Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Summer Bucket List

At the beginning of the summer we came up with a Summer Bucket List. We value family time, some weeks get very busy especially during the summer since that is a busy time in youth ministry. The list gave us ideas and helped us to be intentional about the time we had together. I don't think summer is officially over, especially since we live in Texas and it's still super hot out, but I've retired our list and moved on to fall. Thought I would do a recap of the things we accomplished on our list. 

We had a busy summer, filled with travel and adventures along with some very difficult times. But we ended up checking all but one thing off of our list!


We didn't make it to the Farmer's Market, so we just moved that on to our Fall Bucket List. Really, it's a better fall activity anyways!

Zoo

We went to the Nashville Zoo when we were there visiting my brother. It was a really nice zoo! They have an awesome playground and even a nice area just for toddlers that Walt loved. And he got to pet a kangaroo, how special is that! We had a great time, it was hot out but we had a blast!

Splash Pad

We have quite a few splash pads near by, which is awesome. W was so cute playing at this one. We had the whole place to ourselves and he was a little unsure of the water at first but then he loved it. I brought his swimsuit with us but didn't put it on him, so he ended up soaked and in a regular diaper that was down to his knees by the end. But it was a fun time!

Build a Fort

This was a father-son playtime, and they had a blast! I came home from Starbucks and this was the state of the family room. W used a flashlight and they ate snacks in their fort. They loved it and had a blast building it!

Make S'mores

This was our last thing to check off of our Bucket List, it just happened last night! The mosquitos have been so bad and it's still hot out even at night so we kept putting it off. We had our bonfire at 6:30 and it was still light out, but W goes to bed pretty early. He loved helping Kyle hold the skewer, and of course, he LOVED the S'more. He was covered in chocolate by the end and we all smelled like a campfire by the end, but the s'mores were delicious.

Baseball Game

Well we didn't make it to a major league game, but we did make it to two of daddy's softball games and that more than counts! Walt loved running around and really wanted to climb up into the score box. He also loved watching daddy hit the ball. Sweet boy

Catch Lightning Bugs

Well not technically a picture of us catching lightning bugs cause I forgot to take one, but it was this night. We were out in Nashville and had just gotten done taking family pictures when we found a bunch of them and got to chase them around. I grew up in Illinois and there were tons of lightning bugs. I remember catching bunches of them after dinner during the summer. We don't have many of them in Texas so it was fun to find them while we were gone.

Ice Cream Truck
Clearly W wasn't interested in the ice cream at all... ha! Kyle had an ice cream truck come on a Wednesday night for the students, so it worked out perfectly. W loves hanging out with the big kids, he mostly just stares at them and freezes if any of them try to talk to him or give him a high five. But when we go to leave he cries and cries. Grateful that he gets to grow up with so many good role models around.

Go to the Library
I'm kind of embarrassed at how long this took for us to accomplish. And I wasn't even at this trip, but we went through some personal and difficult things at the end of summer so it's understandable. Kyle and Walt headed out on an adventure and ended up at the library. W loves books, but he also loves to pull all of them off the shelf so it didn't last long.

Our Fall Bucket list is coming soon...

Any ideas for what I should put on it?

Friday, May 20, 2016

Stitch Fix #2

I decided to sign up for another Stitch Fix box. I did my first one back in January, you can see that blog post here. I waited a few months to do another one because life has been kind of crazy and I have basically lived in yoga capris and t-shirts. But I decided it was time to do another one because it's almost my birthday, almost summer, and I had some credits from people signing up from my affiliate link (thanks guys!!) I tend to stick in the grey range so I requested some color and different patterns. Take a look and see what you think, help me decide what to keep! And then sign up and request a box for yourself! There is a $20 styling fee, but that goes toward any item you purchase.

Here's what I got:

Le Lis: Parsons Lace Back Tank

You think I could've hidden the tag a bit better...ha!
Details: I like the lace on the back and the fact that it's not super see through. It's really soft material and I love the navy. I did have to dig through my drawer to find a strapless bra to take this picture haha. I have a shirt that is very similar to this so I won't be keeping this one
Verdict: Pass

Pixley: Ivy Split Neck Print Blouse
Details: I don't think I own a pink shirt. This one is super cute, it has little flowers on it. It fits really nice and I like the color on me. It's 100% polyester, which might make it a little warm for summer. I'm still deciding on this one. What do you think?
Verdict: Undecided

Nimue Zipper Detail Top

I would never have picked up this shirt at a store. I like the colors and the stripes. But I'm not a fan of the shape of it. It's really flowy at the bottom and kind of short. Also a zipper in the front with a one year old boy who loves zippers... not a good plan.
Verdict: Pass

Joey Skinny Jean

These are the same brand as the jeans in my last box that I kept and love, love, love. They are my go-to jeans. I am not a fan of the front pockets on these jeans so I knew I was going to pass on them before I even tried them on. But I still tried them on cause Stitch Fix says try everything on! And I do  love the way this brand of jeans fits me but the pockets are just not for me.
Verdict: Pass

Papermoon: Waters Knit Maxi Dress


Details: This dress is so soft and so pretty. I never try on maxi dresses because I'm so short. It's a bit long on me but I love it! The pattern is pretty and it's flattering but not revealing. The top is high enough that I don't have to worry about bending over or a little boy pulling on it too hard. I think this is my favorite item from the box.
Verdict: Keep

What would you keep if you were me? Let me know!

I'll leave you with a cute pic of me and Walt ;)



Sunday, April 24, 2016

11 Month Favorites

Ah! We are only one month away from one year! I'm not ready. This year has flown by, for the most part those sleepless nights definitely didn't fly by ha! I'm not ready for my baby to be one but I love, love, love watching him learn new things every day. He is so fun to interact with and is developing such a cute personality and sense of humor. He remembers things that have made me laugh and will do them again and again. He loves giving kisses and chasing after big kids. He has no fear and loves to explore (he keeps me busy for sure!). He's a great eater, some of his favorites are: eggs (he can eat a 2 egg omelet easy), grilled turkey and cheese sandwich, mozzarella cheese, and sweet potatoes (I cut them up and bake them as fries to make them easy for him to grab). Maybe I'll do a food post soon. But for now here are our 11 Month Favorites...

Carter's 2-Piece PJs-- Nothing says "big boy" like growing out of sleepers and switching to regular pajamas! But the switch has been awesome and W has been regularly sleeping through the night. Not sure why, maybe he's just hot natured (like his daddy) or doesn't like his feet covered (like his mommy) Either way these have been awesome.

Magnetic Cabinet Locks--Hands down best purchase of the past month. As I've mentioned (many times) W loves exploring and that usually means the kitchen. Once he figured out how to open the cabinets it was game over. I could not keep him out of the kitchen if I tried. I ended up putting up a gate and he just sat in front of it and cried and cried. So we needed locks. And strong locks because he is a strong boy. Unlike the normal push top ones these don't open at all when they are locked, meaning little fingers can't get through and grab things or get pinched. We keep the magnet on the fridge and just grab it when we need to get into a cabinet. You can also flip a switch on them and keep them unlocked if you're putting away dishes or cooking which is really helpful.

Radio Flyer Trike My brother got this for W for Christmas, it's awesome. It "grows" with your kiddo so it works from 9 months-5 years which is great! We mostly take it on shorter walks because it's harder to push than the jogger but W loves going in it--he can see more and likes to grab the handle bar. Ours has a big basket on the bottom and a "parent pocket" up top to store things.

Shape-O Toy Right now W pretty much just likes shaking this or watching Kyle and I stack the shapes and then he knocks them down. But eventually it will help him learn shapes and matching. It's a quiet toy and very sturdy. It's made by Tupperware and has Lifetime Limited Warrantee. 

Babyganics Sunscreen Neither Kyle or I have very fair skin but W does so we have to be very diligent about putting sunscreen on him. The tops of his feet got burned on a walk in the middle of January... I like this sunscreen because it is meant for babies and is safe for their skin (over the age of 6 months) It's easy to apply and works really well. 


And just cause I can't pass up an opportunity to share a good picture of W...

Exploring at the park, this boy loves to be outside!

Friday, April 8, 2016

10 Month Favorites

Of course it's late cause that's life with a busy boy, but here it is...
This month flew by! Every day is a new adventure with this little boy. He loves to explore and is on the move all day long. He loves climbing, pulling up on everything, pushing chairs/stools/highchairs, pulling down dish towels, and trying to get Buddy's food. It's amazing to see him learn new things--he has started saying "mama" "dada" and "baba" which we think is Buddy, but only when he wants to. We started signs with him awhile ago and haven't been very consistent with any besides "light" because he loves lights, and he knows the sign for it now! It's adorable! And motivation to be more consistent with others--you know things that would actually be helpful, since "light" is just fun.
Anyways, here are our favorite things for this month:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear Slide and Find Book--We try and read several books every day, usually before nap time and this one is a regular. W loves looking at the animals and seeing the door slide on each page. He also loves Polar Bear, Polar Bear.
IKEA Wagon--I had the Lion Walker on last month's favorite things but W has really loved this lately. He got it for Christmas and he was still too little for it so it ended up in his closet until about a week ago. I got it out for him and he just took off! He moves so fast and it's a good height for him to hold on to. I try to put toys in the basket part for him to push around but he stops and takes them out and then keeps walking...silly boy!
Graco Contender--I spent far too long looking through carseat descriptions and reviews. But finally decided on this one and I'm really happy with it. W seems to like sitting up a little higher and being able to see out the window, the seat is really comfy, it has a built-in cup holder, and isn't gigantic like some of the other options. It doesn't turn into a booster so we will have to buy another seat in a few years but I'm okay with that. Kyle installed it and had some problems but ended up getting it really secure and would probably be easier the next time around.
Mega Bloks--Another Christmas gift that W is loving! He got a big bag of all different Mega blocks, including a base for a car. He likes to pull all of the blocks out of the bag and play with the car base. He also likes to knock down anything that Kyle and I build. It's a fun little game ;)
Huggies Little Movers Plus--Diapers, diapers, diapers... They are a necessity for any baby and yet they are all so different. We started out using Pampers Swaddlers and they were good, it was nice to have the indicator line when he was little. But as he started moving more they just didn't hold up. We used Pampers Cruisers and liked those, but then I saw these at Costco on sale so I couldn't pass them up. They are awesome! (Something I never thought I would say about diapers) They have an extra grip strap which helps the diaper stay nice and snug, even when you have a boy that doesn't stop moving. I also like how the back of the diaper is stretchy so it fits really well.

Monday, March 7, 2016

9 Month Favorites


Our sweet little boy is 9 months old, how is that even possible?! He is such an adventurer, keeping up with him is a full workout. He loves to pull up on things, climb through small spaces, find things that aren't toys, make loud noises, and explore. He's started sleeping much better, which is a huge blessing. I feel like an actual human being again, I can have full conversations and most of the time remember words. We give Walt mashed up avocado before bed and I think that's helped him sleep better, and honestly it seems like he just realized hey sleep is pretty awesome. I mean I've been trying to tell him that for months now but he's a pretty stubborn determined little boy.

Anyways, here are our 9 Month Favorites...


Nuby Toothbrushes This is a set of 4 toothbrushes that go along with the different stages of teething. We've used the finger brush on his gums, and the first rubber toothbrush. He likes to put it in his mouth and chew on it, I guess that's teaching him to brush his teeth right? 

Fisher-Price Lion Walker This is a pretty popular toy, and I can see why! W loves looking at himself in the little mirror on the front and pushes it around the room. This is a great toy for the "learning to walk" stage. It plays music and has lots of fun things for them to play with. Just a fair warning--if you forget to turn it off it will just randomly start playing music, it has scared me pretty badly a few times. ha!

Halo Wearable Blanket We used a sleepsack for a while, it was in my 7 Month Favorites but it was starting to get too small. I bought a large in this one which is really for babies over a year but W is a big boy and I'm glad I got a bigger size. He wears this at night over his pjs, it's like having a blanket on and feels nice and snuggly but not overly warm.

Table Toppers These are the best things ever invented. Okay that might be an exaggeration but they are awesome. They are great for little ones who want to feed themselves but can't be trusted with a plate. A picture is really the best way to describe them...

Plus look how adorable he is...
Skip Hop Bath Spout Cover We gave up the baby bath tub this month and started doing baths in the normal tub. This goes over the water faucet and keeps it safe for little heads that might bump into it. 



Thursday, February 11, 2016

8 Month Favorites

This is a few weeks late and time is just flying by! Our little boy is growing like crazy! Pretty sure he's going through a growth spurt--he is eating so much! He's crawling, both army crawl and hands/knees, pulling up on everything, walking along the couch, chasing after our puppy and loves to be outside. He keeps me on my toes but I love being a mom and I'm so grateful to be at home with him.

Here are our favorite things from the past month...

Fisher Price Booster Chair We bought this right before Christmas and it's been really helpful. We take it with us when we go over to people's houses for dinner and it straps on to any size chair. It has two straps, one in the back and one on the bottom so it is very secure. The back folds down so it is pretty compact to store, always a plus with ALL.the.stuff. that comes with having a baby.

Robeez Shoes Walt will not leave his socks on, like the second I put them on they come off. This was my solution to that problem and it really has helped a ton! They have a soft sole and are really easy to put on which is a huge plus cause all those super cutesy shoes are a pain in the butt to put on. He can still crawl around in them and they have helped keep his socks on! They have all different designs but I went with the tennis shoe looking ones to go with the most outfits. It looks like they are having a sale right now!

VTech Turn and Learn Driver My parents got Walt this for Christmas and he loves playing with it! It has all different sounds and music, which is nice cause some of the toys play the same song over and over and over and over... The "key turn" is the volume and I wish it had a lower setting or was in a spot where the kids couldn't turn it up but that seems to be a common theme with the VTech and Fisher Price toys.

Straw Cups Walt learned how to use a straw and really like trying to drink out of any that he can find. I bought these cups for him and they have worked out really well! They are spill proof (for the most part) which is awesome. Just a friendly note--don't have the straw in the lid when you put the lid on the cup or the liquid will go EVERYWHERE. Something about the seal making it spill proof, believe me it's a mess. haha! We are still working on drinking water, every time he tries it seems like it chokes him I guess he's not use to the consistency? I've been making him smoothies lately and he drinks those out of these cups like a champ.

Portable Playard I never thought I would be that mom who buys a playpen for her kid, but I did and I am so glad that I did. Seriously I chase him all over the house all day long, and he is so fast. I use this mostly when I have to go to the bathroom or get something done in the kitchen. Most of the time he does awesome in it, he actually plays with his toys instead of just moving all over and trying to find his next adventure. It's collapsible, light weight, and doesn't take up much space. Reminds me of the foldable chairs you would take to a soccer game, but it opens up to be a good size. The bottom is real thin but you can put down a blanket easily. They also sell one with a sun shade but I didn't spend the extra money on it.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Stitch Fix #1

I've been wanting to try Stitch Fix for awhile and finally decided to give it a go. If you've never heard of Stitch Fix it's a personal styling company. You fill out a survey and questions based on your personal style preferences and make notes of any specific pieces you are looking for and you get a box with five items picked out especially for you. I am the worst at picking out clothes for myself. I never go shopping and if I do I buy something in the grey/comfy family.

If you decide to give Stitch Fix a try, here's my referral link.

I'm still deciding which pieces I want to keep, and would love some feedback!

Rada 3/4 Sleeve Knit Top




This is probably my favorite shirt in the box. It's comfy and can be dressed up or dressed down which is important in my book.


Rosa Tab Sleeve V-Neck Blouse



I don't think I've ever owned a red shirt, or at least not a nice red shirt. Overall I like the fit, it's just very similar to the other three shirts so I'm not sure which one I like best. I don't think I need all three.

Colibri Solid Tab Sleeve Blouse

I think this one might be my favorite of the solid long shirts. I like the green and I like the buttons in the front.

Sylvester Split Neck Blouse



I think this is my least favorite item in the box. I'm not a huge fan of the neck line. But it did grow on me the longer I had it on.

Dark Skinny Jeans




I wasn't expecting to like these jeans when I saw them. They are ankle length and they have a zipper on the outside calf. But they fit really good and that's not an easy thing to find when you are super short. They are also a little edgy and something I would've never picked out for myself. (You can't really see the zipper in these pictures but they are a really dark blue and the zipper is just on the outside at the bottom.)

What do you think I should keep?

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

7 Month Favorites

Well this is a few weeks late but we have been enjoying family time with Kyle off work. Now it's back to the everyday and that means writing this blog! Here are our favorite things from the past month...



Covered Goods Nursing Cover Seriously this might be my top favorite of all time. Breastfeeding comes with challenges, but we have been lucky enough to be able to keep it up for this long. The biggest challenge for me is breastfeeding in public--I am not here to start any kind of debate but when my baby needs to eat, he needs to eat and I don't want to sit in the car, or bathroom, or other room every time that happens. It's easy to feel like you're missing out on everything when you have to leave the room and I was starting to feel that way. Then I found this cover (seriously that sounds overdramatic, but it's so true). I had been following their Instagram account for awhile and was putting it on my Christmas list but ended up buying it for myself and I'm so glad I did! I love, love, love it. Unlike other nursing scarves this one is stretchy and very soft. It covers really easily, the top is a little smaller than the bottom so it covers easily, which is perfect when you have a wiggly 7 month old who likes to throw his hands up in the air and squirm when he nurses. Okay, I think I've made my point...but seriously it's awesome.

Laugh & Learn Remote We had a play date with some friends a few weeks ago and Walt found this toy and pretty much played with it the whole time. Good thing Santa heard that he liked it and brought it in his stocking... Walt loves playing with things that aren't toys (cell phones, shoes, remotes, etc.) So this fits the bill. My only negative about it would be that the volume is on the front and can be controlled by the kiddo, and it get's loud! Think we will be doing a tissue and masking tape trick on the back like my parents used to do.

Carter's Sleep Sack There are a bunch of different sleep sack options, this is the one that we have been using. It's cold outside, and even though we keep the heat higher than before we had Walt it still gets chilly inside. This acts like a blanket for Walt at night, but without the dangers of an actual blanket.

Sophie the Giraffe I really don't know what it is about Sophie that makes all the babies love it but all the hype has rung true for us. We keep this in the diaper bag and it comes in handy when we are out and about and Walt gets fussy or his teeth start hurting. Seriously guys teething is the worst and anything that helps is worth having.

Dekor Diaper Disposal We started solid food a few months ago and let's just say a good diaper pail is a must haha. I really like this one. It keeps the smell out of the room and is easy to change when it gets full.


An extra bonus...

Triple Paste Diaper Cream We've never really had any issues with diaper rash, but that all changed right before Christmas time. We tried two other diaper rash creams without any changes, in fact it got worse with them. It was bad, like screaming every time we had to change his diaper bad. Kyle found this at the store and it worked within hours. Worth a bonus mention!