Lifestyle – Page 3

First Mother’s Day

DRESS: Nordstrom // HAIR: Your Hair By Mel // FLOWER CROWN: Fiori Amore // NECKLACE: Truly Kustom // AIDEN’S OUTFIT: Baby Zara (shirt/pants) // PHOTOGRAPHY: Kali Poulsen Photography

For all the things my hands have held the best by far is you. – Andrew McMahon

Hello everyone!

Happy Mother’s Day (week)! This day is so special to me because I have so many mothers in my life. Mothers are most definitely ones who give life but they are also the ones who love you with every little piece of them. My Aunt Sueli is the most selfless and loving person I have ever met. She took me into her home when I was young and has cared for me as if I were her own. Some people say that only your parents can truly love you. Well, they are wrong. Because this kind woman, till this day, sees me and loves me as her own. Thank you Tia (aunt in Portuguese) for teaching me that there is no limit to love! I hope that my kids will have someone like you (including you) for them in their lives like I did.

I have celebrated honoring this incredible woman for many years now. So this weekend I’m excited to contunue with tradition by honoring her once again haha… But this year is a little different. This year, I have my Aiden.

Some people were born to be mothers; some simply become them. I was one that had to become. I knew nothing about babies and never craved to have one. Even though I knew that one day I wanted one of my own. My pregnancy was rough, painful, and long (as it can be for most of us haha). I hated every bit of it, and the only things that kept me sane were his movements. I didn’t feel like a mother just yet though…

I felt more like I was in a dream. But, the moment I heard him cry for the first time, that’s when it happened. I became a mother without even realizing it. At that second, I loved him more then I loved myself.

Aiden, my dear boy, you are so loved! I hope to raise you well and for you to become a strong, kind man. Thank you for being mine, but most of all thank you for making me YOUR mother.

This year I’m honoring my baby boy who made me a mother for the first time. Mother’s Day isn’t about me in my eyes… It’s about all that Aiden has taught me. The person I have become because of him and the celebration of having him in my life now.

I hope you all have a very special Mother’s Day with all the incredible women in your lives!

Thank you for stopping by

xoxo,

Becca

Spring Break Swimwear

KINGDOM AND STATE SUITS: striped bottoms, palm print top, floral bottoms, black & white zip tank top // BLACK HIGH WAISTED BOTTOMS: Old Navy // COLORFUL AZTEC TOP: Volcom // COVER-UP: SwimZip // AIDEN’S SWIMSUIT: SwimZip // ROUND TOWEL: SwimZip // A’s HAT: Jack & Winn //

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!

This warm weather is making me giddy for summer! We just got back from our trip to Mexico and it was seriously one of the best trips with the best friends. If you guys have never been to Las Palomas at Rocky Point then you must go someday! It’s beautiful and very relaxing.

I have had tons of questions about where we got our swimwear for the trip. So click on the links above and they will take you directly to the product!

Have a beautiful spring day and thanks for stopping by!

xoxo,

Becca

Ice Castles

MY COAT: Nordstrom- similar // SWEATER: Nordstrom // CARDIGAN: Target // SCARF: Nordstrom-similar // DAN’S COAT: Nordstrom-similar // BOOTS: Target- similar // A’S COAT: Baby Gap // BEANIE: Nordstrom // SHOES: Zara- similar // MY HAIR: Runway Hair Salon // PHOTOGRAPHY: Lori Romney Photography

Hello!

Ok you guys, if you haven’t been to the Ice Castles in Midway, UT you need to! They are absolutely stunning! We had so much fun taking family pictures with Lori (who is an amazing photographer by the way..). Aiden wasn’t having it though hahaha. He was tired and grumpy, as you can see by his face in the pictures. We tried to make him laugh but he wouldn’t even get close to cracking a smile. I guess he gets his stubbornness from his mama haha. Either way, Lori worked her magic and the pictures turned out perfect!

I got my hair done by Runway Hair Salon and loved how it turned out! They use Aveda products which both smell delicious and made my hair so shiny and soft. Our outfit details are all linked to the pink words above and Aiden’s red coat is on sale for a KILLER DEAL! I also added some of my favorite related products down below for you guys to check out. The scarves are my favorite! I’m obsessed with blanket scarves lately and never want to take them off! These Halogen scarves are really soft and feel like you’re literally wearing a blanket.. it’s the best!

A little update on life right now, we have been staying really busy with work. Both Dan and I have a lot of wonderful things going on! Aiden is FINALLY rolling over! (I’m in serious need of emoji’s right now) The little guy is 7 months old and finally decided to try moving around. He is seriously the chillest baby I have ever seen! I’m still staying dedicated to my Kayla BBG workouts and eating clean… it’s really hard but I am seeing progress so that’s good! I just wish the progress happened much faster. I’m impatient! But I guess one day I’ll be grateful I started when I did!

I hope you all have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

xoxo,

Becca

Cuddles And Snuggles

SHIRT: Cara Loren Shop // SWEAT PANTS: Target (similar) // SOCKS: Woven Pear // A’s SHIRT: Peek (Sold Out- here’s a similar one) // A’s SWEAT PANTS: Baby Zara // TEETHING NECKLACE: Nuby // HAIR: Melanie Workman // PHOTOGRAPHY: Mei’Li Workman

Hello Lovlies!

It’s been snowing so much lately here in Utah! Which means more cuddles with my little guy… and we are loving every second of it! Life has been pretty chill, we have been going to the gym everyday and keeping to our super healthy meal plan (Aiden is loving all the new solid flavors he’s been having lately! A good change from the formula haha). I am on my 4th week of my workouts (3 weeks of biginner BBG and officially on week 1 off BBG now) and I am loving them more and more. If you haven’t tried Kayla Itsines BBG workouts you need to! They are a serious butt kicker! I’m keeping strict for 12 weeks then continuing on a healthy eating lifestyle and continuing with my workouts from then on. My goal is to have a completely different body by this Christmas! CRAZY!

Other then focusing on our health, we have been traveling with Dan (you can follow our adventures on snapchat: beccabelo) for work and fun… but mostly work. We do try to fit in some fun time in the busy work schedule though. Aiden is teething/drooling like crazy and is now sitting all by himself.. such a big boy 🙂 .

Well, that’s our little life update haha hope you are all doing well and thanks for stopping by!

xoxo,

Becca

Secrets of The Baby Whisperer

SECRETS OF THE BABY WHISPERER: Amazon // LAMP: Target // TRIANGLE SHELVES: Etsy- BMeyer Studio // WOODEN NAME SIGN: Tallulah & Gray // HELLO THERE HANDSOME PILLOW: Etsy- Amore Beaute // DREAM BIG PILLOW: Etsy- Latte Home // CRIB MOBILE: Etsy- Four Glittered Geese // FOX BABY BLANKET: Etsy- Elonka Nichole // GLIDER NURSING CHAIR: Buy Buy Baby // CRIB: Buy Buy Baby // “S” DECOR: Hobby Lobby // UBBI DIAPER PAIL: Amazon // FOX DECOR FRAMES: Hobby Lobby // SOUND MACHINE: Amazon

Hello Everyone!

Ok, so I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I got my little Aiden to sleep through the night at 8 weeks old. I can’t take all the credit, because all I did was read the book ” The Baby Whisperer” and follow the schedule I posted above. Now, I have to say that not all babies and mommies are the same so this isn’t a guaranteed thing. But, this schedule and these tips have not only worked for Aiden, but also many other babies that I personally know. So it’s worth a try!

First and foremost I COMPLETELY believe that babies thrive off of a schedule! The schedule above is a great guideline to how to go about your day; feedings, activities, and naps. I adjusted whatever I needed to work with my personal schedule. For example, I don’t like waking up at 7 am so we shifted the schedule to begin at 8 am. I usually focus on when Aiden eats instead of stressing about what time he naps. I usually just put him to sleep when I see the signs of sleepiness (rubbing eyes and getting fussy). It usually takes Aiden about 2 weeks to adjust to a change in his schedule. Those 2 weeks aren’t fun… I have to watch the clock and push him to eat at certain times. But after that, he gets hungry and wakes up at the same time every day on his own. It’s predictable, so it allows me to take control of my day instead of letting my baby control me. Plus, he is happy as his needs are being met timely to their arrival.

Second, ROUTINE is key! Eat, Activity, Sleep, Your time (EASY)! That’s the order I do things EVERY TIME regardless of the scheduled timeing. It helps prevent bad habits like needing a bottle to fall asleep (which is bad for their teeth once they come in) and help your baby learn to self-soothe. My favorite thing about EASY is that it eliminates guessing what your baby wants or needs. When Aiden wakes up, I feed him then let him play/learn, then I change his diaper (babies usually pee or poo about 15 min after they eat… so I usually just change him right before his nap so he is happy. Unless he wants it done sooner.) Already I have checked off him being hungry or dirty so if he is upset I know it’s because he is tired. So I put him down for a nap. If he doesn’t go to sleep then maybe his belly hurts or is in pain/uncomfortable. I don’t have to go through the checklist of things that he might want or need because I already did by now. I usually know what he wants by what time he cries. So when he does, I check the time and if it’s time for him to eat then I know what he wants and he doesn’t have to get angry at me haha.

Third, is bed-time routine. Babies need to learn when it’s time to take a long nap… a.k.a. sleep through the night. The bed-time routine needs to be done exactly the same every night… including a bath. I know it’s time consuming and you don’t feel like giving your baby a bath every night. But, the way I see it is that I get a good nights sleep if I take some extra time to give him a bath.. so YES I do it. Our bed-time routine goes like this..

*Feed Aiden dinner.

*Warm up a bath (Aiden is in his crib during this).

*While bath is warming up- dim the lights, turn on sound machine, prepare pjs and everything for after bath. (set the bed time mood)

*Give Aiden a bath with lavender bubbles

*After bath, rub Aiden with lavender lotion and dress him

*Rock Aiden and sing to him his bed time song (pick any song you’d like but sing the SAME one every time)

*Put Aiden down in his crib to sleep right BEFORE he completely falls asleep (I don’t let him sleep on me because I don’t want him to need me to fall asleep. It’s also helpful for self-soothing.)

**NEWBORN TIP: Elevate the crib/bassinet mattress (from underneath for safety) with books, blankets, or towels so your baby sleeps on an incline. Babies are naturally stuffy when they are first born because they still have fluids in their nose from being in your belly (plus they are nose breathers). So make sure to suction that out so your baby can breath 😉

When he wasn’t sleeping through the night yet, I would do the bed time routine then let him sleep for as long as possible. During night time feedings I wouldn’t turn on any lights. I would pick him up to feed him but I wouldn’t change his diaper unless it was poopy. I’d feed him till he stopped eating and started sleeping. He started to not eat very much until one night he slept 6 hours on his own (which is considered a full nights sleep for babies). He did that two nights in a row on his own. Then from that time on, I would give him his binkie every time he would wake up at night and which became later and later till he started sleeping all night consistently. Now, if he wakes up at night (which happens when he’s sick or in pain from teething), we have a strict stay in the crib rule. I give him the medicine he needs while he is in the crib, get close to him so he doesn’t feel alone till he calms down, and give him his binkie. Feeding at night again is a BIG no no. Once a baby is 11lbs they can safely go all night with out eating. So if they continue, it’s because of habit (you’d be hungry too if you woke up at night for a midnight snack).

Sorry for the novel!! I just really appreciated ALL the help I could get with this when Aiden was a newborn and still love all the advice I can get. So I just wanted to pay it forward 🙂 . I hope you find this information helpful and If you want to know where I got my nursery decor, check out the pink links above! Also, if you have any other questions feel free to comment below or email me! I’ll do my best to help!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo,

Becca

Christmas 2015

ONSIES: Victoria’s Secret (similar) // SLIPPERS: Target // DAN’S SWEATER: Target // SWEAT PANTS: Target // A’s PJ’s: Target (similar) // A’s HAT: Baby Gap (similar) // LADY’S ONSIE: Petsmart (similar)// RED THROW: Target // SWEATER BLANKET: Target // DECOR PILLOW: Target // PAW STOCKING: Amazon // CHRISTMAS HOME DECOR/ STOCKINGS: Tai Pan Trading // PHOTOGRAPHY: Perrywinkle Photography

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

xoxo,

The Swiss Family

Mamagama Interview

VEST: Target // PANTS: Nordstrom // NECKLACE: Forever 21 // BABY A’S T-SHIRT: Nordstrom // SLOTH PANTS: Lil’Sugar Lamb // BABY CONVERSE: Nordstrom // PACIFIER: Natursutten // PACIFIER CLIP: Sassy Kinsley Boutique // PHOTOGRAPHY: Perrywinkle Photography

Hello Everyone,

This week I had an interview about my pregnancy experience with Mamagama and here’s how it went. Enjoy!

Please describe the moment you found out you were pregnant (what did you feel).

When I found out I was pregnant, I experienced an enormous range of emotions. Overwhelmed, I cried a bit, smiled a bit, and was super nervous for what the future held. Surprisingly, my dashingly handsome husband was ecstatic! The only one calm about Aiden’s future arrival was Lady. (Lady is our happy little Yorkie… Click this to see pics of her) She is our rock–Really holds the family together.

Name the most beautiful and the most unpleasant pregnancy experience.

The most beautiful experience of the whole pregnancy was the first moment I heard him cry and it hit me that my little tummy buddy was now here, and that I was his mom!

Pretty much every week I had an experience that competed for the most unpleasant of the pregnancy. But the one that topped them all was probably my birthday week.Normally, I love my birthday! Birthdays are like a holiday just for you! I love my birthday week, in fact normally, I love the entire birthday month. But, this time around was terribly different. We had the best trip planned. We were going to Florida to visit some of my childhood friends, my old dance studio and most important to visit Harry Potter at Universal Studios.

If you keep up with my blog you know I love dance. But sadly, I had to retire from performing due to an injury. Just days before the trip, my hip injury ganged up with the pregnancy to make walking unbearable for me.

Not only was I not allowed to ride all of the fun rides I normally love, but also I had to be pushed around in a wheel chair as standing or walking were out of the question for a couple weeks.

How did you announce your pregnancy to your friends and family?

We gave our family a photo album for Christmas, the album had picture after picture of Lady doing funny things. We thought this might throw them off the trail. The penultimate picture was lady with a sign that read “Soon to be Big Sister.” No one in either of our families caught on initially. I am convinced Dan’s mom thought we were adopting a new dog! The final picture was of the ultrasound, just in case there was any doubt whether this was another puppy or a little human!

Tell us some pregnancy problems the glossy books don’t really talk about.

Most pregnancies carry numerous uncomfortable surprises. It’s different for every mom-to-be, so one person’s reality might not be the same for everyone. This is probably the reason some of those unpleasant things don’t appear in the glossy books! For me the fun surprises included random nose bleeds early in the pregnancy, joint loosening, pain from all that loosening, and other random aches. This last on is for new mom’s… not much can prepare you for the lack of sleep the first few months. After being pregnant for months on months, being exhausted , giving birth, you get the surprise that for the new several hundred/thousand hours of your life, you now get to sleep in 1 to 3 hour long segments and hopefully if you are lucky they will add up to some normal amount every 24 hours. (check out the super funny video about the difference between couples before and after they have kids below!)

5. Your giving birth story, anything you want to share.

For the final month I was so done! I was tired of being huge and ready to be finished. I tried everything! I ate pineapple. I walked as much as I could. I even tried a few of the weird old-wive’s tales like ankle massages and such.

Finally, a few days before the due date, we went for a walk around the neighborhood then to the store to stock up for after the delivery. Mid-shopping trip, I began feeling terrible. I wasn’t sure if it was contractions, but it didn’t seem to be going away. At about 2AM we went to the hospital just to check to see if everything was ok. Well my water broke right after they got me on the table and did the examination, so you could say we made it there just in time. That is just in time to wait another 12 hours for the little guy to finally make his grand entrance into the world!

6. Which personal traits do you hope your children learn from you?

I want him to be as driven as I am, and never give up on his hopes and dreams.

(Sometimes being a little stubborn can be a tough thing, but it has really helped me push past obstacles)

I hope he learns to be true to himself. I want him to have the courage to be strong and confident in his own decisions. I wish for him to never allow others to manipulate him into being someone he’s not.

I hope he learns to see the silver-lining in everything. Dan is always so optimistic and sees the best in people. I hope he can learn from that to be a hopeful person too.

Thanks for Stopping by!

xoxo,

Becca

Becoming Mrs. Swiss

MUA: Kissable Complexions // Photography: Perrywinkle Photography // Videography: Cam Stephens

Hello Lovelies,

Here are a few pictures and wedding video of the best day of my life. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo,

Becca

The Proposal

MUA: Kissable Complexions // PHOTOGRAPHY: Perrywinkle Photography

Hello Lovlies,

After a year and a half of dating, Dan finally popped the question and this is how it went! Enjoy!

It all started with a girls trip to Vegas (as many great stories begin haha). A couple of my best friends and I planned quick Vegas escape for Memorial weekend. I have always wanted to stay at The Bellagio and amazingly my friends were able to hook us up! (I later found out Dan had booked the hotel for me) We had a fancy dinner planned for our first night. The weekend was going to be full of shopping, relaxation, and girl time…..or so I thought.

What actually happened was, we got to the hotel and started to get dressed up for dinner. I decided to save my favorite dress for the next night because it was going to go perfect with the red lipstick that I was going to buy, and chose to wear a more casual dress. One of my friends insisted on the first dress though. She insisted so much that she went down stairs to buy a red lipstick so I could look just the way I imagined. Now that we were all looking our best, we went downstairs to the Olive restaurant which sits on the shore of the famous Bellagio lake. The waiter took us onto the balcony and I was instantly amazed with the beautiful dancing fountains. But then I noticed that the only table available had two chairs (which was wrong because there were three of us). I instantly started looking for the waiter to fix the problem but before I could even move my two besties made me turn around and look toward the fountains again. And there he was! My most favorite person in the whole world was standing right in front of me this whole time! ( I looked right passed him the first time… the fountains were so cool though!) He told me how much he loved me and tons of other amazing things that I don’t remember because the whole time I was trying to make sure this was real life. But it was! He pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him. I’ve been waiting for that question since the day I met him. He put that GORGEOUS ring on my hand and I instantly started crying (I still haven’t said a word yet cause I literally was speechless). Everyone was waiting for a yes, but Dan already knew my answer haha. I said yes of course!

Now there’s a little behind the scenes story that I wasn’t aware of till after all of this. Of course as you may have predicted, the girls trip was a ruse… everyone was misleading me the whole time. And Dan was in Vegas preparing for the night that whole day. In fact he was the one who found, bought, and gave my bff that red lipstick, that I had really wanted to go with my favorite dress.

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo,

Becca

Meeting Dan Swiss

MY OUTFIT: J.Crew // DAN’S OUTFIT: J.Crew // OUR SHOES: Sperry // MUA: Kissable Complexions // PHOTOGRAPHY: Perrywinkle Photography

Hello Lovlies,

This week is the week before our 2nd anniversary; and I wanted to share with you all some of my favorite stories about Dan and me. This story is about how we met, Enjoy!

“Someday everything will make perfect sense. So, for now, laugh at the tears and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.” – unknown

Like every single girl, I have had my share of jerks and heart breaks. Summer of 2011, I went through a particularly hard break-up. Of course, at the time, I was sure my world was over and instead of marital bliss, I was destined never to marry and become one of those old ladies with a bunch of dogs.

I ate my feelings (Chocolate is my favorite) and sulked at home until I got sick of it and decided to go hangout with a friend of mine. We went to a house full of people I didn’t know for a BBQ (which was good because I love meeting new people and needed a distraction.) There, I was introduced to one of my now best friends! She invited me to go on a Lake Powell trip the following week. I said no (I was a poor collage student and that was the responsible decision). But as the day of the trip got closer, she insisted over and over again. So I said yes.. (super irresponsible, but I definitely needed it).

The day before the trip and my friend was unable to get off work and would be there late. I decided to go on time without her in a car full of people I’d never met… to a trip with people I didn’t know. It’s a good thing I was being spontaneous, because the driver of my random ride was Dan.

Just me and three guys having a great time on our way to Lake Powell. Everything was great and wonderful until… the car broke down an hour before the lake! We had to get it towed.

Dan and I had hung out and chatted through out the whole crazy trip down and I really liked hanging out with him. After arriving at the boat docks that night, we found our way to the roof top lounge of a vacant house boat. We told stories and watched the bright stars that night. (So amazing how bright the stars can be!) The next morning my soon-to-be BFF arrived. The trip was one of the best I have ever been on and filled with the best people in the world.

A couple weeks later a group of us went to the Utah State Fair and on the Farris Wheel Dan kissed me for the first time.

Two years later! we took our engagement pictures with that very same Farris Wheel.

I will always be grateful for my irresponsible decision to go on that trip! But most of all I’m so happy that life brought us together… I would go through every heartache and break-up again just to meet him.

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo,

Becca