12.30.2016

Happy (Almost) New Year + Update!


Wow - did these past few weeks fly by or what?! 

I'm sorry I've been MIA! I haven't been able to get our Christmas recap up (or blog at all) because unfortunately after Christmas Grayson got sick with a bad stomach virus + bronciolitis. Poor little guy has been such a trooper though it all, and I think he's finally on the mend! It has been really crazy in our house the past week trying to take care of him, get our house back in order, and somehow try to keep Camden from getting it. On the bright side, we still had a great holiday with family and the kids had a wonderful Christmas. Full recap coming next week! On top of all of that..we leave for Florida next week, which will be perfect timing to escape these winter temps and soak up some vitamin D! I . am. pumped. and am not complaining about it, but we've just had a lot going on right now, as I'm sure all of you do too!

 Anyway, I wanted to quickly pop in and wish you all a happy new year + say THANK YOU for following along for all of 2016 with me. I truly appreciate all of you and the support you've given over the years, especially in times like these when my blog has to take a back seat for a bit. I want to make 2017 a great (and more consistent) year for my blog, so please stick around! :) 

See you next year!! 

12.21.2016

Counting Down Until Christmas

(2nd visit with Santa this year-both boys were pretty calm meeting the big man and Grayson was about to take a little snooze on him, ha!)

It has been a crazy past couple of days, sorry for being a bit MIA! Billy texted me yesterday saying, "I noticed you've been slacking on your blog." Nothing like being called out by your husband, ha! Trying to wrap up everything that needs to be done for the holidays has had me completely consumed.

Our celebrations are actually starting tomorrow with my stepmom's side of the family because we are going to Cleveland on Friday for the weekend and for Christmas day. Santa is coming for the boys at our house on Friday morning before we head to Cleveland! And then, once we come back home, we will be celebrating with just my parents on Monday night so we have a very busy (but exciting) next few days! 

We stayed up until 1am on Saturday to get all of our wrapping done...I'm more of a "let's just get it all done at once" type of gal when it comes to wrapping, but I will say using kid wrapping paper (aka Paw Patrol) makes it a little bit more fun and exciting. 

We're super excited for this Christmas with our families and to watch Cam open his gifts, but we do still feel a huge void with Rocky not being with us. It just doesn't feel the same not being able to shop for little squeaky toys or treats for him. I got so sad just looking at his stocking. 

Before I tear up, let's change subjects. Have I mentioned we are taking the kids to Florida in two weeks?! This time Billy's brother and his wife are coming with us! It will be so much fun to have them there with us, and they are saints for coming to help with the kids.

What else has been going on? I changed up my hair! Since summer I've had highlights in my hair but recently decided to go dark for winter. At first it felt like I went black because I'm not used to having it so dark, but I'm really liking it now! And of course, if this filter could stick with me in real life that would be fantastic...


Also, yesterday Camden helped me make "Christmas Crack" to bring to our in-laws and OH MY GOODNESS is it GOOD! Apparently I'm the only one who has never had it before? If by the small chance you haven't tried it or made it, here is the recipe. Trust me, you'll thank me later...


I'm also in the middle of planning Camden's 2nd birthday party. I cannot believe he will be TWO in less than a month! I sent out the invitations last week and I loved how they turned out...

(I got the invites on Etsy here

He's even wearing a Paw Patrol shirt in that picture, so he completely matches the invites! To think I was that girl who always said I wouldn't go crazy with "characted themed" things for my kids. Clearly THAT didn't last long! Anything for your kids, right? :) 

If I don't talk to you all again until after Christmas, I hope you all have the best Christmas and enjoy the holiday with your families!! xo

12.15.2016

CURRENTLY...


NOT WATCHING: This Is Us, BECAUSE DAMN HOLIDAY BREAK! I am so addicted to this show, you guys. I can't remember the last time I REALLY got into a scripted TV series, but my goodness. I watch each episode at least twice because I'm really weird like that. Sterling K. Brown is just my favorite! And I have to ask...IS TOBY OKAY?! or do you guys think he died? I keep saying to myself...nothing bad happens on Christmas Eve! Or will they spin it and he does pass away and then Kate is forever mad at her mom because she promised her that?

LOVING: On a happier note, did you guys see that all Kendra Scott earrings are $10 off today AND free shipping? Use code GIFTS! Buy yourself a pretty pair or one for your mom! Here are two favorites...(I asked Santa aka Billy for the black/silver pair!) 



GOING ON AT HOME: On Tuesday it snowed all day for the first time this year and since I was home with the boys I took Camden out to play in it! He was saying, "snow! snow! snow!" all day long while watching it come down from the window, and like I expected he had a BLAST playing in it. In fact, he had a meltdown when I made him come inside. ha. This picture captures his happiness and curiosity so perfectly....

iphone 7 plus camera for the win

In Grayson news...he is growing up way too quickly. His hair has been coming in more lately and gets super spiky in the back, it's the cutest! Those cheeks of his are mighty delicious too. He's already starting teething (Cam started at this age too with a first tooth shortly after) and is constantly shoving anything and everything into his mouth. 


I bought both the boys new boots from Target (Camden's are the Cat & Jack line) and they're practically the cutest things ever...


MAKING MEMORIES: By going to Breakfast with Santa! It was Camden's second year going and Grayson's first (obviously...) We love it because it's held at one of our favorite restaurants and it's much more personal, so the kids get more interaction and time with Santa! Not to mention, there are no lines which is Mommy's favorite part about it. 

 Cam was saying Santa all the way there in the car, but froze a bit when it was time to sit on his lap, ha! When we ask him what Santa says, he says "ho, ho" with always just 2 ho's. Not three. :)

I also started a new tradition with Camden (and Grayson can join next year) of decorating sugar cookies. He was much more into the eating of the cookies and icing, but he loved shaking the sprinkles all over our counter tops...I mean, all on the cookies.


I think that's it. Short and sweet today, but if you haven't entered this giveaway yet head on over and do so! You could win a $100 Gift Card! xo

12.14.2016

Christmas Gifts For Everyone

Untitled #95


Can you believe we are only 11 days away from Christmas? I would be lying if I said all my shopping is done...it's definitely not. Must. finish. ASAP!

If you're tired of shopping at the same old places (and dealing with the lines, my hand is raised) then you'll love these unique gifts from UncommonGoods that are sure to please anyone on your list. Half of what they sell is made by hand and about 1/3 of their entire collection is made incorporates recycled or upcycled materials - so awesome! I decided to include this gift guide because it has just a little bit for everyone - whether it's for your child, husband, family friend, childcare provider, or best friend. They have some really great gifts for mom too that you can check out.

My favorite gift out of all of these would be this book. We got this book as a gift when I was pregnant with Camden and have read it to him before bed ever since he was really little. He loves that his name is on every page and looks forward to reading it every night. The custom big brother/big sister book is an excellent option too if you are pregnant with your second or know someone who is! The state slate cheese plate and wine cooler come in right behind the book as my other favorites.

Go to UncommonGoods website to see their full selection of gifts! There are so many ideas for men (the pesky ones to shop for) that would be perfect for not only Christmas, but birthdays as well. Happy hump day, friends!

12.12.2016

Our Christmas Cards


Christmas card season - is there anything better?

Receiving Christmas cards from our family and friends and sending out our own cards is something I look forward to every year! Camden is really interested in helping get the mail now, so it's even more fun to look at the cards we get together. This is the second year in a row I've gotten our Christmas cards from Tiny Prints!

When it comes to ordering our cards online, they are hands down my favorite company to order from because of the personal touches I can put on the cards, extensive selection, and how fast they're always sent out to me.

I love how our family photos that Little Roo Studios took for us (Rachel also took these maternity photos) match so well with the colors on our card! Before our family photo shoot with her, I was worried we wouldn't have one picture to use for our cards because honestly Camden is not into pictures much lately. He just wants to run all over the place, so I wasn't sure how it would go! Rachel, once again, proved us wrong because she gave us so many beautiful photos to choose from (plan to post them all soon!) I also decided to include some pictures of the boys that I took at home randomly, just because I liked the idea of putting two different 'types' of pictures on the cards. Lastly, how perfect are those red envelope liners? I'm kinda obsessed with them.





If you haven't ordered your holiday cards yet - you still have plenty of time and can see all of Tiny Prints holiday cards here! And if your local and in need of family pictures - Rachel is your gal! (you can also find here on instagram here, or facebook here) You won't be disappointed!

And just for fun, here is our card from last year. I can't believe how much Cam has grown since then...

 

12.07.2016

Rocky Update

photo from two years ago today, pregnant with Cam

It's been almost two months since we lost Rocky. And it's still really hard. 

Sometimes it feels like it's not real that he's gone, but instead just a nightmare and he will be back with us soon. I feel crazy saying that, but it's the truth. His bed and toy basket are still sitting under my desk because I can't bear to pack them into our basement just yet. His food is still in the bottom of our pantry because it feels wrong to throw it away. It almost feels like if I do those things that it will be real that he's gone and not coming back, and I'm not ready for that quite yet. There are still times when I will turn my head around and go to say "love you Rock, we'll be back!", which is what I would do and say every time I left the house.

Camden still mentions him and says his name almost daily. We know he misses him, they were best buddies for almost two years. Ever since Rocky passed Camden has become obsessed with Paw Patrol, and for those of you who don't have kids and watch the show one of the pups names is Rocky. We got him a stuffed animal Rocky from the store and he now sleeps with it every night and carries it all over our house. Camden's 2nd birthday is next month (a post for another day) and I was going to do a Mickey Mouse theme for it, but I decided the other day to change it to do Paw Patrol. It just feels right! I love the idea of incorporating Rocky (+ the other characters from the show) into his birthday party, considering the circumstances.

I mentioned on this post that we decided to have Rocky cremated and I was very unsure about it at first, but over the past month and a half since he's been gone it's provided us with a lot of comfort. I kiss his little urn every night (which turned out beautifully) and it (he) sits right next to our bed.

I have no real point to this post, other than to get my feelings out there and say loss is difficult and comes in waves. No matter what type of loss - human or pet. Also, I would love it if maybe the take away for those reading would be to go home and love on your pets for me. And if you have kids, take some time out of your night to play or cuddle your pet a little more than usual. Love them just a little bit harder this holiday season for me.

12.05.2016

Gift Guide For Men

Gift Guide For Men

Alright girls, it's time to get our shopping done for the men in our lives!

Every year I try really hard to find GOOD gifts for Billy that he will actually use or wear long term. I absolutely love these Johnston & Murphy Oxford dress shoes (they are Billy's favorite brand of shoe for work), they are so sharp! And I think The North Face vest or Patagonia Pullover are great options for casual everyday wear. This Fitbit Watch would be a true winner if he's into fitness (or even just loves electronics!), along with a new briefcase for his laptop. This one has amazing reviews and is on sale for $62, normally $80!

Also...I typically like to get a fancy shaving kit for Billy since he normally doesn't splurge on these type of items, so this year I got him this Winter Winston Set from Harry's. It has everything he would need (limited edition razor, shave gel, 3 blade cartridges, and 1 travel blade cover) for just $30! It can be engraved and comes in a pretty midnight blue. They also have a nice deluxe set with a few more products included for $50!


Hope you all had a great weekend and I hope this gift guide helps because I know how hard shopping for men can be! Happy Monday!

12.02.2016

Our Christmas Tree (+My Favorite Ornaments)


My biggest concern with our tree this year was if Camden would try to knock it down or try to climb it....seriously. Ha! I honestly thought he would constantly be touching it or pulling ornaments off, but much to our surprise he leaves it alone for the most part, otherwise we just redirect him and tell him the ornaments stay on the tree.

It's going well so far and I think it helps that most of the ornaments are shatterproof anyways so I'm less worried about them (and the ones that aren't I just put at the top out of his reach...) Grayson loves to lay by it and look up at the lights, so of course I jump at every chance for a mini photoshoot of that. I've got to get all the pictures I can before he turns mobile!

Our tree looks small in these pictures for some reason and these are just quick iPhone shots, but thre tree is actually a really good size and I LOVE the flocked style! I decided to just do red and silver bulbs this year and I really love how it turned out.

Anyway, I wanted to share some of my favorite personalized ornaments because I got a bunch of questions on my snapchat about them...

I got these adorable silhoutte ornaments of the boys from my friend Julie's 3 Daughters Design Etsy Shop! You can also find her on facebook here or instagram here.

 Julie creates the silhouttes herself so all you have to do is send her a side profile picture of your child and she does it all herself! These would make great gifts for your friends with kids, too! (Note: use the code KEEPCALM10 if you want 10% off! The last day for Christmas orders is Dec. 6th so if you're interested order before then)

On the back of Grayson's it says "1st Christmas 2016" and on the back of Camden's it says "2016". They stand out on our tree so well (you can get others color combo's too) and are SO cute!

 And then...as I was trying to find an ornament to honor Rocky (ugh-we miss him so much), I found this 'In Our Hearts Forever' from Personal Creations online and decided I needed it. I also had to get this Baby Mitten ornament for Grayson from there, too...
They have a huge selection of personalized ornaments for the whole family and the personalization is included in the price. You can see all their personalized Christmas ornaments here...

This one is next on my list to get, it's too cute!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

12.01.2016

Splurge Worthy Holiday Gifts For Her

womens christmas gifts, gifts for her, gifts under $200, holiday gifts for women

Barbour Coat (on sale) // It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Cream // Stila Lip Set // Tory Burch Leather Crossbody Wallet (love this gray color) // Pajama Set (other colors available) // Patagonia Pullover (need this-love the cream too) // Nike Juvenate Sneaker (this is the pair I'm always wearing on my snapchat that I get so many questions about!) // Tory Burch Link Tote (carry everything in this) // Oribe Gold Lust Set // UGG Dakota Slippers // It Cosmetics Bye Bye Lines Serum // Sequin Sweater (gorgeous) // neuLash Lash Enhancing Serum (top of my list) // Lululemon High Times Pant (couldn't live without these!) // UGG Fleece Robe (so warm and cozy)


This is my second to last gift guide I will be featuring on my blog! Next week I will have my favorite picks for men and that'll be it, but if you have any requests please let me know! And if you missed my gifts for her under $50 you can see that here.

These are the items you ask your husbands for ladies (or maybe treat yourself to?) because they will surely be the favorite under the tree! Whether it's a new coat (this Barbour coat is on sale and is my new favorite brand), running shoe, purse, or pajama set you will definitely get your use out of them. 

To highlight my favorites: I recently splurged on the Oribe texturizing spray after JoJo raved about it and I'm obsessed. It's like a dry shampoo/volume booster in one. I use it every time I curl my hair, and the gift set is a great deal! These Lululemon pants I ask for every year because they keep me warm and are so flattering because they are high waisted and suck you in! The It Cosmetics anti-aging serum I've been using with this eye cream for the past few months and I will be re-purchasing once my bottles are up. I am picky about eye creams and this one I have no complaints about and has gotten a ton of beauty awards. Lastly, the Patagonia pullover is something I would wear on the daily just running errands and going places with the kids!

Happy Thursday!