Hi friends- I have a very rare non-food related post to share with you, because I think it’s just so cool.  First, I want to tell you about my friend, Chelsea.  I first met Chelsea just a few years ago at my sister’s bachelorette party.  My sister made us go “glamping” (which is just a word people use to trick you into thinking what you’re about to do is more glamorous than camping, which it is not.) anyway, my sister made me go CAMPING, which is not my cup of tea (I like showers and I don’t like bugs) and Chelsea showed up with a rug and a “couch” for our campsite. I liked her immediately.

Chelsea has an energy that instantly makes you want to be her friend.  I remember telling my sister on the way home from the trip that it was the nicest first impression I’d ever had of anyone.  You could just tell she was a good person.

I was a few months into the most miserable pregnancy of my life (I mean, I’m never a happy pregnant person, but this one really was the worst), and you can imagine my embarrassment when she asked me about my pregnancy and I proceeded to tell her how miserable and awful it was and how much I hated being pregnant, and then 5 minutes into the conversation found out that she gladly would have done anything to trade places with me.  Foot. In. Mouth. A regular occurrence for me.

Anyway, even when I realized I was making an ass of myself and apologized, she was so nice and kind about it, I remember just thinking “this is a good person.”  She told me a bit about the struggles she and her husband had been having trying to start their family, and you could just tell she would be an amazing mom one day.

I was right, because last year, Chelsea and her husband, after some bumps and bruises along the way, finally received the gift of their beautiful son, and I swear it was the happiest I’ve ever been for somebody who’d just had a baby.  I will tell you that just looking at the pictures the day he was born made me cry and cry.  I will also admit to a very obsessive amount of Facebook stalking in the days leading up to his birth to see if he was being born yet.

A year later, and I’ve still never seen anybody so in love with a baby- he is a lucky guy to have the parents he does, and the happiest, smiliest kid I’ve ever seen.

This year, Chelsea started a jewelry business, ChestineDesign, making amazing jewelry, with 100% of the proceeds going toward the adoption costs of baby #2.   For them, this consists of adoption agency, attorney, hospital, and travel fees.    Her jewelry is beautiful and unique (check out the diffuser jewelry for essential oils!) and goes toward the worthiest of causes.

You can check out ChestineDesign on Facebook here. On Instagram here. Or just head straight over to her Etsy shop and start shopping.  As I remind you all frequently, Christmas is 39 days away! 🙂

Thanks for reading ~Shannon