It’s that time of year again! Time to find gifts for all the loved ones in your life. For me, its a constant struggle to find something they will like that is also in my price range. I wanted to do a gift guide that was specific to the coffee lover in your life. Your coffee lovers, coffee aficionados, and coffee addicts. Those things that will bring joy to those with the love of coffee!

9 Coffee Lover Gifts & Their Amazon Links

This ember mug is perfect for anyone who works at an office or desk all day! It keeps your mug at the perfect temperature via an app on your phone. This way your coffee or tea never gets cold! Amazon: CLICK HERE

One of my favorite purchases this year was the electric milk frother! I got this when I got my Nespresso machine and fell in LOVE. It works beautifully to froth and foam the milk without taking a lot of space on your counter. Plus the price is PERFECT. Amazon: CLICK HERE

Personally, a gift I’d be head over heels for is this Starbucks Syrup Variety Pack. A perfect accessory or stocking stuffer so that there is always flavor in your coffee lovers cup! Amazon: CLICK HERE

Now that I am not pregnant and cold brew is an option again, I am eyeing this cold brew maker. Perfect for individual cold brews at your home and won’t take up a lot of space! Plus who wouldn’t want this for only $25?! Amazon: CLICK HERE

Are you still reaching for a normal spoon to stir your coffee? Well not anymore, these adorable Mickey Donut coffee stirrers are the perfect coffee accessory! They will bring fun and cuteness to your cup of joe in the morning! Amazon: CLICK HERE

Okay, I get that gnomes aren’t for everyone. But come on! These little coffee gnomes are absolutely adorable and would look wonderful on any coffee cart! You know your coffee lover needs these gnomes in their life. Amazon: CLICK HERE

Your kitchen needs these adorable chic canisters! To hold your favorite coffee grounds, favorite sugar mix and your evening teas! Trust me these will complete your kitchen counter aesthetic. Amazon: CLICK HERE

These double wall insulated glasses are perfect for showcasing your favorite latte! Especially on Instagram or TikTok where you want to show off your coffee! Amazon: CLICK HERE

Finally, for your coffee lover that is on the go, this ember travel mug is perfect. Charge it the night before and your coffee will stay the perfect temperature all day long! You know this is the perfect coffee gift! Amazon: CLICK HERE

Whatever you decide to get for the coffee lover in your life, I know they will love it. What are your favorite coffee lover gifts? Let me know in the comments below!

Change is one of the most difficult things we face. Change can come in many forms; job loss, moving states, career changes, kids, death, the list goes on and on. Today I am just going to focus on job changes. Why is change so hard to deal with? For me, its the fact that I get comfortable where I am. I am one of those people that is loyal to a fault and will stay where I am longer than I should. Getting comfortable is the enemy of progress. It is SO easy to just say I know what to do and how to do it so I will stay even if I don’t love it. Even if its time to move on. Even if the job no longer fits your lifestyle. If you are like me, having an unexpected job change can feel like a truck just hit you. It’s overwhelming and cause intense anxiety. As I’m going through this process as we speak, I hope these tips will help you change jobs with success and as little stress as possible.

1.) Take time to deal with your feelings.

If you are laid off, fired, quit, etc; take time to deal with the emotions that come. Before I was let go, I had worked at my job for over 6 years and had formed many friendships with coworkers. It was hard to hear that I would no longer have my job and would be leaving the company in the coming months. Even though I had a feeling they wanted to move the job to the office out west and I knew the job no longer fit the lifestyle that we had, its hard to hear that news. So I called my mom and cried. And once my husband got home from work I took time to talk through it. You need to take a few days to work through how you are feeling. Remember that no matter how you are feeling, that your worth has not changed. You are still worthy of all the good things in this life!

2.) If you can, don’t rush to find your next job

If you have the capability, don’t freak out and take the first job that comes your way. My knee jerk reaction was that I needed to find something immediately or I would be a failure. Yes, there was the money side but a lot of it was the idea that I would be seen as less than by those around me. That people would look at me with pity if I didn’t have a new job lined up. I actually didn’t tell anyone besides my parents, sister and husband for almost a month, I just couldn’t bring myself to talk about it. I mean who wants to admit that to someone? It takes a lot of humbling of your pride to say I am not going to take the first opportunity and wait and make sure what I do next is best for me and my family. Remember, you may be at this next job for just as long, make sure its one you want to be at!

3.) The Work From Home – Go to the Office Debate

Am I the only one who had the serious debate of what would be best for my family, go back to an office or find a way to work from home? Going back to an office job would probably bring in the most money right away. I would be able to find something comparable to what I do now and bring in the same income. However, there are the downsides of taking my daughter to daycare, daycare costs, commuting costs and the emotional side of not seeing my daughter most of the day. Plus my husband has a high stress, crazy hour schedule that makes it hard to tag team an office job if things come up. So for me, finding a work from home option was really our best solution. You can use job changes to adjust how you work so it fits whats best for you and your family. Evaluate where you are in life, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and demand the option that’s best for you!

4.) Make a Career Field Change

Maybe this is the time to make a change in what field you are in. Were you feeling burnt out at your last job or feeling depressed every Monday you had to head into work? Maybe that’s a sign that this move might be the best thing because you can change career fields and find something that invigorates you once again! I’ve read endless articles over the years about people who are laid off from their jobs and end up finding their true passions not long after! It’s because being laid off and having that immediate job changes forces you to reevaluate things and make decisions that you have been putting off. If you have a dream that you want to fulfill, don’t wait, go ahead and use this time to start!

5.) Find the Excitement

Now this feeling comes every now and again for me but its getting stronger by the day. I’m actually excited for the next chapter. If you are anything like me its easy to get comfortable in a job. When you get comfortable in a job it can be almost impossible to move on on your own. This job change I am currently going through is something I don’t think I’d be able to do on my own. I needed this to push myself out of my comfort zone and into something new. Who knows, maybe I will find the thing I’m really meant to do. Finding excitement in the next chapter of my career was the final step to dealing with my sudden job loss. I hope that wherever you are in your career, that you end the reading of this post with excitement.

Job changes are inevitable. Whether you quit or are laid off, it will happen. Don’t forget to take time to deal with your emotions, choose options that are best for you and find what makes you excited for the next chapter. I believe in you and know that the next stage in your life will be the best yet!

What’s your best advice for those facing a job change? Let me know in the comments below!

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Taking a baby to an apple orchard or pumpkin patch can be challenging! If they choose not to sleep or are feeling grumpy they can be difficult to deal with. So here are my tips to making your babies apple orchard and pumpkin picking experience amazing.

1.) Prepare in Advance

I’m sure this is stating the obvious, but make sure your pack all the things your baby might need! The biggest hurdles you will face that the orchard and patch is lack of supplies. Most of these areas are out at farms and are a good distance from most convenience stores. So make sure to bring all the essentials that you and your baby will need! I also would make sure to bring anything you might need, babies are messy so be sure to bring a change of clothes for you in case you get spit up everywhere!

My essential bag items were:

• 6-8 diapers – my daughter plows through diapers because she hates having a dirty butt!
• Wipes
• 2-3 extra sets of clothes – In case of blowouts, general dirtiness or random surprises
• Burp cloth
• Toys – Ball and Teething Ring
• Extra shirt for mom

2.) Change Diapers and Feed Baby

I’m bad about remembering this because by the time I get where we wanted to go, I want to get going! However, almost every single time my daughter needs to eat some and get her diaper changed to be in a good mood. Something about those car rides really gets her so we need to take a minute to reset before going out to do anything else. I’ve started taking 10-15 minutes once we arrive somewhere to change her diaper and feed her, especially if the car ride was longer than 40 minutes. It makes all the difference and is worth the few minute delay!

3.) Bring Support – If at all possible

This one is hard for me. With my husband in residency and us living a few states away, I don’t have family around us at this time. It’s really difficult to not have your mom around when you are trying to raise your baby girl. As hard as that is some days, if you are lucky enough to be near family or trusted friends coordinate having someone come with you. Luckily my parents were in town and were able to come with us and it was a huge blessing. They could hold my daughter and love on her so I had time to do fun things and they were able to capture memories that I wouldn’t have had.

4.) Go with the Flow

I know you want those Instagram perfect photos. But I think it’s the funny faces, the outtakes, that make photos the best. If you look below at some of our photos, my daughter is making all kinds of faces. Ranging from being content to being mad! But they are so fun to look back on and are great memories I will always treasure. I think going with the flow is pretty essential to all areas of being a parent, but especially with babies at new places. I had initially brought out our stroller to make getting her around the patch easier, but let me tell you that FAILED. So instead we grabbed my husbands carrier and just held her as we walked around. The carrier only lasted for a few minutes at a time but we just made it work! These babies have a mind of their own so try to be flexible!

Most of all just remember that it’s okay if everything isn’t perfect. Life with your new little is completely different. Embrace the change as best you can and just remember how amazing you are! You are everything your little needs right now. So soak it in and try to make the most of your babies apple orchard and pumpkin picking experience. xoxo-Kayla

My daughter is three months old and is at such a beautiful age. She smiles at us more and more, interacts with her environment and is just brimming with personality. There is no end to the joy that she brings to our lives. One thing that is so important to me as she grows is to get photos documenting the moments. Photos that document not just her but us as a little family. Babies grow and change so rapidly and parents are exhausted and overwhelmed. So taking the time to get some three month baby photos was crucial for me so I would remember this stage forever.

Now let me be very transparent, Mia was not happy for these photos! You can see evidence of that in several of the photos below. She’s only three months old so she doesn’t understand the concept of cooperating for photos. But she showed all kinds of different faces and was just her true self. And honestly her grumpy moments made these moments all the more special to me. You will never be able to control your childs emotions or how they will be feeling that day. So embrace what they give you and cherish the memories, that’s why we get the photos done in the first place!

My recommendations to make three month baby photos a success is to go with the flow. When we originally got there, Mia had a cute bow, jeans and baby shoes on. The bow lasted less than a minute as she balled when it was on. The shoes and jeans only lasted until the first diaper change where she became so content I just ran with it and accepted the outfit as is. And I think that’s what makes the pictures so unique, fun and a genuine look at us. I hope that you will take the plunge and take three month baby photos, because my goodness are they worth it.

xoxo-Kayla

Photos: Victoria Isabel Tate

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriaisabeltate/

This week, there was absolute horror in Afghanistan as Marines and Afghani citizens were killed in a senseless manner. It rocks your world when you wonder how these things happen, how we didn’t stop them, how we have let evil have such a foothold in the world? Political and economic climates, climate change, moral ambiguity, and endless atrocities make it easy to worry about your child’s future. It’s easy to think why should I bring someone into this world when it’s such a mess. Why subject them to the evil that the world has welcomed?

I would argue this, your child was born exactly when they were meant to. The trials, the tribulations, whatever state the world is at when they grow up, is exactly the world they were meant to be in. Just as you were born in the right time and the right world to raise your child. Each generation has the capability to handle what’s ahead. So why fear for your child? Instead, let’s encourage the next generation to be brave, to be courageous, to know they CAN make the difference the world needs.

If the world does get worse, if it continues to get darker, do you know what your child could do? Your child could become the light this world needs. Your son or daughter could be that person that saves the life of someone in need, brings water and food to a nation in need, invents a life saving medicine or becomes a doctor who saves people each and every day. Your child could help bring peace to a local community, peace in a time of war, kindness where evil has been so present. Sometimes, the darker and scarier the world gets the more your light can shine. So I encourage you to raise your kids to be that light. To not be scared of what the world will become or what might happen. But to have courage and be brave. Be strong and do good for your neighbor. There is so much potential in this world. I don’t fear that my daughter will have a bad or horrible future. Instead, I have hope that she will bring joy, love and grace to the world and lead others to Jesus. She was born for such a time as this!

At the end of the day, I pray my daughter is courageous. I pray she is brave. I pray she is endlessly kind. It only takes one to start a positive revolution. I urge you to raise your kids to be the kind of people who change the world for the better. You never know what they were born to do on this earth!

Some verses I hope encourage you!

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let your hearts not be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

The reality of the 4th trimester is that you can and most likely will be overwhelmed. Between the rush of emotions, the changes in your hormones and juggling a new baby at home; overwhelmed barely begins to cover it.

For me, it’s trying to balance working from home and the baby. I want to work and bring in income to help our family, but I also need to take care of my daughter. That adds endless stress to my day to day life. But more than that it makes me feel guilty. Guilty I’m not doing enough as a mom, guilty that I’m a bad employee, guilty I’m a bad wife, the list goes on and on. Those feelings are endless and overwhelming for me and a real part of my postpartum experience. I’ve never been good with change and babies are one of the biggest changes.

If you are pregnant and preparing for a baby, prepare for what life will look like postpartum. You don’t have it all figured out, but have a plan in place and be willing to make changes to the plan. For me, that means changing the plan up some. It means working hard during naps and then playing with Mia when she’s awake. It means letting go of being perfect and getting it all done. It means letting go of the fear of failing. I can’t do everything so I will do my best and be okay with it. I will trust that it’s okay to not be able to give 100% of myself to both things at all times of the day.

Postpartum, in my opinion, is harder than pregnancy. Because you need to prepare more for it and we don’t. We don’t focus on making a real effort to prepare ourselves emotionally, physically and spiritually for the change coming. So for those heading into their 4th trimester let me give you a virtual hug. It’s not easy and you are going to have tough moments. You will have moments of fear, moments you are overwhelmed, moments you don’t know what to do. It’s okay! You are not a bad mom for needing time to adjust to the changes you are facing. Take it one step, one day at a time. Be willing to make changes or be flexible as things come up. Life is short but you can do this!

Now that I’ve thoroughly depressed you, let me share the positives!! That even in the absolute hardest moments, in my weakest moments, my daughter is the best thing. She’s beautiful, fun, and brings so much joy to my life. It’s okay to acknowledge the hard parts and still love your child with every ounce of your being! So don’t feel bad for having rough moments, for getting postpartum depression, for needing extra help, for crying it out. You are human and this is a huge life change. Take all the time you need to adjust and don’t forget to take care of yourself! If you are in this season of life or have passed it, what are your favorite self care methods?! Let me know in the comments below!

All the love and support I can give! XOXO Kayla

Let me just start by saying the 4th trimester is one that’s the hardest to plan for. The life change that hits you once your baby is born is unreal. It’s like an earthquake that shakes up all you knew and makes you change and adapt at a moments notice. There’s a lot that you can do to prepare but a lot of this time is spent in trial and error. Trial and error just absolutely exhausts me and is one of the hardest things for me to overcome. It’s hard to not have a defined plan and have to adjust each day, sometimes each hour, to your babies needs. A we

The arrival of my daughter was the most unexpected but amazing experience of my life. My daughter arrived 5 weeks and 6 days too early. My pregnancy up until that Thursday had been nothing but smooth. No morning sickness, easy first trimester, no medical issues or signs of upcoming medical issues. The only things when I look back that could have indicted what was to come was a slightly elevated blood pressure at one appointment and mild swelling. But there were no red flags, nothing to tell us that this was coming.

Thursday afternoon was when I started to feel off. It is hard to explain how I was feeling I just knew I didn’t feel right. I could tell something was wrong so I went to bed hoping I would wake up and shake off whatever was going on the day before. Instead I woke up feeling slightly worse. Nothing was happening, no seizures, no extreme swelling or anything to indicate a medical issue. But my mom has high blood pressure and since my last appointment showed a slightly elevated blood pressure I decided to check mine with my at home monitor. When I got the monitor out and started testing, I was showing numbers that looked like 140/90 even getting to 150/95 at one point. As soon as my doctors office opened up I called and told them I was feeling off and my blood pressure was rising. They had me rest for 15 minutes before retaking my blood pressure and trying again. The numbers remained the same so I was told to head into the hospital for a blood draw and to be evaluated by triage.

Fast forward to triage and my blood pressure is being monitored every half hour for 4 hours and it consistently staying high. I called my husband who is a resident at the hospital next door and told him he needed to head over so he could talk to the triage OBGYN with me. Come to find out I was presenting with preeclampsia but not normal preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia. At this point I was told my daughter would be arriving in the next 2-3 weeks.

Since we thought we had time and I was stable, Evan headed back to the hospital to finish seeing some patients that he was in charge of. I ended up needing to have a growth scan to make sure my condition wasn’t affecting my daughters growth. I called my husband and my wonderful nurse worked with me to postpone my growth scan until he could get to the hospital to go with me. He made it just in time to check on her. Luckily, she was doing wonderfully and while small there was nothing wrong and she wasn’t in any distress. Once we were back in triage we are told I need to be admitted for observation to get everything under control so I could head home until we would need to be induced in a few weeks.

Down in my room for the night I was settled and had ordered dinner. At this point my husband was still on call at the hospital and needed leave to get to a surgery that evening. I told him to head out as I was going to do nothing but watch tv and eat. We were not anticipating any changes at this point. Not long after a midwife came in and informed me that I needed to be induced THAT NIGHT. Talk about turning the tables! In a few hours we had went from a July due date, to a middle of June due date to an immediate induction! No lie, I freaked out on the midwife. I just wasn’t ready to hear that and her acting like I had no choice and they had made the choice for me. I told her nothing could happen until I talked to the high risk OBGYN and called my husband to come back.

We have a wonderful support system with my husbands coresidents and attendees. They completely understood what was going on and took over his responsibilities so he could be at the hospital with me. Once he arrived we were able to speak with the high risk OBGYN. They explained that even though our daughter was stable, I was at high risk for seizures and for both of our safety, she needed to come out. So we were off to a new floor with the high risk doctors and nurses to be induced.

After settling into our new room and getting induced we tried to be patient as we waited for labor to start. Let me tell you, the doctors said she needed to come but my body was NOT ready! We were induced early Saturday morning and didn’t have Mia until Monday at 12:38pm! After several hours they suggested using the balloon which only helped get us to 4cm (and was horribly painful!). They upped the pitcoin and we just kept waiting for things to progress. Once we hit Sunday at 12:30pm they broke my water and the 24 hour clock started. After 24 hours if Mia didn’t come on her own we would have to do an emergency c-section. Nothing and I mean NOTHING progressed until they upped the pitocin more about 4 hours before the deadline. About 20 minutes before the deadline I felt a bunch of pressure and told Ev I needed the nurse to come check me. Lo and behold I had progressed all the way to 10cm and she was ready to come! Suddenly there was a huge surge of nurses, residents and doctors as they prepped all that was needed for me and the baby. 7 minutes of pushing and Mia arrived in the world! She was little but perfect and doing so well. Evan and I got to hold her for a few minutes before she needed to go down to the NICU to be checked out and to make sure she was okay.

Once she was in the NICU, attention turned to me. Especially because I was really starting to not feel right. My breathing was tight, my chest hurt and I felt so off. My blood pressure was still running really high and because of my severe preeclampsia they ran a bunch of tests. I will tell you that during these tests was one of the first times I’ve seen my husband look truly scared. There were some irregularities in my heart rhythm and I think that’s what scared him the most. Having a medical background can be a burden in these situations as you overthink the situation. But luckily everything was evaluated and a normal part of what happens with my condition.

I am very lucky that I listened to my body and caught this early. Had I waited or thought it was nothing I could have put Mia and myself in a very dangerous situation. My advice to anyone pregnant or trying to conceive is to listen to your body. You know it best and advocate for treatment when you feel off. Unfortunately, things can change quickly in pregnancy so don’t be afraid to check in often and make sure you and baby are doing well!

Love and all the blessings! Kayla