sand at all but rocks and lots of them!! Oliver loved the rocks and it did make for some cool pictures but I missed my soft sand beaches! Luckily we were able to find some sand to play in.

After a good long nap for all of us back at the hotel, it was farmers market time! We always love going to farmers markets! You get to try so many new things! They had the best macaroons we’d ever had!! They also had hummus, bread, farm fresh produce, grass-fed meat, lots of international cuisine and more! We also stopped by The Goods for donuts! They were amazing! See THIS post for my full review! We had a gift card to Buffalo Wild Wings, so to save money, we went there for dinner.

Our last day we checked out of our hotel and went straight to La Jolla Cove to see the seals and sea lions! It was super cool to see sooo many of them! Kyle and Oliver got pretty close to them while Jesse and I stayed back. If you haven’t been, we highly recommend it! Just beware of the smell!! After we explored the cove, we found a beachside park and played there until it was lunch time. We ate lunch at one of our favorite local deli that we actually found on our honeymoon! After stuffing our faces, we loaded up in the car. I had to go to the bathroom so we were planning on just driving until we found one but both the boys fell asleep almost immediately after getting in the car so we decided to hit the road. I’m glad we did because they both slept until Yuma! We really wore them out!

I’m so glad we had the chance to get away! I’m already looking forward to our next trip!

Love,

Tay

The Goods Doughnuts Review

If you are in Carlsbad area and LOVE soft yeasted donuts with tons of gourmet flavors and melt in your mouth glaze, look no further!

We tried a a variety of donuts to really get a good feel for this place! We got a Nutella filled, triple berry filled, frosted sprinkle, funfetti, maple bacon, and vegan churro donut. All of them were delicious and true to their flavors! The vegan donut was more of a cake donut consistency and had a nice chew to it. The funfetti donut had actual cake on top which unfortunately dried out. That donut was probably our least favorite. Our favorite, though, was definitely the triple berry filled donut topped with powdered sugar and fresh berries!! It was sooo fresh! The berries were sweet but not too sweet. The dough was fluffy and soft. My mouth is literally watering as I write this!

This is my favorite donut shop we’ve been to so far but Kyle says he still likes City Donuts the best. City donuts are found in Newport Beach.

Check out our other food reviews HERE!

Love,

Tay

Breast Feeding vs. Bottle Feeding- the facts

** This post is only to inform you about breast feeding and bottle feeding. However you choose to feed your baby is up to you! Fed is BEST!

I have had two very different newborn experiences with either of my sons and the main reason was how they were fed. Because of this I have gained some unique insight into both bottle feeding and breast feeding.

With both my children I had planned to breast feed. I was breast fed. My older sisters and sister in law all breast fed. It wasn’t something I thought much about. And with my first, It wasn’t even something I prepared for. I think that was my first mistake! Neither of us had any idea of what the heck we were doing!

My oldest was born at 9 lbs 7 oz which is big enough for them (nurses and doctors) to be concerned about his blood sugar. He had his blood tested every few hours. Because of this we knew that his blood sugars were dropping. We tried every position/method, we even met with two different lactation specialist in the hospital and yet we still ended up having to give him the bottle before we could be discharged.

We pumped, breast fed and did formula for the first 4 months. After that we were solely using formula.

So here is what you need to know before you bottle feed.

PROS:

  • Your baby is fed! And in most cases they stay fuller longer! That means less time at night feeding them, every parents’ dream!!
  • Anyone can feed your baby! Both mom and dad can wake up with the baby at night. This helps the mom feel a lot less tied down. Getting out of the house as a new mom is soo essential, in my opinion, to good mental health.
  • It is easier to feed the baby in public.
  • There is no learning curve. If you forget the formula to water ratio, you can easily look it up.
  • It’s painless, for the most part. Loosing your milk is actually quite painful but once your milk is gone, you are pain free! It only took me two days to loose my milk and the worst of it was only the first two feedings on day one. It just feels like a lot of pressure built up.
  • You can wear anything you want! No scouring for nursing friendly clothing.

CONS:

  • Your baby is not getting any antibodies from you.
  • You have to be so prepared. I can’t tell you how many times I underestimated how much formula I would need and I was running to the store with a crying baby.
  • It’s expensive. I was using Similac and at my local grocery store it was $16.99 a jar. There are cheaper options but many were only a dollar or two cheaper. We went through about 4 jars a week on average. And that is just the formula not to mention the bottles and bottle cleaners. Some people even get drying racks and special soaps.
  • When you leave the house you have to pack a lot of supplies. Formula, bottles, water, sometimes even a bottle cleaner. And these items take up a lot of room.
  • It takes time to make the bottle. You have to heat up the water, measure out the right amount of formula and mix it all together. It is tricky to do at night in the dark and even harder when you are under the pressure of a crying baby.
  • You are cleaning bottles all the time! And if you don’t clean then right away, they stink and are pretty gross to clean!
  • Changing a baby’s diaper on formula is much different then on breast milk. After experiencing both, formula, in my opinion is much smellier.

BOTTLE HACKS:

  • Similac has a rewards program where you can get coupons and free vouchers sent to you every month. This helped so much with our formula bill! You can sign up HERE
  • Costco has the best bang for your buck when it comes to formula!
  • If you fall within the income peramiters, WIC (Women Infant and Children) will cover a lot of the cost of formula.

I am only 4 months into breast feeding but there are already so many things that I’ve learned that I had no idea about before! So here’s my pros and cons to breastfeeding.

PROS-

  • Breast milk is sooo good for your baby!Your baby gets your antibodies which helps boost their immune system and keep them healthy!
  • It’s free!
  • Your body is amazing at knowing how much your baby is eating and is able to self regulate. This is so crazy to me! I love the thought of never running out of milk.
  • You never have to prepare to leave the house. You just take your baby and your boobs with you!
  • There is little to no clean up. No cleaning bottles ever.
  • You never have to warm up milk or measure formula.
  • If you want to do bottles you still can by pumping. Best of both worlds.
  • You get more skin to skin contact with your baby.
  • Your uterus contracts back a lot faster! In the hospital after my second baby was born I had hard core contractions every time I nursed. I never experienced this with my first. My stomach shrunk down so much faster and I am loosing weight so much faster with my second baby.
  • Your recovery goes a lot smoother and faster. I am not sure if this is the case for everyone but it definitely was for me! With my first it took so much longer for me to stop bleeding and I had a lot of other complications. With my second I have recovered so much better and I believe it is because of breastfeeding.
  • It makes you to slow down. This honestly can happen with bottle feeding and breast feeding but I feel like for me it has definitely been a lot more with breast feeding. This is probably why I have recovered so fast as well. I have to sit down to breast feed and guess what? Babies eat a lot so you are spending a lot of time sitting down, taking it easy. When I bottle fed I was up a lot making bottles and cleaning bottles. I could feed him standing up or strolling around Target. And I did a lot because why not?

CONS-

  • No one else can feed your baby, that is if you decide not to pump. And let me tell you, nothing makes you feel more like a cow milk machine than pumping.
  • It hurts!! This I didn’t expect. For the first 10 days of breastfeeding I had literal blood blisters on my nipples. I would try to hold him off from feeding for as long as I could and I could grit my teeth every time he would latch. It was painful and not because he wasn’t latched correctly. THIS CREAM was my saving grace and helped me heal.
  • There is a bit of a learning curve! I mentioned earlier there are different positions and you have to find the one that works for you and your baby. I did a lot of reading before breastfeeding and THIS was my favorite book.
  • Your milk can leak. I use THESE breast pads and I like them the best of all the ones I have tried. I’ve never leaked through my shirt while wearing these and I wear them every day.
  • You have to wear a certain bra. My favorite nursing bra is THIS one from Target. It’s super comfortable and doesn’t stick out of my clothing.
  • You have to adjust your wardrobe. I am the type that wears dresses almost every day and almost all of my dresses are not nurse friendly. If you are a jeans and T-shirt girl, you should have no problem adjusting.

BF HACKS-

  • If your nipples hurt put lanolin cream on before and after each feeding. It also helps to change baby’s position each feeding.
  • Never wash your nipples with soap, it will make them dry.
  • Get a boppy!! This little pillow makes breastfeeding soo much more comfortable. Get it HERE

I really tried to make this post as neutral as possible because I know how difficult is it figuring out what method is best for you and your baby. These are the things I wish I had known going into to both of them. I hope they help you feel more prepared. The best piece of advice I can give, though, is for YOU to decide what’s best for your baby. Don’t let anyone pressure you into doing one way or the other. You know what’s best.

Happy feeding!

Love,

Tay

Leprechaun Bait

We love celebrating holidays in this family! Especially those random food holidays that make the perfect excuse to eat out!

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to make some special treats with my favorite little helper! If your toddler is anything like mine, they are literally ALWAYS hungry. I spend a lot of my day looking through the fridge and the pantry trying to find something that will keep him full and take longer than five seconds to consume. Combining a fun activity with a yummy treat is always a win win in my book!

One night I was laying in bed when I had a mom epiphany, a momphany if you will. Basically an idea that is sheer motherhood GOLD! It was a trail mix of sorts with fun treats that I don’t normally buy. I could make it St. Patrick’s Day themed, put it together with my kids and then we could use this treat for another activity on top of it all!

At this point I’m feeling like a real genius! I consult my favorite group chat to get the validation I need and to come up with a name! Basically the chat consists of my sisters, sister in law, & mama. You know, my best girls. That’s when Leprechaun Bait came to be.

This treat is easy to make and even easier to eat! My sons and I made a little indoor picnic when we snacked on it. You could take on the go, to the park, or just eat it at the kitchen table. Because this special treat is designed to catch our leprechaun friends, you could set it out and have it be eaten the next morning or you could hide leprechaun cut outs around your house for your kids to find! Like THESE PRINTABLES! The possibilities are endless!

Any of the ingredients can be substituted for things your child might like better. Here is what you need to make this delectable treat:

  • Pistachios
  • Teddy Grahams
  • Craisins
  • White Chocolate Chips
  • Rainbow Marshmallows

It’s a really flexible recipe! Add in however much you want, mix it together, and enjoy hunting those leprechauns!

Love,

Tay