For the fourth and final Honestly Ultimate Baby Shower, we gathered to celebrate Los Angeles winner Jessica Turner for her dedication to family and friends—truly exemplifying the phrase “love thy neighbor.” Kidville Brentwood was transformed into a sweet hippo haven to honor Jessica and her husband as they prepare for the arrival of baby Jonah. For mom-to-be Jessica, the shower was a special moment to reflect on the meaning of Mother’s Day and the loving spirit of her adopted son’s mother, who unexpectedly passed away. The afternoon was full of love and community, and we’re grateful to have been a part of it.

Get to know a little bit more about Jessica in her own words…

Honest: What surprised you most about winning the Honestly Ultimate Baby Shower?  

Jessica: I am Honestly so shocked because I know how many deserving moms there are in the world and I never would have dreamed of being honored or recognized in this way. 

Honest: Would you share your favorite quote or excerpt from your friends’ nomination essays?

From my friend Traci’s essay: “Jessica has dedicated the past year to helping this little boy overcome his challenges and teach him how to serve others in the way that she has always selflessly dedicated her life to.”

From my friend Leigh’s essay: “She’s inspired me so much to pay it forward and do something selfless; I am now 11 weeks pregnant with my friend’s baby. I’m a surrogate because of Jessica and how she inspired me to do something bigger than myself.”

WOW.  So humbling!

Honest: Please share with us a little about your story and what it means to your family to win the shower.

Jessica: Almost a year and a half ago, one week before Christmas 2011, my downstairs neighbor and dear friend, Deanna collapsed in her home.  Her son, Sean, came running upstairs to tell me that his mom, a single mother, needed help.  When I found her, she was unresponsive and taking her very last breaths she would ever take on her own.  Deanna died just a few days later from a Pulmonary Embolism.  Sean has been with us since that night and after much discussion amongst our family and Sean’s, we decided to pursue permanent guardianship of Sean, which was granted in March of 2012.  It has been a tough year dealing with all of our emotions in the wake of our loss.  Sean had some pretty major behavioral problems that we have had to correct and also was incredibly far behind in school.  I am so proud to say that, today, Sean is thriving in all respects and we are honored to call him our son.  

Winning this shower was so unexpected and the word “humbling” doesn’t even come close to explaining it.  My husband works 3 jobs to provide for us… I have never seen a man so tirelessly commit himself to his family….To be spoiled a little bit is incredibly fun! We are so grateful!

Honest: What are you looking forward to most once your baby arrives?

Jessica: I am SO excited to see all of my boys together for the first time.  Our last experience as a family in a hospital was the most devastating experience of our lives. I can’t wait to deliver (at a different hospital of course) and have Sean and our 3-year-old Elijah come to the hospital to experience our joy and happiness as a family.  It will be such a positive thing for all of us to grow as a family together and I can’t wait until we are complete with Jonah in our arms!

Honest: What’s one piece of advice you’d share with other parents about creating a safe, healthy, and nurturing home?

Jessica: I think the most important thing you can do for your kids is to teach them compassion for others.  When your children can respect other people’s circumstances and recognize a person in need, they immediately become a valuable person to society.  We always stress to our kids that we go through things in life so that we have the opportunity in the future to help someone else go through the same things.  Sometimes the road gets bumpy… Life is not without many struggles but if we are there to hold the hands of those in need, we are serving God’s greater purpose for our lives.

Thank you so much for sharing our story!  XOXO

A Vintage Garden Party on top of Whole Foods Market Culinary Center proved the perfect Honestly Ultimate Baby Shower for Austin winner Chelsee Capezutti. Together with family and friends, we celebrated Chelsee’s dedication to her family, her personal strength, and the difference she makes in the lives of others as a teacher. Her friend Wendy told us:

Chelsee has been a warrior by [her father’s] side and by her mother’s side. She has been terribly stressed with her father’s condition and hasn’t been able to fully enjoy her pregnancy. She is such a beautiful person inside and out.  I think this would be a wonderful gift to bestow upon such an honest, kind, strong woman. She is a high school teacher and is teaching her students lessons that will stick with them far beyond her classroom.

We had a wonderful time getting to know Chelsee and her husband John and couldn’t be more excited to honor such an inspiring woman, lift her up, and support her in her mission to create a safe and healthy home for her daughter Hope and upcoming arrival Harper.

Get to know a little bit more about Chelsee in her own words….

Honest: What surprised you most about winning the Honestly Ultimate Baby Shower?

Chelsee: I just feel extremely honored to have been chosen, as well as nominated.  My dear friend, Wendy, nominated me.  I feel so grateful that she took the time to do something so sweet for someone else.  I am still in a bit of shock because something like this has never happened to me before.  I feel beyond blessed to receive so many great things from The Honest Company and the other partnering companies.  It truly is something that I will remember forever, and I will always be touched by the kindness shown by The Honest Company.

Honest: Please share with us a little about your story and what it means to your family to win the shower.

Chelsee: First of all, before I start, I don’t believe that I’ve had it “harder” than anyone else in this world.  I believe everyone experiences their own heartaches and struggles and we all learn from them.  The important thing is that we accept people for who they are knowing that we haven’t walked in their shoes.  I don’t live my life feeling sorry for my struggles in life.  I focus on the blessings and that is what gets me through each day. 

Up until 2009, I had led a fairly easy and peaceful life.  I married the love of my life, John Capezzuti, in March of 2009.  On our 7-month anniversary, I got a headache which progressed into a horrible migraine.  My husband decided to take me to a direct care clinic because we weren’t sure what was going on.  After many tests and scans that night, we found out that I had a very large tumor on my brain stem, which is an extremely delicate spot in the brain.  After being told that no one in Austin was qualified to perform surgery on it, we searched for doctors around the country who specialized in this area of the brain. 

My brain surgery was performed in Dallas at UT Southwestern Medical Center.  It lasted 13 hours.  They were unable to remove all of the tumor because of the delicate area.  Three months later, I underwent Cyber Knife Radiation to hopefully stop the growth of the remaining tumor.  Because of the surgery, I have numbness in the right side of my face and double vision, however, these are minimal side effects considering the list of risks they gave me. 

Prior to finding out about my brain tumor, John and I had been trying to start a family with no luck.  After I was through with my treatments, we started trying again.  After several months, we decided to see a fertility doctor.  After a few rounds of fertility treatments, we found out we were pregnant in 2010 and could not have been happier.  Two months later, at one of my check ups, we found out that our sweet baby’s heart wasn’t beating and I had miscarried.  We were devastated as this is all I had ever wanted.  We weren’t giving up, though.  We immediately started fertility treatments again once we were cleared. After a few rounds, we got pregnant again with our sweet daughter.  Hope Adair was born on November 30, 2011. Finally, everything was right in the world!

Just five short months later, my Daddy was rushed to the emergency room because he was unresponsive.  His initial diagnosis was meningitis, but after several tests and a biopsy, we discovered the news that no one wants to hear.  He had cancer.  This past year, my father had three brain surgeries, a hip surgery, several biopsies, and several rounds of radiation.  He fought more courageously than I’ve ever seen anyone fight.  On March 24 of this year, he passed away peacefully in hospice with my mom, sister, and me by his side.  He had a big goal of meeting my newest little one, Harper, in June and it broke my heart that it didn’t happen.  My family is very close and this has been a trying year, or three years, for all of us. 

My faith, my family, and my friends have certainly gotten me through all of this.  Winning the Ultimate Baby Shower provides a special opportunity for all of these people who have supported me to come together and enjoy a memorable event.  This shower isn’t just for me.  It’s for all of them too.  I truly believe that, no matter what life throws at you, as long as you keep a gentle spirit, kind heart, and positive attitude, you can go on.  Throughout my journey, I have kept an online blog at www.caringbridge.org/visit/chelseecapezzuti. 

Honest: What are you looking forward to most once your baby arrives?

Chelsee: Since I was very young, I knew that I wanted to be a mom.  Being able to experience what an absolute miracle my first daughter is, I truly think they are gifts from God.  I can’t wait to see what she looks like and get to know her little personality.  I’m also excited to watch my daughter, Hope, meet her little sister for the first time.  There is nothing that can describe holding your baby for the first time.  A part of you that you never knew was missing is made whole.  After such a hard year, I know that her arrival will be such a light in many of our lives. 

Honest: What’s one piece of advice you’d share with other parents about creating a safe, healthy, and nurturing home?

Chelsee: I think it’s pretty simple in my opinion, ALWAYS put your children first.  I make every single decision based upon what is best for my daughter.  I feel especially honored to raise two daughters as I know how important it is to create a loving, accepting, selfless, and confident children. There are so many things in this changing world that can warp our children into something we don’t want them to be if we aren’t careful.  Creating a strong, safe, and trusting relationship with them is so important.

We’re excited to introduce you to superhero mom Casey Arendt, the winner of a comic-inspired Honestly Ultimate Baby Shower at Chicago’s Land of Nod. When we read the nomination essay that Casey’s friend submitted, we were moved by her strength, courage, and commitment to her family—especially her son Sullivan. Her friend Sarah also shared, “She exposed the many toxins in baby products to me and encouraged homemade options, guiding me with recipes and techniques.  She started a local moms group for mommyhood support and learning to become greener for our children.” We feel honored to know Casey and her family, and hope you enjoy meeting them too.

Get to know a little bit more about Casey in her own words…

Honest: What surprised you most about winning the Honestly Ultimate Baby Shower?

Casey: I have never been particularly lucky with contests, the lottery, etc. I really could not believe I had won…and such amazing prizes from companies doing good in the world. 

Honest: Would you share your favorite quote or excerpt from your nomination essay?

Casey: This excerpt from my friend’s nomination for me was especially touching as my son, my friends, and my family are the reason I have been able to move forward…

“Casey is amazing.  She shows strength in her commitment to her surviving twin son.  She has gone out of her way to help me with my boys, listen to my ‘struggles’ and coach me through the difficult transition back to my research.  I have tried to return favors, but she gives more than I offer.  She smiles, every day.  There are moments of tears and pain, but her light is difficult to extinguish.  She creates wonder and excitement for her son and mine.”

Honest: Please share with us a little about your story and what it means to your family to win the shower.

Casey: Cliché warning. I married my best friend in 2011 and soon after we were expecting. We found out we were having twins at the end of first trimester and, after an initial shock, we were thrilled. After a complication-free twin pregnancy and birth, we met our boys in March 2012 and for 5 months we watched them grow and thrive. The day they turned 5 months our world changed. Our son Emmitt had stopped breathing during his nap—his death was ruled as SIDs. Moving forward from any loss is incredibly personal and painful. Our surviving son Sullivan (Sully) became, more than ever, our light and he lead us out of the darkness along with our friends and family. About 5 months after Emmitt’s death we were at a place where the days brought more laughter than tears and we began to really feel like we were healing. We felt the great loss of Emmitt as a unique individual, but also the loss of a sibling and a brother. We decided to speed up our plans for a larger family and in January we learned I was pregnant— at 10 weeks we confirmed I was carrying twins again. We are overjoyed to be able to welcome a bigger family than expected and to get another chance at experiencing the unique twin journey. We try to talk about our son Emmitt as often as we can and will continue to keep his candle burning through his siblings and our memories of him. 

Winning the Honestly Ultimate Baby Shower means we can bring our new babies home to the most honest and natural environment and products available; that we can provide them and their brother with natural and wholesome options in this world of questionable chemicals/ingredients and corporate profits. Winning this shower means the world to us and we are so very thankful.

Honest: What are you looking forward to most once your babies arrives?

Casey: I can’t wait to see my son Sully meet his siblings for the first time; he’ll be about 18 months when they arrive. We’ve been playing with some of my old dolls for practice and he has taken to kissing and snuggling with them whenever he sees them, leaving them toys in their play-cradle—it melts my heart.

Honest: What’s one piece of advice you’d share with other parents about creating a safe, healthy, and nurturing home?

Casey: I am always telling friends to trust their instincts—they’ll serve you better than any product, book or class. After Emmitt died we had to run everything through a filter to avoid the irrational fears in an effort to continue to raise our son in the free-range and responsible way we wanted, absent of “worst first” thinking. Trust yourself and trust your baby. That and be ready to adapt—parenthood is like trying to hit a moving target, you’ll have to stay on your toes and get creative as each development and phase hits.