Bump Day: Baby things worth registering for or gifting

I've been a mom for seven months now.  I've learned a lot and know that I have a ton more to learn.

Colton - 7 Months

As Colton has gotten older, and busier, I've discovered a few things that are handy to have.  I wish I had thought to register for these things.  Lucky for my friends who are having babies in the near future they will more than likely receive a few of these goodies from  me.

Hand and Face Wipes | I use these ALL THE TIME!  They are especially handy to have when you are feeding them baby food in a public place and need to clean up their face and hands when they are done.

Grass | I love this for drying bottles, spoons, food bowls.

Diaper Pail Refills | I go through these more often that I thought I ever would.  If you see a diaper pail on a registry, buy these. You can never have too many and they don't outgrow them like diapers.

Baby Jumper | There will come a time when you need to contain your baby - even if it's just to run to the bathroom.  Colton is crawling now so to get him to stay in one place for more than a second is a pretty tall order.  A toy to "contain" him has been really helpful.  Plus this type of exercise toy really helped his overall strength.

Baby Spoons | I got baby spoons for my baby shower.  It was nice to already have some when Colton started eating - one less thing to have to run out and purchase.

Play Mat | Get a big play mat.  They work great as a carpet protector, until they start crawling. I wish I had asked for a big play mat.

A few more things to consider gifting or registering for:
Extra crib sheets & mattress protectors
Toys & books
Waterproof bibs
Baby Wipes

Things to try to avoid registering for or giving:
Clothes with snaps, especially pajamas. (These are a nightmare at night or if you have a busy child like mine.)
Lotion and body wash. There is a such thing as too much.  Colton will still be using all of the lotion and body wash we were given until he is 5 years old.

Bump Day: Losing the baby weight

This weekend my husband and I went to one of our very good friends' wedding reception.  While we were there I received a lot of nice compliments about my appearance since I hadn't seen many of those who were there since Colton was born. Their nice compliments light a spark under me to write this post.

I think one of the most scary things to think about when your pregnant is "what am I going to look like after I have the baby?"  and "am I going to get my body back?"

There is no one answer to those questions that is the same for every woman but what I  believe makes the difference is our mindset.  I have always known that I want to be a good-looking and healthy mom for both my husband and my children.  My parents were complimented often about how young and good-looking they were (and still are). This was important to me when I was younger, especially in high school and college.

Pre-Pregnancy 2013

I was also raised to be healthy and was taught to take care of myself.  These became priorities while I was pregnant with Colton. I didn't allow myself to think "I might as well eat it because I'm going to get fat anyhow." (that's not to say I didn't eat ice cream or sweets ever...)

Instead I took notice of what I was eating and I quickly noticed that my body would tell me what it needed by the things I craved which was often fruits and vegetables.

I also kept up my exercise routine.  In the early  months of my pregnancy I worked out 3-4 times a week, combining cardio and weights.  As my pregnancy progressed my workouts naturally adjusted to more walking/cardio, less weight lifting.  By the time I got to a week or two before Colton was born I think I was just doing cardio and only 15 minutes at a time because my pelvic muscles were sore - probably from my body getting ready to have a baby.  The point is, I didn't quit exercising just because I was pregnant. I think I was even at the gym the week Colton was born.

 Even though I exercised and ate well I still gained weight!  At the dr. appointment I went to a few days before Colton was born I weighed in at 190lbs - 40lbs over my normal weight! My husband was in disbelief that I weighed that much.  Weight gain during pregnancy is inevitable.

Pregnancy 2014

Colton was born on June 21. It's taken 6 months to feel back to "normal." And "normal" hasn't come without work and dedication.

Some of the baby weight is going to come off naturally. The remaining weight you need to work at losing and it takes time. That's ok.  Believe in yourself and find your confidence.

When you have a newborn, it's kind of like an excuse for not doing anything.  Colton only served as my excuse for a little while, until I realized I needed to get out of the house so Colton and I went on a lot of walks on a local walking path and sometimes, at night, Adam would send my out for a walk with the dog while he spent time with Colton.

I also ate well and took time to make lunches for myself that were healthier than a sandwich and chips. My sister was training for a half-marathon and changed her diet so I asked her for a few suggestions.

Once I went back to work I started getting back into my old exercise routine of cardio and weight lifting.  Six months later I weigh 155 (I'm 5'6" for reference).  I still have weight to lose but all of my favorite clothes fit so I say that's a win plus I've started a more regular weight lifting program which may contribute to the 5 lbs that are still hanging around. I am back to size 8. I'm comfortable here.

Post - Pregnancy 2014

Here are a few things that worked for me and I'd encourage you to use as a starting point.
1. It's ok to buy clothes that fit after you have the baby - you need to feel confident and beautiful, not frustrated.
2. Don't tell yourself you can't eat something, just eat it in moderation.
3. Exercise when and how it fits your schedule.
4. Ask one of the trainers at your local gym to write a workout plan for you.
5. If you don't have a gym membership try out the Nike Training Camp app - it's awesome! I use it on days that I don't make it to the gym.
6. Enlist people you perceive as "healthy eaters" to help you find good things to eat. Follow healthy.food.choices on instagram for ideas too!
7. Schedule time to go to the gym. I always have 'gym + lunch' on my outlook calendar at work that way no one schedules over that time.
8. Avoid the scale - judge by how you feel rather than how much you weigh
9. Do your hair and make up, you'll feel better when you feel good about how you look
10. Find inspiration. I follow Mama Laughlin on Facebook - she is truly an inspiration!

You can do it... I promise. Just believe in yourself.

Linked up at: Serenity Now

Bump day: an introduction to baby food

We recently introduced Colton to baby food.  Our doctor mentioned that for the first couple of weeks starting food was all about discovery.  So, why not let him play with his own spoon?!

Fortunately Colton loves food and is already starting to get full when he eats.  We always have a bottle on standby though.  We've also progressed to the highchair!

Here are a few things I've learned in these first few weeks of introducing baby food:

- I feed him when he's hungry.  If he's not hungry, he wont eat.

- I avoid feeding him when he's getting tired.  If he's tired, he wont eat.

- I try to feed him between 5-7:00pm to keep some consistency.

- If we are in a new place, he doesn't eat that well because there is SO much to look at.

- If he still wants more food after he's eaten what I made, I make more.

- I always follow up with a bottle, just in case.

- I've tried a fruit and a vegetable. He likes them better than rice cereal so I always start with the cereal since that's probably still easiest on his little belly.

The most important thing our doctor told me as we started him on food was that baby food was not his primary source of nutrition at this point, his formula still is.  Over the past week or so we've started to make the transition more baby food and less bottle during his early evening feeding time.

As a first-time mom, the thought of starting him on baby food was a little scary because I had no idea what I was doing but it's actually REALLY fun!

4 things I am (surprisingly) better at as a mom

Sometimes I surprise myself.

I heard plenty of pre-mommy-hood stories about how... 

"you will never have time" 

"your house will be a disaster"

"your going to have spit-up on you wherever you go"

"you'll never sleep"

"your life is over"

This scared me and I was convinced that I was going to fall apart as human-being.

Then I remembered how good my mom was at holding it all together, getting everything done, and looking like a million bucks every time she left the house.  I began to pray that those traits, somehow, had made it into my DNA.  Some did. (Thank you God!)

I've found there are four things that I am surprisingly better at now that I'm a mom...

Washing dishes. I hate doing dishes. Since Colton came along there are never dirty dishes in our sink anymore. I wash bottles once a day and since the sink is already full of hot, soapy water I was dirty dishes too.

Picking up the house. We don't have a big house so a little clutter (baby stuff) basically makes our house look like it's a disaster. I pick up the house once a day and sweep/dust/vacuum our floors regularly.  I never had a messy house, I just make more of an effort now. (p.s. That's just my camera bag on the table in the picture...)

Being more timely. I have my dad's genes when it comes to timeliness. I always think I can "just do one more thing."  That's changed. When I have to go, I (99% of the time) stop what I'm doing and leave.

Getting fully ready first thing in the morning. Pre-Colton days I used to wait to shower on my home office days and weekends until after I went to the gym.  Then I would only dry my hair. Now, most mornings (not all) I get fully ready (hair, make up, etc...). I think it's about feeling human and confident for me. Plus, I never know how my day is going to go anymore.

Who would have thought I'd be better at these things?? Definitely not my husband.  Probably not my mom either...

Don't worry, there have been things I've gotten worse at too.  I'll save that post for another time. :)

Bump Day: Real tears

 

Colton just turned two months old last week so to celebrate we took him to the doctor for his two month check up and shots. (wow, terrible parents, huh?!)  This was the first time I saw real tears.  They absolutely broke my heart.  It was at that very moment that I began hating real tears because I can't stand to see something hurting my baby boy.

He hasn't cried since.  

But I still hate real tears. 

I know I'll see more.

I'll still hate them.

Fortunately, we have a really happy (and apparently tough) baby boy. He cried, I held him, that was the end. (He gets his toughness from his dad, I'm a wimp.)  Within hours after his shots, and a good nap, he was happy as can be - talking, playing and smiling.

Such a handsome little bugger, huh?!

Bump Day: 3 diaper bag essentials

A couple of weeks back we experienced our first diaper blow-out while visiting my grandma in the nursing home - talk about stressful! I swear we bathed our child in wipes and once that was all cleaned up, he peed. Since we were changing him on my grandma's bed when all this went down we had to ask the nurses to change her bed linens.  Embarrassing. Disaster. Stress. Uggghh... This was followed by a 3 1/2 hour trip home.

This whole diaper blow out and the extreme amount of poop really grossed out and stressed out my husband and sparked the discussion about why baby clothes are made so "stupid!" I couldn't argue his point that there should be snaps on the top of the clothes rather than, or in addition to, those at the bottom. Let me tell you, when you have squirmy baby, with lots of hair, and you have to pull the clothes over their head it makes for an even bigger mess.

The next question from my husband was, "how much do baby clothes cost?" We figured about $2/piece of onsies. At that point, we determined that we could just cut them off of the baby next time a blow out happens. (It's happened again, and yes, we did cut off the onsie.)

Besides diapers, wipes, extra clothes, burp clothes, etc... here are three diaper bag essentials that are necessary!

1. Scissor - to cut the icky clothes off.
2. Wet bag - to throw the icky clothes in, in case you want to try to save them.
3. Plastic shopping bags - for the icky diapers when there is no garbage in site.

Anything else you would add?

Bump Day: Colton's newborn pictures

Two weeks after Colton was born, we got his newborn pictures and our first family pictures taken by my friend Julie from Julie Leuth Photography.  I couldn't be happier with the pictures she took.  I like that they capture our lifestyle and us in our natural state which makes them timeless!  Here are some of our favorites!

Colton has grown so much, just since these pictures were taken! I guess that is good but everyone is right when they say it goes too fast.  He is still this peaceful when he sleeps and is all boy when he is awake because he is a mover and a shaker! :)

If you would, do me a favor, stop over at the Julie Leuth Photography Facebook page and give her a like! I know she would appreciate it as she builds her business, plus her pictures are really fun to see!  Julie also took my maternity photos.  You can see those here.

Bump Day: Meet our sweet baby boy

Happy Bump Day! You  may have noticed that I haven't updated by blog in a few weeks.  That's because this little man has occupied my time and I'm not going to complain. :) 

Our beautiful and perfect blessing, Colton, was born June 21 - 16 days early! I had a hunch he would be early but I didn't think he'd arrive more than two weeks early.

When my husband woke up on Saturday June 21 I was looking straight at him and said, "Today we are going to have a baby!" By 5:22pm the most handsome baby we had ever seen was born and we fell in love instantly and deeply.  He is absolutely perfect.

Adam is thrilled to have a boy and I couldn't imagine having it any other way. Although, the doctors had us thinking we were having a girl based on the baby's heart rate, hair and his eye lashes prior to being pronounced a boy. 

Here are a few pictures from his first couple of weeks.

 Adam is probably the most proud dad I know and this melts my heart.  

Colton still has all of his hair, has gained nearly a pound since he was born, and lets us sleep 6-7 hours a night. Overall, he is a really good baby. :)

I just love his eyelashes...

Bump Day: 4 things I'm looking forward to post-pregnancy

Photo courtesy of Julie Lueth Photography - check out and like her Facebook page!

In approximately 3 1/2 weeks our baby is supposed to arrive - eeekkk!  There is a lot of emotion in saying that - excitement, panic, love, doubt... you name it, this expecting mother feels it!  

I think we are pretty well ready - or as ready as we can be.  Adam and I  are both pretty easy-going (more Adam than me) so we will take it one day at a time.  

I used to be pretty scared of labor but now I'm just ready - a million women have survived, I trust I will too!  Plus, there are a few things I am looking forward to post-pregnancy.

Seeing what our baby looks like. It is so crazy to think that we are going to meet this little human-being that we created for the first time.  Will the baby be a boy or a girl?  Who will the baby look like?  What color hair and eyes?  So many little things I'm curious out?

Expanding my wardrobe. I am pretty tired of my maternity clothes, although I've been creative enough to mix and match some new outfits and accessories with what I have on hand.  Even though I know this reward wont come immediately, I'm still looking forward to shopping my closet before too long!

Being active again. Pregnancy hasn't stopped me, but it has slowed me down. I still go to the gym 3 times a week but not for nearly as long as I'd like.  I really am excited to walk the same speed as my husband out to the barn, and take our dog, Axe, for a walk again.  I think she misses our walks!

Having a drink. Summer time calls for drinks on our front porch and I'm so ready to have a beer with my husband at the end of the day. (Or my mixed drink of choice - Kinky and diet 7up)

I know, some of these seem to be selfish things but I do believe that it's ok to do something for yourself once in awhile - it's who we are and what we love.  While sometimes these things need to be done in moderation or adjusted, we should never have to give it all up, right?

What did you look forward to post-pregnancy?

Bump Day: What I'm packing in my hospital bag

I hate packing.  If you are a regular Design Your Dwelling reader I know that you're note surprised.

My current baby-prep task is packing my hospital bag.  So far I have piles of things scattered between our bedroom and the baby's nursery - now they just need to get packed in a bag.

Of course I've never had a baby before, nor have I ever in my lifetime been in a hospital, which makes this task just a little tough.  However, with a little bit of research, I think I'm off to a good start.  Besides, if I don't have everything I should only be there for a little over 24 hours (right?) and we don't live too far away so I can always send my husband to get it for me. Someone's got to take care of the dog, after all. :)

Here is a glimpse of what I'm packing for me, dad, and the baby.

Things for Mom

Pajamas. I'm going with one size larger than I normally wear. I want to be comfortable and know that there will still be some extra "cushion" after the baby is born.  Plus, if I end up having a C-section, a little more room around the mid-section is an ok thing.

Briefs. AKA - grannie panties.  Yep, I found this as a suggestion and I'm gonna take it!  Again, I'm going with one-size larger than I normally wear.

Nursing tank and/or nursing bra.

Going home clothes. I bought myself a new shirt that I've had my eye on at Target so that I have something to look forward to.  I'm also, more than likely, going to be wearing maternity shorts or crop pants home. Again - it's the cushion and comfort thing.

Yoga pants.

Toiletries. Shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, toothbrush/toothpaste, face wash, lotion, body wash, contacts and solution, etc... I know that I'm going to want to feel like a human again. 

Make up. I'm sure we'll have a few visitors.  Again, this goes with the human experience.  At the very least, I'll have mascara with me. 

Lanolin or lotion too use for your sore nipples if you are going to nurse. Another good suggestion I came across. 

Things For Dad

Adam did his own research and came up with the following list.

Shorts. Not sure if these are the type of shorts he was considering but the give a good representation of "shorts."

Toothbrush. He can share toothpaste with me. 

Ipad. I included this in his packing list.  I'd hate for him to get bored during the process. :)

Things For Baby.

Babies don't need much - at least that's what I'm told so I'm going with it!

Receiving or Swaddle Blanket.

Going home outfit.

Hats. Since you can't necessarily always tell if the baby is a boy or girl in pictures, hats to help indicate this is helpful - especially if we post pictures online.  

Onsie.

Socks.

Infant Pacifier.

Bottle. Just in case you start bottle feeding in the hospital it will be helpful to have a type of bottle you might use with you. 

Gadgets

Phone.

Chargers

Books

Journal

Magazines

Camera

Necessities

Insurance Cards

Identification/driver's license

Cash

Car Seat. Apparently they wont let you out of the hospital without this properly installed.

Other Things

Nursing pillow

Snacks

Pillow. Put a patterned or colored pillow case on it so that it doesn't get kept by the nurses or hospital.

Blanket. Dad might appreciate this. Or, like my husband says, "we are paying enough to be there, they should be able to afford an extra blanket for me to use..."  Agreed!

Gifts for nurses that help take care of the baby and you. I haven't decided on this yet.  I'm sure I'll come up with something.

Things to Have On-Hand at Home

Maxi Pads. A couple of blogs have suggested the Always Overnight, heavy flow maxi pads.  That's what I went with.  Regardless, makes sure to grab all of the extras from the hospital that you can!

Nursing pads.

Milk storage bags.

Diapers & Wipes.

Ok friends - what am I missing??!!  Leave your comments below!

Also a HUGE shout out to Carolina Charm.  Her blog post on packing her hospital bag was detailed and awesome!!  

Bump Day: Make your own mobile + a sneak peek of baby K's nursery

 

If I have learned one thing in the past year, between getting married and getting ready to have a baby, it's that if you label something as "wedding" or "baby" you can automatically charge more because people will pay it.  (Yes, I've been one of these people in some cases...) Since I'm quickly realizing how expensive this baby thing is, I'm attempting be more resourceful and use my creativity. This do-it-yourself nursery mobile was so easy to make and only cost a few cents.  All it took was a little bit of time, patience,and a trip to the craft store.  Who doesn't love to make a trip to the craft store (ok, maybe my husband, he prefers to wait in the car...)

Here's the super simple how-to!

Supplies: Two sizes of circle punches, a cross-stitch hoop, assorted construction and scrapbook paper, string, and double sided tape.

I actually changed plans part of the way through this project.  Instead of punching holes in the circles, I decided to use double-sided table to hold the string between two circle cut-outs.

First, cut out your circles.  Since mine were going to be double-sided, with the string in between, I cut out 12 of each color. 

Next, lay out your pattern.  I did 3 large circles at the top, and four little circles at the bottom with the very last circle being some pretty scrap book paper. 

Then, I cut a long string and laid it down the center of the seven circles.

Now, using the double-sided tape, tape the string to the center of the circle.  This actually gets a little bit frustrating so keep in mind that it doesn't have to look pretty... 

Once you have your string taped on, lay the second circle on top of the first to hide to string.  The double-sided tape will hold just fine. 

\

Finally, hang each strand of circles from your cross-stitch hoop and space them evenly around it. 

To hang the mobile I cut 3 extra strings and tied them in a loop at the top.  Since the mobile is really light weight I hung it from the ceiling with a clear push pin. 

Ta-Daa!!

Growing up, the things I remember most are the things my mom and dad made for me and I hope to do the same for our kids.

Here are two more versions of a DIY mobile:

Young House Love

Cape 27 Blog

Since I'm sure you are curious here is a sneak peek of our nursery.  There are still a few finishing touches left to go and then I'll give you an official tour!

Bump Day: Forming Healthy Habits Before Baby

My due date is exactly two months from today.  Hard to believe that time is flying by so quickly!

I am confident that every first-time mom does her best to prepare for a baby despite the fact that all of her friends tell her that you will never be prepared.  I definitely believe this is true so I'm not getting caught up into the idea of being 100% prepared.  In fact, I know I wont be considering I have a long list of "things I'd like to accomplish pre-baby."  Instead I'm focusing on getting the baby's room ready, finishing our home renovation, and forming healthy habits that will hopefully make life a little easier after the baby arrives.  I recently heard during a training session I attended that it takes approximately 17 consecutive days to form a habit.  Easy, right?!

Here are the healthy habits that I am really working on committing to:

One | Committing to a schedule
Don't get your undies in a bunch here and jump to the comment form telling me that you'll never stay on schedule with a new baby. I already know that. What I mean is that when I say I going to shut down my computer and head home from work for the day, I'm going to do it.  I have a terribly bad habit of finishing "just one more thing" or running errands after work and saying that I will head for home by 6:00 and leaving the store by 6:00.  I'm practicing this now knowing that I will have a little one and a husband who will probably need me at the end of the day.

Two | Drinking more water
I'm reading more about baby care, breast feeding, and general health of the new mom.  This has encouraged me to drink more water.  I'm not used to drinking water until I'm thirsty - however, according to what I've been reading, drinking when you thirsty is a little too late.  Instead, it's important to stay hydrated throughout the entire day.  And, unfortunately soda doesn't count. :(

Three | Eating Healthy
The idea of baby weight hanging around kinda freaks me out even though I know it is inevitable and I will have to be patient with my body.  However, I'm working on eating healthier right now - focusing on more fruits and vegetables as snacks along with whole grain crackers and that sort of thing.  I'm also focused on eating meals more regularly than letting snacks fill me up. I've nearly set all chips and candy aside. (I really like chips, and candy.  Have I ever mentioned that?!) However, I do give in to a little bit of processed sugar each day. Hitting the scale as a first stop at the Dr.'s office is zero fun these days so if I'm going to gain weight, I want it to be healthy weight for me and the baby!

Four | Getting Up Early
Lately, when I'm awake, I'm awake and ready to go for the day.  Strange considering I used to be able to easily sleep in until 7:30/8:00am.  I've actually started setting my alarm for 5:20 on weekdays.  Crawling out of bed at this time is still a little hard but I may as well practice getting up early for an alarm considering a baby will do the same thing with more urgency!  No sense in being lazy.

Five | Staying Active
I don't sit well.  I never have.  Lately I've had to take a few more breaks and tell myself it's ok to breathe heavier after going up the stairs.  Regardless, I'm not allowing myself to become lazy - I still go to the gym, pick up around the house, do my best at making supper every night, play fetch with the dog, and help my husband on the farm with things that I can.

Ultimately I am making a commitment to be healthy for my family.  My parents made this commitment to me and my sisters, and my husband has done the same.  For that lesson, and gift, I am thankful.

What healthy habits did you form pre-baby?

Bump Day: Baby K's gender neutral nursery design (+an e-design discount!)

We aren't finding out our baby's gender and dang that makes decorating complicated especially when a clear vision for each gender comes to mind.  However, I think I've finally settled on a plan (that will probably be updated once we find out if it's "he" or "she" in July).  So while my sweet husband has been assembly baby furniture, I've been pulling together the design plan!

My overall goal was to create a space that was gender neutral, but could be updated to reflect the baby's gender while sourcing items that we can continue to use as the baby gets older or I could use somewhere else in the house. 

My parents were SO nice to give us this crib as a baby shower gift. I love the modern design and two-tone wood. The only thing that I didn't look at before picking it out was how tall it stood. That being said, if you like this crib just know that it is fairly low to the ground. I still love it! :)

The dresser took me awhile to decide on - I knew I wanted a dresser from the Ikea HEMNES collection because I liked the style but had a hard time deciding on the size.  After consulting with my husband we decided that the smaller 3-drawer dresser was our best option because it allowed for the most options to arrange the room and would fit better than a larger dresser once the baby grows up and moves out of a crib and into a real bed. (Did I mention to you that we live in an old farmhouse? Rooms were made small back in the day.)

Since we opted for the smaller dresser I got this storage cart from Ikea to hold diapers, lotion, and various other baby things that I have yet to learn about. 

The rocker may or may not make it's way into the room. It's a little spendy but if I could have everything I want, I'd like a rocker like this one. 

There are a lot of cute mobiles out there but I plan to DIY mine since I found a style that I like.  If it turns out, I'll do my best to offer up the instructions to you all.

A few things I've loved forever and have always pictured in a baby's room are the giraffe and elephant prints, the Be Brave print, and the Grow sign. Why not be surrounded by things you love?!

I also found a few things along the way that I couldn't resist: the swaddle blanket, the changing pad cover, crib sheet and the rug.

If you want to follow Baby K's Nursery Pinterest board, do so here. 

And, because I had fun pulling my nursery together and have all sorts of ideas stored inside my mind how about a discount on nursery and children's bedroom e-designs?!  

Click here for more e-design details.

MEET MY SPONSOR: RISE ABOVE LIFE, April Bernd

Take time to stop over and meet April - she has such an awesome mission behind her blog in offering a place for anyone to come join together in overcoming life's difficulties.  Thanks April, for being a Design Your Dwelling Sponsor!

I am a photographer and graphic designer and so I was able to make my own art to hang around my home to remind me to be positive and be strong. Family and friends would always comment on my images and wanted one for their own homes.  I never realized how many other people were facing different challenges ranging from a miscarriage, a chronically ill son and a divorce to addiction, depression and severe food allergies. Although we were all struggling with different issues, the need for hope was still the same. 

Rise Above Life art is about putting your heart into art. We help to make personalized designs that are meaningful to you, not cookie cutter and generic. Our mission is to provide a way to put your love into a frame and help families grow closer.  We offer  our designs as both physical prints and digital downloads that you print at home. Readers can try out a free digital download printable when you sign up for our email list at www.riseabovelife.com