11.30.2016

Gift Guide For The Kids

Kids Christmas

 Frame (another cute option here) // Mud Pie Treasure Box Set // Toddler Vest // Blanket // Little Me Pajama Set (obsessed!!!) // TOMS Cuna Baby Shoe (thinking Grayson needs these) // Finding Dory DVD (Cam's fav!) // Baby & Toddler One-Piece Sleeper // Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat // Nike Free Toddler Sneaker (Cam has these!) // Elf On The Shelf // Chicco Next Fit Zip Convertible Car Seat // Paw Patrol Zoomer Marshall // Book // Hooded Romper (I love this!)

If you have kids then you know that most of your money will go towards them during than holidays than anyone else. I have to force myself to stop buying for them sometimes and actually buy for the other people on my list...ha.

I try not to go overboard on the toys and get things that they really need (books, new pajamas or  coat, an extra car seat if needed, a new movie that is actually really for me for those times I need to get something done, etc.), so here's my list including all of those items!

Two things: I can't tell you how often I recommend Chicco's car seats. They are the only car seats I will ever use...I love them that much. We just got Grayson's convertible car seat (this Next Fit Zip) and it is AMAZING! They have the best safety ratings, are easy to install and clean, and they are really comfortable. My kids love them. Right now they have $100 off at checkout - if you're in the market for one! Zoomer Marshall is the one toy I included because it was the first thing I bought for Camden...he is going to freak! He is obsessed with Paw Patrol right now (actually ever since Rocky passed he has been...sad face) and this toy is at the top of the list for kids this year! 

Happy shopping for the little ones! xo 

11.28.2016

Grayson: 4 Months Old

{OMG..he is so delicious, isn't he?! I cannot wait to share all the pictures from this little photoshoot I did with him, they turned out so cute!}

4-6 months old is seriously my FAVORITE age. And on top of that it's the holidays (which gives me the perfect excuse to dress him up in outfits like this and take a million pics), so you could say I'm one happy mama right now! Grayson continues to be the most easy going baby...he is just so sweet all the time and very laid back. Here's some highlights this month:

Weight: 15 lbs 11 oz (67%)

Height: 26" (88%-he had a HUGE growth spurt this month and shot up in length to catch up to Cam's size when he was this age)

Hair: Brown, coming in more recently!

Eyes: Changed to brown this past month

Clothes: Pretty much all 6 month clothes now

Diapers: 2's

Sleeping: We moved up his bedtime so he will have his last bottle around 7 then go to bed right after. He sleeps until 630 or 7am. THANK YOU, GRAYSON! He's in Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit right now, but we hope to switch to just a sleep sack soon.

He's pretty consistent with his naps, too. He takes 2 long morning naps then one shorter one late afternoon.

Likes: Unlike his brother, he LOVES when we change his outfits. He thinks it's hysterical and cracks up! Speaking of his brother, he is always looking for him and just recently started laughing at him when Cam tries to play with him. It is the absolute best thing to witness. He's also started sucking on his left thumb! I used to suck my thumb when I was little, but Cam never did. Grayson also loves to be tickled, held, and kissed on his adorable little (but big) cheeks.

Dislikes: Burping - he's not a fan. That's about it, though.. such a chill baby!

Eating: 5 oz every 3-3.5 hours, 6 oz at bedtime bottle

Health: Grayson has had a cold/cough on and off for about a month. I feel like he's always congested, but luckily it hasn't turned into anything worse. Also, pediatrician recommended starting him on Prevacid once per day for reflux because he has been spitting up so much these past 3-4 weeks, pretty much after every single bottle. We've already noticed a huge difference and it's only day 4 being on the medicine, so that's great news!

Milestones: He can roll over both ways now (so big!), but he prefers to roll from belly to back. He's only rolled from back to belly once or twice so far. He's not in much of a hurry and is more content just laying around observing, which is totally fine by me! Babbling is his new normal and we love to hear the beginning of his little voice. He is THIS close to being able to put his Wubbanub back in on his own. This month was also my first time being away from him (because of going to TX) which was really hard, but Billy really stepped up and gave me updates pretty much every hour. :)

favorite pictures this month:

favorite videos:

11.23.2016

Gifts For Her Under $50

Gifts For Her Under $50


Happy day before Thanksgiving, you guys!

Black Friday is typically when I like to get started on my holiday shopping, just because I can't pass up all the sales. I look forward to posting these gift guides every year and have so much fun putting them together! Most of these items I featured today are marked down a ton and are such good deals!

I just bought a beanie that looks identical to this one, and I've gotten so many compliments on it already. I know it'll be a staple for me this winter. That scarf is cashmere (comes in other colors!) and is 50% OFF! The Fresh Sugar Lip Set is an awesome deal and would be a great stocking stuffer or for your girlfriends! I can't go a day without using it - it has the prettiest tint. Lastly, I'm obsessed with those adorable plaid flannel pajama pants.

Here are all the links:
Fresh Sugar Lip Set (my fave chapstick ever-has such a pretty tint)
 Knit Beanie with PomPom (I just bought one identical to this and it is going to be a staple this winter...this one is only $19 and comes in black too)
 Cashmere Scarf 
 Estee Lauder DayWear Starter Set
 Wine Not Phone Case (Because WINE! I just bought this, are you surprised?)
 Echo Touch Tech Gloves (only $29)
 Kendra Scott Elisa Pendant Necklace 
Bauble Bar Tassel Earrings (many colors-perfect for holiday parties)
 Kendra Scott Tessa Earrings (LOVE!)
 Zella Live-In Leggings (you better run to purchase these-they're the best and on sale right now for $37!)
  Make + Model Plaid Flannel Lounge Pants 
 Tweezerman Rose Gold Love Story Set
 Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb Travel Spray 
Hunter Cable Knit Knee High Socks (so cute!)
Levtex Stripe Monogram Throw 
Sigma Eyes On The Go Brush Set
Swell Birch Wood Stainless Steel Water Bottle (NEED!)
 BP Stripe Foldover Clutch (only $25 and multiple colors)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families! I will have another gift guide up soon, including one for kids! If you have any requests, please let me know so I can include them!

11.21.2016

Repairing My Tooth Sensitivity With Sensodyne® ($100 GIFT CARD!)


Raise your hand if you've had sensitive teeth over the years and you've just tried to live with the problem? Yep, that's me and I'm sure some of you, too.

Because really, who likes going to the dentist? Other than my routine appointments, I typically try to avoid going at all costs. Unfortunately though, I've suffered with sensitive teeth for years. I am no stranger to the uncomfortable sensitive sensation I get after a scoop of ice cream or sip from a cold drink.  If you suffer from tooth sensitivity too, you know it's not fun at all. 

As of this past year, I've been using Sensodyne® Repair & Protect toothpaste and it’s provided me with so much relief. Sensodyne® is the #1 dentist recommended brand for sensitive teeth, and it also provides all the benefits of a daily toothpaste so you really can't go wrong! When brushing with it twice a day every day, I've found that my sensitivity issues are much more manageable or gone all together.

One of the reasons why Sensodyne® works so well is because the active ingredient (stannous fluoride) forms a reparative layer over the sensitive areas of the teeth, with twice daily brushing. Using Sensodyne® Repair & Protect is such a simple change in your oral care routine that it's really silly to just try to live with the tooth sensitivity pain. Take care of yourself, and your teeth, and give it a try if you haven't already! You'll be happy the next time you have that ice cream craving!

GIVEAWAY (WOULD BE GREAT TO PUT TOWARDS CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!) >> Do you suffer from tooth sensitivity? Tell me in the comments for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card!

Entry Instructions:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 11/21/2016-12/31/2016
Be sure to visit the Sensodyne® brand page on SheKnowsMedia.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!
Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by Sensodyne® or GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare

Connect with Sensodyne® on their official website, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

11.17.2016

When In Texas...


You...

FINALLY get to see your best friend and introduce your kids to each other! Then watch them turn into baby besties over the course of 4 days (hand holding, kisses, baths, breakfast dates, and couch cuddles included, obviously...)

 go to the U of H game and act like you're not from Ohio by wearing their colors...

have a girls night at Seasons 52...


take the kiddos to mutiple parks...




keep your kid up past their bedtime to eat the most delicious mexican food...

about die from bath time cuteness...

fall in LOVE with little miss Paisley and take a million snap chats with her...
(love this little girl so much)

watch your son become obsessed with Oakley and follow her everywhere...

put them in matching pajamas and let them jump in their crib/in bed with marshmallows...
 (how cute is this! hey, my boy knows what he wants :))

 go to the butterfly museum...

indulge in fro-yo (in pajamas)...


soak up the 80 degree weather during nap time...

And of course, countdown the damn days until you get to see them and do it all over again.

There's no other way to say it besides we had the BEST time! Steph was such a good host (as always) and Paisley was so sweet, always sharing her toys with Camden. Camden and Paisley got along so well together...every morning they would wake up looking for each other and would walk together holding hands. It was the cutest thing ever! And I was over the moon finally being able to spend time with Paisley and hug that sweet girl whenever I wanted!! Oh, and not to mention the weather was warm and AMAZING. I'm so happy to be back with Billy and Grayson (was so hard being away from him), but definitely miss them today and wish we didn't live so far away. Currently trying to convince Billy that we need a house there... :)  Until next time, Texas. Thanks for being good to me (and filling my belly up with delicious food!)

PS: I'm convinced that if you can travel alone with a very active toddler (with multiple flights) then you can do...well, ANYTHING.

11.10.2016

Currently...Texas Edition!

Time to play a little catch up...

Watching: Obviously this was a big week because of the election. I'm not going to get into my thoughts and opinion on it (there is way too much of that going on on Facebook), but I will say that this is the first election that I've been able to vote in that really shocked me and had me sucked in. I can't believe how many votes it came down to in some states! It's so important that we all come together and be unified right now, regardless of who you voted for. When it comes down to it, we all care because we want what's best for the country.

And on an not as important side note, I have to say I'm pretty happy Pump Rules is back. Who watched? This season is going to be GOOD. I could do without James and LaLa, though. Eye rolls.

Traveling To: Texas! As in, I will be there bright and early tomorrow until Tuesday to visit Steph! I'm taking Camden with me (Billy doesn't have vacation time left so he's staying home with Grayson), so that him and Paisley can finally meet and we can absurdly plan their future wedding. We have tried planning this trip many times but because of our schedules, one of us being too pregnant or having a baby, it's been hard so this visit is way overdue. I can't wait to see them, but I'm also a little sad/nervous because it's my first time leaving Grayson. I am crossing my fingers that Cam will do well on the flights (we have a connection-woof) since it'll be just me and I won't have Billy for backup, ha! (Pray for me, you know how toddlers can be so unpredictable!)


Craving: TEX-MEX...BBQ...ALL OF IT! I'm going to eat like a mad woman this weekend. There's no dieting when on vacay. 

Loving: (1) This list of holiday must-have beauty favorites. I've been using this Perfect Complexion palette (pictured below) and love that it has a bunch of my favorite products in one. This palette has a bronzer, highlighter, blush, and their award-winning Bye Bye Pores powder (one of my all time faves.) I also switched to using this All That Glitters brush set and they are definitely my go-to brushes now. My makeup goes on evenly and smoothly, plus they are just so pretty. I rave about It Cosmetics often, but it's because I truly love almost every product I've tried from them...


(2) I've gotten a lot of questions about my over the knee boots that were pictured recently on my snapchat and instagram. They are sold out (for good reason-I'm obsessed) but these are similar in black and I also love these brown suede ones (still some sizes left!) and these ones



This pair aren't over the knee, but they are on sale and super cute...


Wondering: When it's acceptable to put our Christmas tree up? Oh wait...it would probably help if we had a tree! I decided to take back the one I bought last year because I didn't love it, so we're in the market for a new one. And fast because sister wants to get it up! I'm really feeling the itch to decorate early this year. Any suggestions on where to get the best trees?

Thankful For: Billy recently bought me a beautiful necklace with a Pomeranian charm on it, and had Rocky's name engraved on it. I thought it was so sweet he picked it out on his own. Gotta love him.

Thinking About: How no post is as cute if my babies aren't pictured, so...


There. Much better :)

Can't wait to do a recap of our trip next week! Have a great day, friends!

11.07.2016

Halloween 2016

I am that mom sharing her kids Halloween pictures a week late...

Sorry, but there's also no way I could skip it all together! This year was bittersweet for many reasons. Camden was too young to go trick-or-treating last year (he wasn't even walking-time goes way too fast!), so he knew he needed to make up for that this year by trick-or-treating twice as hard. We "practiced" a few days prior around the house and every time I mentioned Halloween or trick-or-treat he went over to the door to try to leave, and go get all the candy right NOW! Secondly, having Grayson be with us for his first Halloween was really special, too. Babies in costumes just don't get old and I will dress him up for as long as he will let me! With that being said, we were still missing Rocky and that was hard. We would always dress him up and he loved getting attention from all the kids and neighbors. It just didn't feel quite the same without him, but we did have a great time with the boys... I mean, my little shark and nemo :)

 
 

Cam acted like he has been trick-or-treating his whole life. We couldn't believe how well he did! Even when given the opportunity to stick his hand in a bowl and grab as many candies as he wanted, he still only grabbed 1 and it was always a sucker. He was more of a eat on the go type of guy (who could blame him?), so the hour that he lasted trick-or-treating he had about 8 different dum dums. Since he doesn't get candy much, we decided to just go with it and let him go to town. He was loving it to say the least! Hearing him say "treat pwease" was just too much for this mama heart. 

 

We also took the boys to Boo At The Zoo for the first time. Everyone kept laughing and commenting on Cam's costume since he fit in so well with his surroundings... :)


I also decided that since I made Camden sit inside a pumpkin for Halloween last year that I had to do it again with Grayson. I'm glad I did because I can't get enough of this sweet boy and these pictures! (I'm sure both of them will be SO HAPPY WITH ME when they're older and I show them...)


And just like every other holiday, this year makes me even more excited for next year when Grayson will be able to trick-or-treat as well and Camden, I'm sure, will show him exactly how it's done!

In the meantime, Christmas is right around the corner which means bring on all the matching holiday pajamas and outfits.

PS: If you haven't entered this giveaway, make sure to do so before it ends. xo.