SKECHERS FAMILY STYLE

Shoes are just a natural part of life and a necessity in this day and age, and of course Skechers are some of our favorites. We've always found them to be great quality, affordable and eye catching, so it's not surprise that our closets are stocked with mostly Skechers. Most recently, the kind peoples over at Skechers sent some new styles our way that are just perfect for springtime, and perfect for the entire family.

Bella has been begging for a pair of pink shoes, so when I spotted these pink shoes that were perfect for puddle jumping, beach trips and days at the lake, I was so excited. What I love most about these shoes, other than the fact that they're adorable, is that they can be cleaned so easily! Mud is no problem because all you have to do is rinse them off and they're good to go again!

Her other choice? These adorable gray shoes with a bow that are simply the best for bike riding, a day of play at the park or everyday wear! I just love all the cute heart accents on them.

For myself, of course I went all neutral (but honestly did we expect anything different from me? haha). I was immediately drawn to the light khaki color of these super comfortable tennis shoes from BOBS, as well as these beach shoes perfect for slipping on and running out the door. Just seriously cannot go wrong with Skechers, but especially Skechers BOBS, which are my absolute favorite.

I grabbed these nice neutral gray tennis shoes for my husband, they go with everything and look so sleek! Brown leather is another color choice I'm always drawn to so I love these shoes on my husband as well, he wears them everywhere and swears by their comfort, everyone constantly compliments him on them.

Mamas, head to your local Skechers store or Skechers website for all your families footwear needs, you're sure to find everything you're looking for and more!

THE BEST CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

A good chocolate cake might just be one of my most favorite things, and a few months back, when we were watching the Dick Van Dyke Show, in one episode, sitting there on Laura's countertop, was the most scrumptious looking chocolate cake ever (which obviously sparked a craving for chocolate cake). Of course we all know more things were homemade from scratch back in those days,so I set out on a quest to find the best truly homemade chocolate frosting recipe (because let's face it, canned frosting just isn't as good as we thought it was when we were kids). I searched high and low, and after finally asking in one of my mom groups on facebook, several people suggested this recipe (which I've tweaked slightly to make even better), well, long story short, we tried it, and folks, I'll never go back to eating regular chocolate cake again, it just doesn't compare. This frosting is so rich, decadent and delicious you could eat it by the spoonful *ahem, I mean, not saying I did that or anything, but I won't deny it either*

Anyway, if you ever find yourself on desert duty and have a little extra time on your hands, this frosting is the way to go, especially paired with my recipe for dark chocolate fudge cake (here), it'll knock your socks off. Amazing stuff. Truly amazing. It even freezes well if you want to eat the entire cake piece by piece by yourself *ahem, again, I won't confirm or deny I did this* (picture laugh till you cry emoji face here lol).

1½ cups butter (3 sticks), softened

1 cup unsweetened cocoa

5 cups confectioner’s sugar

½ cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Add cocoa to a large bowl or kitchenaid mixer. Whisk to remove any lumps and mix in butter and cocoa powder until well-combined. Add sugar and milk to cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After each addition has been combined, turn mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added. Add vanilla extract combine well. If frosting appears too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears to wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. Ice your cake and enjoy!

BABY #2

We've been keeping a big secret the past couple of months and we're over the moon to finally announce that Baby #2 will be joining our little family in December (our original due date was November but recently changed to early December at our last midwife appointment)! We're so excited to add this little one to our family, so thrilled that Bella will be a big sister (she's beyond happy), and so blessed that God decided we were the right ones to raise this tiny one who is already giving me little flutters. This baby has been prayed for for so long and we already can't wait to meet him or her!

We've already got some names chosen and absolutely cannot wait to find out if the baby is a boy or girl so we can start using one of the names we love and calling the baby by name. As the weeks progress I'll be sharing more bump and baby updates as well as sharing all our favorite products for pregnancy and baby. Gathering sweet little baby things is just one of my favorite things and I can't wait to share all of our choices for this little one!