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Okay you’re not always going to want to wear tennis shoes/sneakers/casual. Some days you’re just going to want a good sandal! Whether the temps are up or you need to dress up a little, sandals are a great option. You can get sandals with good support, look super cute, and are versatile.

I think I tried on about 20 pairs of sandals to try to find the right ones. And I also did a lot of researching. Everyone said buy Birkenstocks. But I hesitated. One because of the price – did I really need to spend that much on a sandal? Two because I just wasn’t convinced that they’d be all that comfortable.

Was I right? Nope!

Let me just say, BIRKENSTOCKS ARE THE BEST. No, you don’t need to spend that much for a sandal but you should. 🙂 They are so good for your feet, the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever worn, awesome quality, and worth every penny.

I wouldn’t travel with any other sandal. I wore these all over Italy and personally found them more comfortable than sneakers!

And of course Birkenstocks come in a lot of different styles and colors so it’s easy to find one that fits you best (or hard because there are so many great options). This is a travel purchase you won’t regret!

Birkenstock

The post Add these to your packing list for Italy appeared first on Ivy&Iron.

Here are my thoughts as I conclude this challenge and reflect back on the last 45 days.

What I Learned

Writing every day is a lot, but it really helps keep the rhythm going and the creativity flowing.

Family issues, having a little one, and perfectionism are my biggest challenges when it comes to writing consistently right now.

I want to keep writing!

It’s okay that what I put out right now isn’t amazing or perfect. I know it will get better with time, just as I’ve seen improvement over the last 30 days.

What I will continue & what will change

Writing regularly. It probably won’t be daily (unless I get stuck and just need to), but I will work on blogging daily. Which means some days I will be writing and other days I’ll be editing, finding images, creating pins, and working on marketing.

I’m going to aim for 2 blog posts a week.

I won’t work to make my 2 posts perfect, but I will work to make them longer, more thorough, and more helpful to others.

I won’t limit myself to what I right about. A niche will come. I’m just going to have to trust that. What’s important right now is that I’m writing. Before I wouldn’t write because I couldn’t figure out my niche.

I will start doing more crafts/diy. These are so fun and I’ve only done a couple of them. I really want to dive into this more.

I will continue to write about life. Maybe people read it and maybe they don’t. But I think it’s important to write about and be open with!

I will develop other parts of our website. Including a portfolio of all our custom furniture builds! We’ll see what else – I need to put more thought into.

Wrapping Up

I’m so so glad I did this challenge. I really think it was the catalyst I needed to get back into the blogging world. I’m excited to see where things go from here and hopeful I will be able to stick with it.

Will be back with more soon!

The post 30 Days of Blogging: Day 30 appeared first on Ivy&Iron.

I saw this quote today and it got me thinking. Admittedly some pretty abstract thoughts so we’ll see if they make any sense.

Why is it that this seems so true for negative things but not so much positive things?

For example:

Little by little, the bank account drains so much faster than it grows

A little splurging packs on the weight faster than a little dieting leads to weight loss

A little less sleep leads to more tired than a little more sleep leads to rest

Little by little stress spirals out of control faster than de-stressing leads to relief

Hurtful actions here and there lead to more relational damage than loving actions here and there lead to relational wholeness

The more I think about this the more fascinating it is.

It seems as if it’s got something to do with how we’re supposed to live consistently.

The damage is worse because it’s not how things are supposed to be.

The good is harder because it’s really only truly good when lived consistently.

Maybe it’s because the more consistent the good is (and by good I mean healthy) the more the outcomes are exponentially better. But those exponential outcomes only happen with consistency.

For example:

Consistent healthy eating habits not only leads to a healthy weight, but to a healthier, stronger body overall.

Healthy money habits can lead not only to wealth, but to generosity, less of a struggle with discontentment, and an appropriate view / influence of money on our lives.

Let’s not even get started on stress! With as many ailments and diseases, both mental and physical, that stress causes how different our lives would be if we consistently lived without as much unhealthy stress as we can do something about?!

And being consistently loving and kind to the people in our lives – how impactful would that be. Think about how much confidence, security, and stability that would instill.

This just reinforces how important integrity and faithfulness and healthy habits are – and what our priorities should be.

When I initially started thinking about this it was actually kinda discouraging. But thinking all the way through is actually pretty inspiring!

I’m definitely going to keep thinking about it!

The post 30 Days of Blogging: Day 28 + 29 appeared first on Ivy&Iron.

There’s something really special about being able to love on and care for your baby 24/7. And thinking about splitting up that time just feels kinda wrong. I want to give 100% to my girl and having some of that time committed elsewhere feels like it’s being stolen.

I’m trying not to be stuck in those feelings, but they are there. Maybe it has something to do with being an HSP but it feels like I won’t be able to give baby E everything she needs.

So I’m not sure exactly what these feelings are, where they are coming from, or what to with them, but life does have to go on.

I cannot imagine those that have to into the office full time after maternity leave, and I also can’t understand how some people can go back after just six weeks. Your baby is so tiny then and you are still healing physically at that point. I know some people don’t have a choice in the matter, but I think employers should make it possible for women to stay home longer if they want.

I know some people are ready and want to get back to work that early and there’s nothing wrong with that. I just fall in the other camp.

Hopefully one day I can work fully from home, but until then I think this will be a challenge. However I can see where some growth could come from it. If nothing else it will help both me and baby E to get comfortable with being apart for short times every so often. Otherwise I’d probably just stick around the house all the time and probably go insane. As much as I don’t want to leave my girl at all, it’s gotta happen for both our sakes.

We had such a beautiful time together these last three months, and now we transition to another beautiful time with its own ups and downs, joys and struggles.

The post 30 Days of Blogging: Day 27 appeared first on Ivy&Iron.

They have to trust that they will not be dropped, bumped, or hurt

They have to trust that they will get fed regularly

They have trust they will be changed and bathed

They have to trust that they will be kept in a safe environment

They have to trust that they’ll be fed food and drink that isn’t harmful to them

They have to trust that they won’t be given or placed in proximity to objects that could hurt them

They have to trust that they will be kept appropriately warm or cool

Their entire existence depends on the care of their parent(s) or guardian.

And when I say trust I know that babies can’t cognitively trust. But you know what I mean.

As I was thinking about this and how completely incredible it is, it also made me think of our relationship to God. It’s actually similar in a lot of ways (or it should be at least).

We honestly don’t know what’s going to happen to us next.

We have to depend on him to care for us – our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs

We have to trust that he will make sure that we get everything we need

We have to trust that even though we go through refining and pruning, he won’t hurt us

We have to trust that he will care for us as tenderly and attentively as we care for our children (more actually)

It’s hard to think this way as adults raised with the mindset that we have to take care of everything ourselves. Yes, we do have personal responsibility. But do we rely too much on ourselves? Do we go too far with the personal responsibility and stop short of trusting the Lord?

Probably.

There’s a reason why we’re told to have child-like faith. And just as a baby looks to his or her parent to fully care for them, so we should look to our Heavenly Father to fully care for us. We are not left to our small, helpless selves to make it in life. We have a parent who we can fully trust to provide the very best care possible if we let him.

The post 30 Days of Blogging: Day 26 appeared first on Ivy&Iron.

This week my sis and I had the opportunity to put together a get-well basket for a friend. Even though the reason for putting together a get-well basket is not fun, it is incredibly meaningful to get to bless someone that way.

I always struggle with knowing what to put in get-well baskets because it’s hard to know what’s actually going to be helpful and enjoyable for someone who’s in pain, not feeling well, and/or emotionally down.

Thankfully this time around there was a family member who’s brain we could pick. As she gave us her ideas, a theme started to emerge – purple & lavender.

So my sis and I got ourselves to the store and started searching for anything comforting, healing, hydrating, nourishing, or calming in purple or flavored/scented lavender.

Surprisingly we found so many great options and even had a hard time deciding which items to include. But we purchased our items and went home to put the basket together. We love how the purple & lavender theme came out!

Making your own themed gift basket

Choose a Theme

When I do baskets I often get stuck because I think too broadly. A “get-well” basket or a “Christmas” basket rather than a “white & vanilla” basket or a “winter wonderland basket.” Narrowing down the theme just a bit really helps in picking out items and putting together a basket that looks beautiful and coordinated. Of course if you know something in particular that the person you’re doing the basket for likes, of course go with that. Otherwise you can choose a theme of your own.

This doesn’t have to be complicated! If nothing else you can choose a color to stick with. This helps narrow down your options (read: decision making) and makes an esthetic basket.

Choose Your Items

I like to group items in categories and make sure I have something in every category.

Bath & Body

• Bubble Bath
• Bath salts
• Essential oils
• Lotion
• Sugar scrub
• Back scrubber
• Bath pillow
• Foot soak
• Face mask
• Back-scratcher
• Lip Balm
• Face cream
• Scrunchies
• Face cleansing wipes
• Nail polish or nail stickers

Snacks & drinks

• Protein or energy bar
• Fruit strips
• Nuts
• Dried or dehydrated fruit
• Chips
• Crackers
• Cookies
• Chocolate
• Candy
• Granola or granola bars
• Tea
• Coffee
• Cocoa
• Sparkling water

Cozy & Comforting

• Blanket
• Pillow
• Slippers
• Pajamas
• Socks
• Heated neck wrap
• Mug
• Tumbler
• Warm drinks
• Candle

Activity / Entertainment

We got a novel to include since we knew what our friend would enjoy. But other great options include:

• Puzzle Books (word search, sudoku, brain games, logic games, etc)
• Spotify Gift Card
• Journal
• Coloring Book
• Audio book
• Fidget toys
• Craft kit

Pick a Basket

A lot of times it’s easier to pick your items first and then pick a basket that fits it all in there nicely. But you can do it the other way around too, and you can use tissue paper to fill any gaps or to prop up items.

Assemble!

Next is assembly. It usually takes a few tries rearranging items to figure out how it best fits and displays the items. Again, tissue paper can come in really handy here. Our basket ended up being really full so we didn’t use any tissue paper. Thankfully we had enough variation in the shapes and sizes of the items that they when together fairly easily.

And don’t forget to add in a card or note of encouragement!

This is such a sweet way to bless someone going through a hard time. A friend did one for me last year when I had terrible terrible morning sickness and it really meant so much and really helped getting through those rough days.

And of course gift baskets can be given for any occasion so have fun with it!

The post Themed Gift Baskets appeared first on Ivy&Iron.

Originally posted April 27, 2019. Updated July 3, 2023.

Bringing this post back. When dealing with depression, anxiety, and/or burnout, wanting to be around anyone, making commitments, and being honest about where your at is so incredibly difficult. I’ve been hit hard with this as we’re starting to get back to some normal life after having baby E. We have so many people that love us and want to spend time with us and I’m so grateful for that. But too many people, outings, or commitments in one week is so overwhelming. I’ve found myself either committing to regular activities or preparing for the ones I’ve already committed to and I just feel like crawling in to a little hole and completely disappearing.

It’s rather confusing and frustrating since these are things I want to do. And once we do them I always am glad that we did. But there’s a constant dread an anxiety looming over me as I anticipate all these things happening. As I’ve talked about in other posts, medication helps, counseling helps, and boundaries help. But it doesn’t make it all better. And being in community, connecting with other people, is not an area I’m willing to give up.

So as I’m thinking of these things I’m committing to, I’m also trying to remember not to put too much pressure on myself. I don’t need to perform. I don’t need to hide that I’m tired or emotionally drained. It’s okay to simply be present.

Connecting with other people doesn’t always come automatically. It takes time, effort, energy, and vulnerability. I often think of it as something I have to be consistently active in, even proactive. But as I’ve been learning more recently, sometimes we go through seasons where it’s difficult to do that. Times when you’re in a hard place and you don’t have the energy. When your heart feels too raw to share.

It’s in these moments that I feel the tension between my own expectation to reach out and my physical, emotional, or mental inability to do so.

I need someone to know, but it hurts too much to share. Who can I trust?

There’s opportunity to be with others, but I’m too exhausted to participate.

There’s something on my heart, but will anyone understand?

I’m struggling, but I don’t want to be a burden to someone else. I know that’s not a good reason not to share, but the tension is there.

I wear myself out trying to figure it all out. Should I share or not? Do I open myself up or not? Am I being selfish? I should be thinking about others and what they’re going through and how I could help them. Or maybe I should just withdraw, back away until I’m better.

It’s just one endless, wearisome thought loop.

We’ve got to give ourselves some grace. In the hard places, sometimes we can’t figure out what we should do, or need to do, or how to balance all of our thoughts or feelings. We feel that if we can’t be on top of our “connecting” game, we should step away until we can do a better job. But that leaves us in a pretty lonely place during hard seasons, and not to mention cuts other people off from us.

If you’re in hard season right now, maybe it’s time to try something different. Something simpler. Who says you have pour your heart out, come up with all the conversation starters, and take all of the first steps?

Maybe you just need to take one step.

The step to be present.

It’s ok if not everyone knows everything. You may feel a little broken, but that doesn’t mean you’re not loved or wanted. Maybe you won’t have the energy you want, but you’ll be there. That’s what everyone wants anyway, right? Others to be present with them?

I’ve noticed a beautiful thing when I choose to be present with others when I’m in a hard place. My heart’s a little more tender, I’m more sensitive to others. I begin to see more of their hard places and I’m moved by compassion.

My brokenness is the lens I need to see others’ brokenness.

That’s a beautiful opportunity for connection. Maybe a quiet connection, but a tender connection. A connection that allows us to honestly say:

I see you.

I feel the brokenness too.

You don’t walk in the hard places alone.

The post Connecting with Others When You’re in a Hard Place appeared first on Ivy&Iron.

I’ve had all three of my writing roadblocks this weekend, but also a wedding, an overstimulated baby, less sleep & physical pain (tried to get rid of nipple shield 😫), and depression.

It’s been kinda sucky, but I’m trying to just enjoy the small things. Baby cuddles, morning cup of coffee, the rain and thunderstorms, mini dates with M.

Speaking of the small things, I’m grateful for:

Sweet baby coos and smiles

My home

Friends bringing meals

Rain that washes clean

A hot cup of coffee

Nap time cuddles

Celebrations

Apologies – given and received

Honest conversations

Sparkling string lights on the porch

A slow pace

A hot shower

Brave men and women

Music

Peace when things are hard

Flowers in the garden

An encouraging word

Husband learning guitar

Yummy protein shakes to help with weight loss

Old challenges and fresh starts

Rich hymns

Grace for mistakes

The generosity of others

Community

Hope

A good story

🤍

Give thanks always.

The post 30 Days of Blogging: Day 23 appeared first on Ivy&Iron.

As I’ve been working through this 30 day blogging challenge, it’s definitely becoming clear what my biggest hindrances are to writing consistently.

I definitely don’t have solutions or workarounds yet, but the first step to solving a problem is identifying it, right?

Hopefully later I can come back to add tips on handling them but for now I’ll just have to identify them.

1. Family Issues

And I’m talking extended family – parents, grandparents, in-laws. Apparently some people just never grow up and the issues that arise from this really affect relationships! It’s so incredibly hard sometimes and very very draining. And unfortunately I know that this is not uncommon.

These issues have a way of popping up unexpectedly and even though I try not to allow other people to control my emotions they do affect me. It sucks, I don’t like it, but that’s the way it is.

So when I’m emotionally drained from family issues I notice I just don’t have the emotional energy or creativity I need to write.

This occasionally happens in marriage, too. While we generally have a healthy relationship, we definitely have conflict and it’s also draining. Although these are less frequent, they usually cut a little deeper and hurt a little more so I definitely am down for the count on creativity and emotional capacity when Michael and I have things to work out.

2. Baby/Kids

Another demanding and unpredictable factor! I never want my writing, work, or anything else to be more important than my baby, but I still aim to have balance and be able to pursue the things I like to do and be able to work some.

On good days, Baby E will take a nice long nap and I can write a post and get edited and published all in one go. Easy. On other days, she won’t settle. She’ll wake up constantly and/or be fussy and writing is impossible. So this is another huge factor in being able to write or not. I know that as time goes on and she gets older that we’ll have more of a routine, but who can predict what a kid will do at any stage?

So as things have gone the past few days with baby E needing mommy more than usual, writing hasn’t happened. I sure have tried, but there just comes a point where the writing/creative process gets interrupted too many times for anything to come of it.

3. Perfectionism / Embarrassment

Perfectionists raise your hands! 🙋🏼‍♀️ While I have significantly improved in the perfectionism department, this still remains a challenge. I certainly have a mentality of “if you can’t do it right (ie perfectly) then don’t do it all.” This is where progress dies.

I really only want to post when I have a great blog idea with solid points and good solutions. Because that’s what a “good” blog is and there’s no point in blogging at all if every post isn’t a hot topic with the right key words and SEO. And maybe that’s true.

But you know what’s not true? That everyone starts there. That anyone could just decide that’s how there blog is going to be and ✨ poof ✨ out of nowhere you have a perfect blog that professionals say will make you money.

Um no. It’s going to take practice. A lot of it. And learning and trial and error and failure and time. It’s going to take bad blog posts – and a lot of them – to get to good blog posts. I’ve let this stop me for five years and that’s a shame.

Don’t be like me! Just start and don’t stop.

The post 3 Big Blogging Hindrances appeared first on Ivy&Iron.