Beach Bum & Baby

Looking for the Valentine's Day Burlap Banner Tutorial?

2012-02-02T11:00:00.001-05:00

Then just hop on over to the Bluum blog!

DIY: Super Easy Pink & Green Ribbon Wreath

2012-01-31T13:50:00.000-05:00

Many, many moons ago I found this ribbon wreath tutorial on a blog and decided that I'd like to do a "Spring-y" version in pink and green.

Fast forward almost TWO YEARS later and as I'm digging through my craft bin up in the attic yesterday I found this:

So once Trey went down for a nap today I decided to finish it up! I love how it turned out!

Let me know if you make one! They are SUPER easy - just slightly time consuming and dangerous*.

*Warning: Fabric shears are VERY sharp. Ouch.

Recipe Obsession: Kale Chips

2012-01-25T17:17:00.000-05:00

This recipe was given to me from the oh-so-sweet Day Old News - I'm just sharing since so many have asked me about it!!

Ingredients:
1 Bunch of Organic Kale
EVOO (I like organic, in a Misto sprayer)
Seasoning Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder

Directions:

preheat oven to 300
wash and dry kale (no need to use a salad spinner - I just use paper towels and I'm not too particular about it), chop into "chip" sized pieces
line a cookie sheet with parchment paper & place kale on (it can definitely touch because it will shrivel up some)
spray with EVOO, season with pepper, seasoning salt and garlic powder
bake at 300 for around 17-18 minutes (you will know when it is done, be careful not to over-bake!)
No need to cool - they aren't super hot when they come out. ENJOY!!!

Let me know if you make these! I'd love to hear other recipe variations too!

Some Funny Ish

2012-01-25T12:12:00.001-05:00

Like the time I got pulled over after a fun morning at the park and library?

Oh wait. THAT WAS'T FUNNY! (Thanks a lot jerk cop for being so rude. Apparently my plates were expired. Whoops.)

So for those of you that need a smile and a laugh like I do ~ here you go!!

Source: flourishinprogress.com via Beach on Pinterest

Source: someecards.com via Beach on Pinterest

Source: blahbethany.com via Beach on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Beach on Pinterest

Source: i.imgur.com via Beach on Pinterest

Source: someecards.com via Beach on Pinterest

Source: iwastesomuchtime.com via Beach on Pinterest

Two On Tuesday: Dance Dance Dance

2012-01-24T23:17:00.000-05:00

Today I'm linking up with the fabulous Andrea over at My Chihuahua Bites for Two on Tuesday!

What is the song you play when you want to get pumped up?

Bombs Over Baghdad - Outkast (don't hate - you know it's the most "hype" song you've ever heard too!)

What is the song you play when you want/need to cry?

Comfortable - John Mayer

What is the song you play when you’re cleaning?

Big Sean - Dance, Dance, Dance (sooooo obsessed with this right now!)

What is the song you play when you’re exercising?

Pitbull - Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor) ft. T-Pain (My kettlebells teacher uses this in her class and I LOVE it!)

Review: HANAair Professional Hair Dryer

2012-01-23T23:06:00.001-05:00

I was recently contacted by a representative from Misikko.com to see if I would be interested in reviewing one of their blow dryers: a HANAair Professional Dryer, to be exact.

It took me about .02 seconds before I immediately replied with an enthusiastic "YES"!

The package shipped VERY quickly, within a couple of days I had this huge box on my doorstep.

I couldn't wait to try it out, pardon my beach-bum-sweatshirt.... see - this obviously is not a staged photo. This was what I threw on after I immediately washed my hair the day that it arrived! HA!

The dryer is heavy and POWERFUL! I was shocked when I first turned it on. I wasn't sure if I would like it because of how heavy and strong it seemed but boy was I wrong. I LOVE it. Take a look for yourself. That is my hair without being straightened (and I ALWAYS used to straighten my hair!). I just used a paddle brush and the HANAair dryer!

This is one of those times when the old saying is true: "you get what you pay for". This dryer has not only made my hair shinier and easier to manage, but it has cut down on my drying time IMMENSELY! And as a mom, that time is important these days!!

Thanks so much to the folks at Misikko.com for letting me try this out! Now if I could only convince them to somehow send me one of the best hair straighteners that they sell my way!

I was given this dryer to review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.

Monday Randoms

2012-01-23T14:05:00.002-05:00

So, I thought I'd take today to just post some randoms of what has been going on in our little corner of the world. I feel like I haven't blogged in forever (um besides a picture of my nails.... I kinda haven't). So here we go:

I'm actually so glad that the holidays are over. I feel like I have my house (and my life) back and I'm really enjoying it. I recently put this picture on Instagram. I need some Valentine's Day accessories for my dining area. I really want to make some crafty type things but my Pinterest obsession is really cutting into my craft time.

Trey has moved up from a "bird" to a "beast" (hate the name, HATE it) in Little Gym and seems to be doing pretty well with it. This whole trying to transition to 1 nap a day thing has been a challenge so we had to find some new class times that worked better and the switch just made more sense. Some of the kids in his class seem super advanced since they are a lot older but I know he will get there soon!

We have also started a new story time at a different library and we are LOVING it. I am so pleased with the teacher and the actual facility. This library is 100% "youth focused" so they understand when the little ones aren't super quiet and they have tons more games and toys than the last library that we were going to. Oh! And I also want to explain story time a little more here because everyone asks me about getting an almost-18-month-old to sit still. Um, no. It doesn't happen! The classes that we do are at a library but they are more rhyme focused and we have individual book time during the class. It's full of singing, dancing, cuddling and reading together. It's very interactive and the teacher does a great job of explaining "why" nursery rhymes are beneficial to little ones.

Speaking of books, Trey is starting to fill in the words that he knows and I am loving it! I usually hand him a book when we get in the car and on this particular day it was Blue Hat, Green Hat ~ all of a sudden all I hear from the backseat is "Oopsh" "Oopsh" "Oopsh"! Ha I was dying. I love this age and all of the talking - I LOVE that he is finally able to say things like "milk, peas" (peas = please), asking for whatever food he would like or things like "ABC" if he wants to sing the ABC's (he's able to fill in a bunch of letters when we sing it - so exciting to watch him learn all of this!!) We've been doing a bunch of rhymes like "ring around the rosies" and having a blast spinning and falling down on the floor.

So yes, aside from the tantrums that are starting. This is quickly becoming my favorite age - we are having so much FUN. And learning so much too. We've been doing a lot of arts and crafts, coloring, painting, etc at home as well as while we are out and about and at Mom's Day Out too! (Yep, also new, post to come on this!)

Yes, we are still LOVING our trike!

Luckily the weather has been pretty mild here so we have still been able to hit up the parks a few times a week. We both usually need a nap afterwards now though - the BIG slides, the RUNNING. Makes mama tired too!!! (Why am I not thinner? I feel like all I do is RUN! Ha!)

So... really no exciting news in our world. Just lots of little fun things and milestones for Trey going on here. J.D. is back in school (LAST SEMESTER! Woo!) and I'm holding down the fort with the little one. Days have been going by so fast and when night comes I'm finding that the lack of sunshine has me aching for my bed. How many days until Summer?

The Nail Files

2012-01-22T12:28:00.000-05:00

Y'all know that I am nail polish obsessed so when I saw that my partner in crime was linking up with Tara from Fabulous But Evil I decided to join the fun! This week I did a self-mani with OPI in Dulce de Leche and an accent nail with Sally Hansen Complete in Golden Ticket. I LOVED the way that it turned out. It's nasty and cold here but I am so sick of dark "wintry" colors. This helped brighten my mood but didn't scream "SPRING" because we are so not even close folks, this beach bum is dreaming of sunshine on the regular these days!!

Like Birchbox ~ but for Babies! & A HOT Deal!

2012-01-09T11:28:00.004-05:00

note: I paid for these with my own moola. I was in no way compensated for this post! :)

For the past three months I have been getting these awesome Bluum boxes in the mail. The best way to describe them is like birch box for babies! You get deluxe sample size, baby-related products in a box, delivered right to your doorstep.

**And today they are on Plum District - 3 months for $18! Which is awesome because they are usually $9 per month and up!**

If you aren't a Plum District member already - you can head there through this link and you'll receive $5 off of your first purchase!!

Here are the boxes I have received so far:

Box #1

Box #2

Box #3

It's so much fun to get a new surprise in the mail every month that Trey and I can both share! I let him help me open the boxes and give him whatever I can to play with or eat! He loves it and so do I!!!

Let me know if you have any questions!!

A Post for Me

2012-01-01T21:36:00.000-05:00

I know a lot of bloggers have mixed feelings about "year in review" and "resolution" posts. So I'm going to call this post like I see it: a post for me.

I just feel like this is one of those times when I need to "blog for myself"

I'm not writing any of this hoping that anyone will comment, read or even care. I'm doing it so that next year I can look back on this.

Laying in bed last night J.D. and I were reflecting on this past year and talking about goals and hopes for 2012. He said something that made me cry.

He told me that I "really turned into a mom" this year.

The funny thing is I actually knew what he meant by that too....

I went from being worried about every little thing and learned how to go with the flow. I found a love of singing nursery rhymes, trips to the park, reading children's books, and laying on the floor just playing. Trey and I truly formed a bond. I can tell what he needs without hearing or seeing - I can just feel it now. I learned how to deal with tantrums and falls and "bad days". I learned how to nurture while still setting rules and having boundaries. I learned how to truly love. A different love. The kind you can only know from having your heart walking around outside your body.

And then this fall, it happened. A new mom friend asked ME for advice. And you know what? I was actually able to help her. It was a defining moment for me. For months I had feelings of "am I doing this right" and sometimes feelings of "OH MY GOSH! WHAT am I doing?".

As almost ALL new moms do.

For once I was finally doing something right. And it felt amazing.

I finally found part of me again too. I lost weight, got some new clothes and did some things for myself. I found *mom* friends and joined playgroups. I built a whole new schedule and routine that works for us. I kept my "no fast food" resolution for all of 2011, which may sound silly but was a huge deal to me! I learned how to tell J.D. "I need help". Albeit a work in progress, it was a very big deal, and very needed.

And with all of this I found some confidence in myself that I hadn't seen in years. All of these things helped shape me into a better mom, wife and just all around person.

J.D. had a huge year too! He passed the CPA exam (I am unbelievably proud of him!!), went to college at night, perfected how to run on no sleep, just coffee, and really grew miles as a father himself. He was able to walk in the door at night and drop each and every little thing to fall right onto the floor and go straight into playing with Trey. And never fail, each time it made me fall more and more in love with him. He helped me when I needed it, and times even when I didn't, just because. He worked with me to make our life as a family happy, secure and FUN!

Trey obviously has the most exciting year of all! He started Little Gym and storytime last January and has been enjoying both ever since. He became a true "beach bum" with an absolute love for the sand, sun and water. He grew teeth, lots of hair, started crawling and then ~~running~~ walking, talking. And is just really growing into an actual little kid. The baby days seem forever ago.

He loves reading books, his bike, blocks, running, songs, car rides, Christmas lights, elmo, laughing, swings, BIG slides, all sorts of foods, the park, the aquarium, bath time, laughing, doggies, his friends, mon-chi-chi and best of all... his mommy and daddy.

I don't know exactly what 2012 has in store for the Beach Bum family. I'mexcited for it. I'm hoping for lots of experiences, maybe a trip or two, definitely more time as a family & learning new things, together.

I hope to be more organized, more frugal, more loving & thoughtful of not just Trey & J.D. but my family and friends as well. I'd like to give blood more often, write more snail mail, get back to yoga (at home and at the studio), and to turn off the tv at night and open a book on my nightstand instead.

And most of all just enjoy this time right now with my amazing family of three. To live in the moment.

Carpe Diem and Happy 2012 to all of you!!

Busch Gardens Christmastown & Trey's First Ride!

2011-12-31T12:55:00.002-05:00

Last week we headed to Busch Gardens for their Christmastown event. I've never been to BG during the holidays before but have always ooooh-ed and ahhhh-ed over everyone else's pictures of their trips to it.

But, let's backtrack for a second. We don't usually go to amusement parks..... because it PAINS me to spend $50+ on a ticket for J.D. who doesn't ride anything. And I have to go on roller-coasters alone. Or with kids that are like 7 years old and call my husband a "chicken" (wait, that only happened once, in Disney World, on Expedition Everest).

Yea. You read that correctly.

The husband doesn't ride roller-coasters. Or scary rides. Or anything besides *maybe* the swings.

Me and my "scared-of-anything-and-everything" self will ride any roller-coaster or crazy ride that you put in front of me. I know, crazy, right?! I love them. LOVE.

He thinks I'm crazy. And asked me: "Do you think Trey will want to ride them one day?"

My response: "I mean have you met our daredevil child? I'm pretty sure he will be Mama's riding-buddy"!

Anywho. Back to our trip.

During Christmastown only parts of the park are open and everything is COVERED in lights. It was SO beautiful. I was really worried that Trey was too young to enjoy anything but he definitely had a blast!

We walked all around and took in the sites, had dinner at this fun place that served fried pickles (my first! YUM!), rode the rides like Alpengeist, The Battering Ram, Da Vinci's Cradle and Mach Tower. (Oh and we means, the SIL, future BIL and myself). It did start to rain for a little while but it didn't mess up our spirits any, we were lucky that it was unseasonably warm that day!

He just stared in awe at all of the lights!

Our little family

On Mach Tower - my new favorite ride!!!

AND ~ Trey's first ride was The Little Gliders - he LOVED it!!

After I realized how much Trey loved this ride - I was ready to sign up for whatever season pass package that they were offering right that second! J.D. reigned me back in but I am secretly counting down the days until they open in the Spring!

p.s. So let's take a poll ~ do you and your significant other ride roller-coasters? I want to know!

Duncan Hines & A Girls Night In!

2011-12-21T22:46:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There's no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.For the past couple years I have been lucky enough to attend an awesome cookie swap with some of my favorite blog friends! This year (and last year too!) it was hosted at the gorgeous home of Whitney Caroline! I carpooled over with J and had a wonderful girls night in!

We were supposed to bring a holiday cookie and a pretty plate to swap. I whipped up some chocolate covered pretzels, which was a total cop-out. I was tired, they were easy and luckily for my friends, still delicious! We ate appetizers, cookies, cakes, brownies and drank all sorts of yummy bevarages and just had an all around great girls night. We caught up on what is happening in each other's lives and laughed until our bellies hurt! (Or was that because of the cookies... Hmmm?)

I do have to share with you: my favorite cookie of the evening was by no other than, my shopping/starbucks/chatty partner in crime, Michelle!

She whipped up these!

via

Um, chocolate + coconut? YES PLEASE!

They are insanely good and Michelle said that they weren't difficult to make either!

Here is the recipe!

1 box Duncan Hines® Double Fudge Decadent Brownie Mix
2 cups coconut
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1 large egg
1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
Cocoa powder for an optional garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl combine brownie mix and coconut; mix well.
Mix in the oil, water, eggs, contents of fudge packet, and extract with a wooden spoon until all dry ingredients are moistened (dough will be stiff).
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2-inches apart on prepared cookie sheets; flatten slightly with bottom of a glass.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are set (centers will be slightly soft.) Transfer cookies to wire rack with metal spatula and cool completely.
Garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder.

Now go! Make some for your holiday parties that you are fragging your feet on deciding what to make. I know, personally I have procrastinated SO much this season. I am very thankful for easy and amazing recipes and gift ideas of any sort!!

Remember to check out Duncan Hines' website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Card Edition

2011-12-21T07:42:00.000-05:00

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-15T12:27:00.003-05:00

Every year since we have lived in our house we buy our tree at the same place. It's right behind the house and all proceeds of the trees go to the food bank. You can check out our Christmas tree venture with a BABY Trey dressed as a reindeer last year here.

We had so much fun playing with all of the trees and just chasing Trey around! It's such a special time even if he doesn't quite "get it" I know he has had a fun time lately with all of the crafts and activities we have been doing!

Trey & Mama clearly had different opinions on which tree to get!

Trey wanted to check out the price list before he picked a tree!

This has ALWAYS been Trey's preferred method of transportation when we go somewhere!

Winner, winner! The perfect tree!

Oh yes, and Santa helped us out by tying it to the top of my car!!

Trey's First Haircut

2011-12-14T11:40:00.001-05:00

On Saturday we (the hubs......) decided it was time to take Trey to get his haircut. I do agree that he was looking a smidge Billy Ray Cyrus circa 1992 - however, I LOVED those little baby curls at the nape of his neck. LOVED them.

I had finally pushed the appt off long enough. It was time to face the music.

All of "the cool kids" apparently go to "Pigtails and Crewcuts" and they were SO awesome with my nervous-nelly self. They let us take 100 pictures and were so nice to Trey.

Sidenote: We are all in the wrong business y'all: 5 min = $20. Yea...

Am I glad we did it? Yes.

He looks like such a little boy now, but still so sweet.

Oh and did I cry?

Um, yes, BUT I did wait until we got out the door!!!!

Pin-spired Link Up!

2011-12-08T12:16:00.001-05:00

Today I'm linking up with the ever-so-sweet Kodi over at A Brighter Yellow for Pin-spired!

My latest obsession with Pinterest is natural cleaners!

This is what started it all:

Source: ideas.thenest.com via Beach on Pinterest

Instructions from The Nest:

Vanilla Extract

Clean the microwave and leave it smelling sweet with this household trick! Mix 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a microwave-safe container, and zap it on high for five minutes. When it's done, remove the container and wipe down the interior of the oven. Any gunk should slide right off.

Guess what? It worked! Like a charm! And for the rest of the day my house smelled like warm vanilla! YUM!

Proof?

Sadly, I don't have a before picture but I PROMISE it was NAS-TY!!! Ick. I'm grossed out just thinking about it!

Meet my new arsenal of products:

LOTS more posts on these guys headed at you! And not just for cleaning!

My new favorite trick - I scrub my hands with a smidge of baking soda & water (I make a paste with it) after I use my sunlabs self tanner - and viola! No more discolored palms!! It doesn't dry out my hands either!

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Random Instagram Edition

2011-12-07T17:21:00.001-05:00

Trey's Nativity & Mama's Nativity

Everything tastes better in a Christmas Tervis!

We Itsy Bitsy Spider all day and all night around here!

We took Trey to a Christmas train show and he thought it was AWESOME!

New favorite food: clementines!

New favorite "toy": coffee filters. Yep, cheap and easy - I give him like 10 at a time and he gets SO excited! Ha!

We really like color at the Mexican restaurant

When we aren't too busy dipping our chips in white sauce!!!

Thanksgiving Recap

2011-11-29T10:22:00.001-05:00

This was the 5th year that I hosted Thanksgiving at our house and I have to say, hands down it was the best and easiest year ever! I guess you learn a thing or two over the years. This was however, the first year that I did the turkey (RIP Bob! What? You don't name your turkey?) because we usually deep fry them and anyone who knows me is aware that I shouldn't be let near anything that could explode/catch the house on fire!

And my favorite hosting tips of the year include:

Cleaning my whole house a few days ahead of time, I'm sure y'all are thinking "DUH" but for some reason I usually wait until the last minute
Make your mashed potatoes and then throw them in the crock pot on warm. No one likes cold mashed taters!
While you are at it, throw your Paula Deen ham in the biggest crock pot you can find. This clears up so much oven space and keeps the ham nice and juicy! (Don't forget to keep basting it! And put the crunchy glaze on last!)
Enlist help. I have a VERY HARD TIME asking for help with entertaining. So instead I put all of my relatives to work "watching" Trey and keeping him out of the kitchen (thank goodness for childproofing the oven with locks recently) this kept me free to cook and JD free for whatever crazy task I have in my mind at that current moment
Send as much food as you possibly can home with relatives. This year we were headed out of town so it was an easy one for us but usually I end up throwing so much food away because JD and I can't eat it all or just get sick of it. This year I made sure I was stocked up on paper plates, press n seal and containers that I didn't want back so that we could find homes for the rest of the food.

I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked because it was such a busy and quick day - but here are some!!

What a difference a year makes!!

Plum Organics & Baby Feeding Magic

2011-11-17T21:48:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Plum Organics for sponsoring my post about tips for baby feeding magic. What if you let baby choose what's for dinner? Check out their cute "Quest for Yum!" video and see what happens!

Back when Trey first started solids I made each and everything from scratch, organic, with lots of mommy love. I read books, I went to all sorts of stores for just the right type of apple/banana/pear. I steamed, I pureed, I froze, I jarred. And you know what I LOVED it.

BUT.....

I quickly learned that sometimes we needed something that I could keep in my purse, that didn't need to be refrigerated and that was still organic for when we were out and about.

Luckily I was contacted by Plum Organics and was sent some of their awesome products to review. I took that little spoon that hooked onto their pouches EVERYWHERE. And each and every time I pulled it out it felt like people came out of nowhere with "That's awesome!" "What is that?" "Where'd you get that?" and sadly, LOTS of "I WISH they had those when my kids were little!"

Can you blame them? Easy peasy for Mama and Trey always loved the flavors.

Now that he is older, we have ditched the spoon but I still buy the Plum Organics pouches often for quick, easy and healthy snacks while we are on the go!

And since this post is all about baby feeding magic, I thought I'd share some of the magic tips that I have learned from other Mama's along the way:

Try again. I'm lucky to not have a picky eater but that doesn't mean it won't change or that the next baby won't "make up" for Trey's easy-going personality when it comes to food. LOTS of my mom friends made sure to say - even if he doesn't like it at first, wait a few weeks and then try again. You'll be surprised what reaction you may get!
Have FUN with it. I feel like the baby food stage went by so quickly. I feel like it was over so quickly, all of a sudden he wanted what he were having and wanted nothing to do with the "baby" food, I had so lovingly prepared.
Go with your gut. (And your dr's advice) Everyone will have different opinions on when is the right time to start each food. YOU are the Mama, you know if something doesn't feel right. Call the dr and do your research, you will know what is right, and when it is right!

What baby feeding magic tips do you have?

And I will leave you with this adorable Pac-man-like video by Plum Organic organics: The Quest for Yum!

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. To learn more about Plum Organics, visit their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PlumOrganics.

Wordless Wednesday: Mini Beach Bum

2011-11-16T12:04:00.001-05:00

Pinterest-ing Laughs for Today

2011-11-13T13:42:00.001-05:00

Sometimes at night J.D. will be on the big sofa watching TV and I will be over on the little one all curled up with my slanket laughing hysterically.

For real y'all, so much relatable hilarious stuff all in one place!

And I'm simple really. I frequently text J.D. 3rd grade level jokes. You can imagine my excitement when our Halloween candy had laffy taffy's in it AND they each had 2 jokes on the back.

Talk about winning....

So I thought for a fun Sunday afternoon post I'd share some things that have made me laugh lately. It's good for the soul.

Source: lauraface.tumblr.com via Beach on

Source: Uploaded by user via Beach on Pinterest

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Source: thingswealldo.tumblr.com via Beach on Pinterest

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Source: someecards.com via Beach on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Beach on Pinterest

And last but not least, some Pinterest humor as well!

Source: someecards.com via Beach on Pinterest

My Heart's A Stereo

2011-11-12T23:53:00.001-05:00

I was recently inspired by two of my blog-friends-turned-real-life-friends A & M to share the soundtrack of my life as they recently did. I felt like I needed a few days to really think about this. I mean music is so important. It can change your whole mood at the drop of a hat.

Like Friday when Kanye, Jay-Z and I were getting DOWN to Otis. I was a cleaning, dancing, getting down FOOL. And Bam Adele "Someone Like You" comes along and kills my flow. Yo.

I'm sure I left some off that I adore so I may have a round 2 in the future!!

p.s. These are in NO specific order!

1. Common, "The Light"
2. U2, "Beautiful Day"
3. The Roots, "What They Do"
4. Randy Travis, "Forever & Ever, Amen"
5. Brad Paisley, "She's Everything'
6. Tupac, "I Get Around"
7. Alison Krauss, "When You Say Nothing At All"
8. Taylor Swift, "Mine"
9. NKOTB, "The Right Stuff"
10. 702, "Where My Girls At"
11. Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, "It's Your Love"
12. Carrie Underwood, "Jesus Take The Wheel"
13. Gavin DeGraw, "Follow Through"
14. Duran Duran, "Hungry Like The Wolf"
15. Rascall Flatts, "God Bless The Broken Road"
16. Jon Mayer, "Comfortable"
17. Jessica Simpson, "With You"
18. Maroon 5, "She Will Be Loved"
19. Coldplay, "Viva La Vida"
20. Bryan Adams, "Everything I Do, I Do it for You"

SMS: Team Santa!

2011-11-12T12:00:00.001-05:00

I got Trey this outfit last year on clearance at Target for $1.50 (for the top and the fleece pants both)! And that, my friends is why it pays to shop ahead when you can!

We just did the usual today, Starbucks and the park! It's gorgeous outside here today. Not too chilly, and nice and sunny!

Cheese-ball

LET's GO Mama!!!

And just for fun, some Friday Night Scenes!

J made this for us! Found here! p.s. Nope, it's BETTER than it looks!

Reading Ten Fat Turkeys

Yes, I was HEARTBROKEN that A didn't want to cuddle up for storytime. She was clearly on a mission!

iPhoto Friday

2011-11-11T11:22:00.001-05:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've done an iPhoto Friday. Here's what has been going on in our little corner of the world!

These are the books that we have recieved from the Children's Book Exchange so far. SO fun and I am SO SO glad I did it! We mailed (well, Amazon mailed) "Happy Birthday Little Pookie" to an 11mo old boy in Cali! I hope he loves it!

Oh yes, this would be how Trey wants to STAND in the Maclaren now. He just wants to RUN! My hairdresser gave me a backpack/leash thing that she used with her daughter. But for reals, I just can't do it. I am kicking myself for even *thinking* of using it.

I don't know if I ever blogged about my Erin Condren life planner. Well, here it is! I LOVE it!!!

A rare picture where Trey actually kept his hat on for more than 5 seconds. It's going to be a long winter!

Oh yes, we are in full Christmas mode here. The decor starts going up next week. No, I don't wait till after Thanksgiving. What of it?

Oh yes, the AWFUL morning at Sam's club. We were there for a whole 20 minutes and Trey thought I was torturing him? Anywho, I added this to remind myself to tell y'all that they have Carter's fleece jams for $7. I had to get a few since he has almost outgrown everything in this house.

My new addiction thanks to J (who she found from another J! Hi!!!!) Seriously I could drink this every day. $5.99 at Trader Joe's in case y'all were wondering!

J.D. bought this shirt for Trey, I think it's hilarious!

OOTN for a friend's birthday. And yes, it's totally the mirror angle that is making me look thin-ish. It's amazing what a little tilt can do, ha!!

While I was getting ready for said party, Trey and Dada had a blast at the aquarium!!

Our new reading spot!

Someone started sleeping with a blanket. And totally needs a trim. The mullet is just not becoming. You know I'm going to cry.

And finally, an amazing day at the park! It was sun showering for the first 30 min but we didn't care - we had so much fun! Then the sun came out and we got to see a gorgeous rainbow!!

p.s. T.G.I.F.!!!!

Save It, Baby

2011-11-10T17:29:00.001-05:00

This post was underwritten by BMO Harris Bank, which offers a matching $25 on a new savings account opened for your child through their Helpful Steps for Parents program. Learn more at bmoharris.com/parents.

Since we found out that we were pregnant the hubs and I have tried our hardest not to go completely overboard buying "things" for Trey. Sure, we wanted to make sure that he had a comfortable nursery and plenty of necessities (being diapers, not a million different outfits - which I am sure is MUCH easier with a boy... I digress) as well as a safe car seat and a stroller that could last us until we were done having babies.

Source: amazon.com via Lauren on Pinterest

This was a favorite of ours!

From the get-go we researched and compared prices, models, brands and tried to make simple changes such as spicing up an inexpensive dresser with cute hardware. We saved gift cards, bonuses, and coupons to make the purchasing a little but easier.

Since Trey was born 15 months ago we have gotten even more frugal where we can. I love a fancy bag or a nice pair of shoes as much as the next person but we have made sure that these things are "special" purchases and not our everyday lifestyle.

Most of Trey's morning naps are spent with me scouring couponing blogs, clipping coupons from multiple newspapers, and making lists. I can't tell you how much I have saved from this alone. I often text pictures to the husband with captions like "saved $60!" or "got all of this for $40!". And no, I am in no way, shape or form talking about that tv show (we all know what I am referring too). I'm talking about good, old fashioned stretching our budget! Making sure that we can still have organic products at the lowest possible price.

I know that I don't work outside the home, but I do my best to work inside our home. Everytime we are able to save a few dollars I know that is something we can put towards Trey's college fund, our next home, retirement or even just a family vacation. I know that memories are also priceless and I want to make sure that we will be able to afford fun trips as a family.

For holidays we ask relatives for savings bonds for Trey. Let's be real. This kid doesn't NEED more toys. He has plenty and as far as books and clothes, I like to buy him books myself (so does J.D.!) and we purchase clothes and shoes as needed or when I find a good sale.

He received his first piggy bank for his first birthday and J.D. and I have been in the habit of sticking a few dollars in it here and there, when we can. I want to teach Trey the importance of saving, the value of a dollar (and a dime!!) as well as good work ethic and how to earn money himself for things that he wants or things that one day he will need.

I do think he's picking up on it, he likes to run around the house with my coupon file. I ask him if he's going to use those coupons to save money?

Hey, at 15 months? I'll take it!

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. To learn more about BMO Harris Bank, visit their website http://bmoharris.com/parents.

Thankful Thursdays

2011-11-10T13:02:00.002-05:00

Today I am linking up for the first time with "Adventures with Gwen" for Thankful Thursdays!

Head on over and check out her blog and link up with us!!

I am SO thankful for:

Sweet neighbors that come hang out and have dinner with Trey & I on the nights that J.D. has class. Trey adores them and it's nice to have some distractions while waiting for da-da to get home!
My blog/twitter friends that have become IRL friends. Barely a day goes by that I don't text/email/get together with at least one of them. They have become so important to me!
The new books that we are receiving as part of a book exchange that we participated in. Trey loves to read, and getting a new book in the mail is like Christmas to us both!
The nice weather that we are having here this week. Trey and mama both need the long park trip we are headed out on today!
What a great sleeper Trey has always been. He has gotten a little off of his nap routine this week and it's been rough! I blame DST and all of his molars coming through at the SAME time!
And lastly, I'm thankful that tomorrow is FRIDAY. Can I get a *whoop whoop* on that?!?!

What are you thankful for?

Say "Cheese" for Tiny Prints Cards!

2011-11-09T13:02:00.002-05:00

Or "GEEEZ" as Trey says when I pull the camera out! Ha!

Is it just me or does it seem like once you have a baby everyone and their Mama wants a Christmas card from you? When it was J.D., me and the doggies no one cared! (Well maybe my mother in law, but that's about it!)

Now I have a list of almost 100 people I send cards to! And I know lots of my readers send out even more than that!

I love things that serve multi purpose functions and guess what? Tiny Prints has NAILED that with their photo cards! Check these out!!

I love this - it's so whimsical and yes, that baby is PRECIOUS!

This would be darling with a picture of J.D. and I kissing Trey!!

I'm always a sucker for good stripes! Found here.

Card + Ornament? Genius, right!! I love that people will take the extra time to look at it and display it somewhere a little more *special* than your average card!

And in case you aren't convinced that Tiny Prints has the holiday card game down:

{via}

And y'all know I love a good address label, I will leave you with these!! I love that this one has the year on it!!

What type of holiday cards are you doing this year? You can take a look at the Tiny Prints holiday collection here.

Disclaimer: in exchange for a blog post about Tiny Prints photo cards I am recieveing 50 free holiday cards. All opions on here are my own and I am not being paid in any other way.

Quickie Meme

2011-11-03T12:23:00.003-04:00

I found this online a while ago and have been saving it for a day when I couldn't come up with anything exciting for the 'ol blog. Let me know if you play along - I love reading these about fellow bloggers!

Guilty Pleasure? Starbucks (Venti Hazelnut Iced Coffee w Cream in case you were wondering), Nailpolish (Used to be pedicures but I'm trying to scale back)

I can't travel without? Said coffee. And like 3 things of Burts Bees chapstick.

Recent Splurge? iPhone 4s

My go-to flower? Lillies

In bulk, I buy? wipes, diapers, snacks for Trey. Nothing worse than running out of something for him!

I sleep on? An old but oh-so-comfy Laura Ashley pillow. I probably need a new one... that being said does anyone have a Brookstone pillow? I really want one!

Comfort Food? Pizza, Ice Cream & J.D.'s mac n cheese

For Breakfast? Coffee.

For Dinner? Favorite - MEXICAN! (Or pizza, gosh I LOVE pizza! HA!)

Love/hate relationship with? Target. Great stuff, good prices = TOO much shopping!

Can't Stop Watching? REVENGE! Don't lie. You know you watch it too!

Best online shopping find? Plum District. I'm obsessed. I have gotten the best deals on there lately! (Haven't signed up - you can get $10 when you sign up here)

Dreaming about? Christmas!

Crushing on? Kyle Richards. Yep, girl crush. Her hair = my hair goal

Every girl should have? Confidence and the ability to laugh at themselves sometimes!

My style in five words? Classic, comfy, fun, beachy & easy

I love wearing? Flip Flops

Dream Job? SAHM :)

Halloween Party OOTN

2011-10-29T12:01:00.000-04:00

Uhmmm Hmmm. I know I said I probably would never do an OOTD/OOTN post again.

Looks like I lied. I just get so excited when I break out of my "mom-uniform"!

Shirt: Old Navy
Scarf: Jones New York at Macy's (GO! They have every color you could EVER want!)
Pants: Black Ponte Pants from Target aka my questionable "leggings as pants moment"

Monkey Business

2011-10-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween Weekend y'all!

Citrus Lane: Rave Review & a Discount Code!

2011-10-27T23:11:00.003-04:00

Even as a mom of a 14 month old I still get stressed about what to get for friends as baby gifts. I try to stay on top of all of the latest things but some days I feel that is next to impossible with all sorts of new products popping up every time you turn around. That's where Citrus Lane comes in.

Your shopping from now on is done. Yep, you're welcome.

Here's "How it Works" from the Citrus Lane site:

We think of our monthly boxes as care packages for parents!

With your subscription to Citrus Lane, you'll receive a monthly box filled with 4-5 healthy and delightful baby products recommended and reviewed by real moms.

When you subscribe, you can pick any box to start with, based on your baby's age, from newborn up to 18 months. The goodies inside will be tailored to the developmental stage of your child.

We're dedicated to helping parents discover the best baby products on the market. Sometimes it's an undiscovered gem that catches our eye. Other times, it's a tried-and-true parent favorite.

Either way, we're looking for that certain something - a wow-factor that makes us say, "Ah-ha! Now this is something every parent should know about!"

Basically, it's like a wine of the month club for parents. Each box contains items that total up to $50 in value, but the subscription is only $25 and shipping is included.

I know, I know, I had you at wine. (No wine in here, but don't you worry! I already made that suggestion!)

My experience with our Citrus Lane box:

I let Trey inspect it, of course. He was VERY interested in everything inside.

The only thing I had told Citrus Lane about Trey was his age and boy did they NAIL IT!!! This box was full of all the things we needed right now!!! I was shocked at how perfect it was (and I'm totally not just saying that!) as you can see we immediately put everything inside to good use.

Here is what was included:

OXO Tot Plate - slip proof bottom, rounded sides, BPA-fee. LOVE. We used it for dinner tonight and Trey's green beans definitely weren't able to hop out like they do with normal plates.
OXO Tot Fork & Spoon Set - these are great because of the way the handles are curved. Trey has been self-feeding for a while and loves his forks and spoons but these seemed to make it even easier for him to do at lunch and dinner today. I'm actually planning to go get more of these at the store tomorrow!!
Kushies Waterproof Bib with Sleeves - I mean, SERIOUSLY? Sleeves!? Genius. Trey won't always have to eat nakey with this thing around!! Ha!
Little Duck Organics Blueberry Apple - IT"S EMPTY! The package showed up THIS morning and Trey (and um.. myself... yea...) ate the WHOLE thing. It's freeze dried, organic, Non-GMO fruits cut up into little bites. Trey is obsessed! (Ok, fine, we are BOTH obsessed.)
Sprout Baby Food - we have been a long time Sprout Foods fan so I was pleasantly surprised to find a pouch of these in the box. As you can see Trey actually had this for lunch today. He gave it two thumbs up!

Can't you tell how much we loved this?! I haven't been this impressed by anything in a long time. Every single thing included is something that I 110% would have purchased myself for Trey.

Just ask my husband, I wouldn't shut up about it during dinner.....hey at least I know what we are getting his long-time friend & wife for their baby shower gift!!

Do you want to try out Citrus Lane? You can get your first box for $12.50 - a 50% discount if you order by November 14th ~ Just use code: CITRUSHALF

(Disclaimer: I was provided these products for free in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. So yep, the things inside were actually that good.)

Baby Talk: Young Love

2011-10-26T11:43:00.003-04:00

Trey has been chatting up a storm lately! It's so fun to hear him trying to mimic us as well as coming up with his own little language. We started doing some signing around his 1st birthday as well and that has really helped him communicate what he needs too!

Some of the things he is saying right now:

Mama

Dada

Nana

Hi-eeee
Bay-bee

Oggie (doggie)

Key-Cat (kitty cat)
Yum

"Go, Go, Go" (Sometimes with a little too much force - like when we are shopping and the cart/stroller is stopped)

"Brrrm Brrm (when we tell him it's time to go bye-bye and he waves and says brrrm brrrm - I used to always say "The car goes Brrm Brrm")

Row, Row, Row (when we sing Row, Row, Row your boat, and other times just randomly! HA!)

So last Saturday J.D. took Trey to his Little Gym class and asked if he wanted to go see Addie, J's little one (post valentine's day pics and all around baby love posted here) and you can imagine his shock when Trey responded with "AHHHH-Dee". Ahhh, young love.

Here's a video from later in the day. He quickly gets annoyed with me asking him to say it over, and over. Hmmph. Boys!

Two on Tuesday

2011-10-25T22:01:00.003-04:00

I am joining Andrea for 2 On Tuesday! This week’s topic is:

What are your two favorite pictures of yourself?

Ahhh! What a hard one Andrea! Not fair! Can't I just post pics of Trey? Or my dogs?

No? Grrr... fine. I'll post some WITH Trey. Where I may not look fabulous - he makes me FEEL fabulous!

Smart Thinking & Planning Ahead for Mamas

2011-10-25T21:07:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Tervis for sponsoring my writing. Visit their website to learn more about the world’s first smart cup.

In my early days of a stay at home mom I didn't have a schedule, I flew by the seat of my (still maternity) pants. I was tired, cranky and wasn't adjusting to being a mom well. What was I missing? I wrote with a struggle that I was having and many readers emailed me to let me know their tips and tricks.

You know what their number one thing was? A schedule!

I never thought of Trey as a "schedule" baby since I was nursing. I had always heard that you can't plan - you just feed when they are hungry. And I feel like yes, you do, BUT that is no reason you can't have a (flexible) schedule and routine by any means!

I slowly started getting organized, making lists, planning meals, outfits, playdates, you get the idea. I am a much better mutli-tasker than I ever knew I could be. I consistently do 3-4 things at one time. And while some days it seems exhausting, when I get to curl up on the sofa with my husband at night and the house is clean I know it is all worth it.

Getting Trey on a nap schedule was HUGE. He was not a good napper at first but from 6 months to now (almost 15 months) he has grown to be an amazing (scheduled) napper. This is awesome because I can plan all of our dates and errands around his naps. As well as schedule things I need/want to do alone while he is sleeping. It has made him a happier baby and me a happier mama!

I try to make sure that we have extras of everything in the car as well, this has REALLY helped for those times when you are out and realized you are out of diapers/wipes/snacks or clothes get dirt on them, spit up on, etc.

All in all I have just found that by working harder throughout the day to be more organized and planning ahead it has made for a much happier household for all involved!!

*****

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. To learn more about Tervis, visit their website: http://www.tervis.com.

My First OOTD Post....Ever

2011-10-24T18:29:00.005-04:00

I love seeing everyone's OOTD, OOTN & even NOTD (nail of the day!) posts. I've been obsessed with reading "fashion blogs" since 2008 - blogs I have no business reading because I will probably never own a Chanel bag and while the thought of a pair Loub's make my heart go pitter-patter in a major way the thought of where I'd even wear them to stresses me out!

I've always wanted to do an OOTD (day/night/whatever!) post myself but I don't consider myself stylish by any means and heck I don't even own a full length mirror! But lately I'm trying to dress a little more fun - even if it means doing it on the uber-cheap!

So this past weekend for our annual Girl's Night Out (more on that tomorrow) I had J.D. snap some pics on my way out the door.

The dress & leggings are from Forever21 and the booties are from Old Navy! (Tan courtesy of Sun Labs! HA!)

p.s. And while this was fun and all, chances are you won't be seeing any regular OOTD posts from me. My yoga pants really aren't anything to blog about!

The Great Pumpkin is Coming!

2011-10-19T12:08:00.008-04:00

Last weekend we headed to a local pumpkin patch to play and cut some pumpkins off the vine to take home. Trey absolutely loved it! He just wanted to run around everywhere!!

We also got to meet up with this pretty girl and her parents!! (I know, I died over her outfit too!!)

And just for fun, because I have been feeling nostalgic lately, here is Trey's picture from the pumpkin patch last year. He slept the whole time in the moby wrap!

His vs Hers: SMS

2011-10-15T20:56:00.002-04:00

Hers: Hair appointment! (Just a trim and all over dye)

His: Starbucks, Park & Best Buy aka perfect "guy" morning!

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T08:11:00.000-04:00

My sweet little skeleton, 1 year later.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-10-11T21:58:00.003-04:00

Today I'm linking up with Roots and Rings for Ten on Tuesday.

Today's topic: All About Pasta!

1. Red Sauce or White Sauce?
Vodka sauce please!

2. Do you prefer pasta you can twirl or stab?
I love to twirl my spaghetti but we usually have rotini, penne or ziti so I'd say I'm really a "stabber".

3. Baked or boiled?
Baked. The flavor! The cheese! YUM!

4. Do you like meat in your sauce or do you kick it vegetarian style?
I don't like the meat in small pieces in my sauce, but I do like it with meatballs! (Or my grandmother used to add hardboiled eggs and pieces of chicken - apparently when she was little her family didn't have a lot of money and that was an easy way for them to add protein in.)

5. Where have you had your very best pasta ever?
My Grandma. I get my Italian side from her. She may have been kind of fiesty but she was THE best cook EVER.

6. What is your favorite pasta dish?
Penne alla vodka.

7. Do you serve meatballs when you make spaghetti or just do a meat sauce?
Turkey meatballs

8. What type (rice, whole wheat, egg, etc) of noodles do you use?
Whole wheat organic from Trader Joe's or plain white ziti.

9. What type of meats or vegetables do you put in your sauce?
See #4

10. Do you make a “Sunday gravy” to use throughout the week or do you just open a jar of whatever and heat it up? (No judgment on this one!)

I make my own, the closest I have found to my grandma's recipe is Carmine's Marinara Sauce. LOVE. I could eat it by the spoon-fulls straight out of the pot!

What we've been up to

2011-10-05T16:22:00.007-04:00

I have been trying to recap some fun we have been having lately for what feels like for-evah now!! Here's what Trey and I have been busy doing this past week!

Hanging out at Addie's first birthday party!!! It was so much fun and omg the decor was amazing!!!

Last week we headed to the beach for the Neptune Festival and Sandcastle building competition.

This sculpture was my favorite.
Someone was dying to get in the water!
We also had some play time at Grommet Island while we were down there!

On Saturday we headed to the Children's Festival! The weather was cool and crisp and just felt like an all around perfect Fall day!!

And despite that sweet smile on Trey's face, the past couple days have been a true bear. Teething and just general not feeling well has done a number on Trey and mama both. Hoping that we are turning that around today! Fingers crossed at least!!

Broke, Fat & Happy?

2011-09-30T11:18:00.003-04:00

Like all of you, I am obsessed with pinterest and I wanted to share some of my recent loves.

Broke:

Source: toms.com via Beach on Pinterest

Ordered these on Monday - I love them. I think that they will be the perfect shoes for chasing Trey around in while still trying to have some sort of "style".

Source: polyvore.com via Beach on Pinterest

I just love this outfit and it has me on the hunt for a perfect orange sweater. Any ideas of where I should look?

Fat:

Source: pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com via Beach on Pinterest

Made this the other night and it was amazing. J.D. loved it too - and SO easy!!

Source: penniesonaplatter.com via Beach on Pinterest

Also made these and while I think they are best as an appetizer - we thoroughly enjoyed them!!!

And Happy:

Source: infinitelycaptivating.tumblr.com via Beach on Pinterest

This needs to be on my fridge.

Source: loveyourquotes.tumblr.com via Beach on Pinterest

This makes me think of all of my awesome friends!

Source: etsy.com via Beach on Pinterest

I need to get this card for J.D.!

Source: piccsy.com via Beach on Pinterest

This had the caption "The reason photoshop was invented" and that my friends, just makes me smile!

I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL FRIDAY!! WOOO HOO!!

I am so excited for a cool, sweater wearing weekend and celebrating an amazing little one's first birthday!!! Where has the year gone?!?!?

Secret Menu for Starbucks?

2011-09-28T22:19:00.001-04:00

Y'all. Look what I found on Pinterest! Seriously?

I'm pissed. They have been holding out on us!

Source: thedoctorscloset.com via lexilooo on Pinterest

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T22:06:00.002-04:00

Look Mama!! DIRT!!!

Saturday Morning Scene

2011-09-24T16:19:00.000-04:00

Favorite Toys at 13 Months

2011-09-22T11:50:00.000-04:00

I thoght I'd share some of the toys that Trey is loving right now. He is REALLY into "playing" lately and he definitely has learned how to pick favorites when it comes to what he wants to play with!
I was inspired to write this post after I saw that my sweet friend, LG had shared what her sweet one was loving right now. I always love to read these posts to see what I should get for Trey next, or what would be a good birthday gift!

Source: amazon.com via Beach on Pinterest

Ahhh the bike. The most amazing thing we could have ever bought this kid for his birthday. He LOVES this thing. We take it everywhere. And I mean EVERYWHERE! It just stays in my trunk with his stroller because he loves it so much. I was skeptical about how much we would use this when I ordered it but I am so glad we did. A few of his friends have the same or similar ones and we will all meet at a big local park and they will "ride" together - they look like a little bike gang - ha!! (If you are thinking about getting one of these - stalk amazon for a few days - the price seems to fluctuate pretty heavily and anything under $100 seems to be a good deal!)

Source: target.com via Beach on Pinterest

Every time we would take Trey to the library, Dr.'s office, etc and they had one of these big wood activity cubes he would instantly gravitate towards it. I was SO excited to pick this up for him. We have so much fun sitting and playing, and going over letters and animals on the sides. He's still a little small for one of the sides but I'm excited that it will grow with him!! And the beads on the top - HOURS of enjoyment!

Source: target.com via Beach on Pinterest

Future Travis Barker in the making thanks to this thing. It has all sorts of "instruments" inside of it and that seems to be half the fun - taking them out and putting them back in! I like it, it's not too loud and its really fun that J.D. and I can each grab an instrument and we can have our own little band!

Source: target.com via Beach on Pinterest

Trey's Nana and Pops gave him this wagon for his birthday and it has been so fun to take it on evening rides, we take it up to the frozen yogurt place, we took it to an outdoor movie. It even has a little compartment to store things. I like that when we have friends over, both babies can ride in it together.

Source: astore.amazon.com via Beach on Pinterest

When I ordered this I didn't realize that it had suction cups on the bottom. I was so confused - and then it dawned on me. DING DING DING - perfect restaurant toy!! I keep this in my car and we take it into places to eat. It's not loud, it keeps Trey entertained for a decent amount of time. Total win! Trey & I had dinner with a friend and her 19 month old the other night and her daughter LOVED it. She played with it forever!

Source: fisher-price.com via Beach on Pinterest

Boys. Cars. Any questions? I like this because he can stand up and play with it. It makes enough noise to keep him interested but it's not obnoxious. I love that you can buy more "Little People Wheelies" for it. J.D. picked him up a new fire truck one just the other night. Trey is also officially saying "Vroom Vroom" and "Go go go" - I'm pretty sure it's because of this!

Source: google.com via Beach on Pinterest

Trey's sweet friend, Cooper got this for him for his Birthday! And like the M&D stackers that he loves so much he instantly took to this. He loves to put the balls in it in different places and watch them come out. I don't know what it is about these toys but they really seem to entertain for such a long period of time. I love that they are wooden and will be played with by our future babies too. But I'm not going to lie... I did have to take the hammer away a few times, that thing is dangerous!

Source: amazon.com via Beach on Pinterest

And the leap frog fridge farm. I feel like I always come back to this when talking about favorite toys. It really is growing with him. At first he just liked the sounds. Then he just wanted to throw the pieces. Now that we are really working on animals it's fun to see him identify them!! This has been a great help while I am cooking!!

That's it for now y'all! I'm going to work on a post about favorite books next! We have some really funny ones that we are reading right now!! And as always, let me know if you have any questions!

p.s. All of these were bought by us for Trey or gifted to him from friends and family. I was in no way, shape or form compensated for this post.

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T16:16:00.003-04:00

I sent this to J.D. at work the other day just for fun!

Two on Tuesday: TV & Cleaning

2011-09-20T21:24:00.000-04:00

It's Tuesday, so that means I am linking up with My Chihuahua Bites

for Two on Tuesday!

Many fall shows are starting up again this week. What two shows are you most

looking forward to?

Source: google.com via Beach on target='_blank'>Pinterest

Source: google.com via Beach on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Y'all know about my obsession with Breaking Bad, and this season is just SO GOOD!!

Modern Family & Up All Night both make me laugh so hard and I'm sure I will be tuning in each and every week to watch both.

Yes, I know that's 3.... I just couldn't narrow it down anymore!

AND/OR

What two cleaning products make your life easier?

Source: google.com via Beach on Pinterest

I use these everywhere I possibly can!! I feel like I am always wiping down something these days! And as one of my mom-friends who turned me on to them would say "they smell like the SPA!"

Source: google.com via Beach on Pinterest

I'm a new JR Watkins fan, and while I love, love, love some Method products I am really enjoying these as well!

I am such a dork because I'm so excited to link up and see what everyone else is loving for cleaning products these days!

Day 20: Picture of Yourself

2011-09-19T21:59:00.005-04:00

Gosh, I had a hard time with today's blog challenge post. And then it hit me. When was I happiest? When did I feel glowing, beautiful and amazing?

When I was pregnant!!

So here you go - a picture from my maternity session with Megan Garrison - in May 2010

Day 19: Nicknames

2011-09-19T21:47:00.004-04:00

Today's Blog Challenge topic is nicknames. Here are mine:

Lis

Lizzer

Ebeth

And lately all I'm called is:

Mama-mama-mama

And that is my FAVORITE nickname!!

Laugh for the Day

2011-09-18T12:33:00.001-04:00

Sometimes you just need something silly to make you laugh.

You're Welcome. :)

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Blog Challenge Catch Up: Days 14-18

2011-09-18T11:41:00.002-04:00

I need to catch up on the past few day's of Katie's 30 Day Blog Challenge so I decided to combine them all into one post.

Day 14: Things I am Looking Forward to: Pumpkins, Halloween, Holiday Crafts, Peppermint Mochas, Playing in the snow with Trey. Remember, I'm embracing the "F" word... maybe even the "w" word.... Maybe?

Day 15: Advice for New Bloggers - If I could pick just one piece of advice for new bloggers it would be to blog for yourself. Meaning if you want to write a post that you feel is something that you'd like to remember or something important to you - go for it. Who cares if no one reads? Which will matter more 2 years from now?

Day 16: 5 Favorite Blogs - I can't pick just 5, if you'd like to see some of my favorites just take a peek at the sidebar on the right of my page.

Day 17: Regrets - None. I know, I know that sounds weird but with all of the family issues I have had I'm learning to live in the moment and truly enjoy each and every day.

Day 18: Something You Miss - My Nanny. I know that she would just be so in love with Trey and I hope that she'd think that J.D. and I are good parents. Luckily I know I have her looking down on us and I ask her for advice a lot!

My Missoni Madness

2011-09-14T23:27:00.003-04:00

AKA... Part of my quest to break out of the Mom-Uniform

I can't remember when Missoni first caught my eye but I'm going to guess it was in a magazine what feels like a million years ago!

You can of course imagine that I rejoiced and celebrated with many others when it was announced that my favorite store (Target - duh) was set to debut a line this Fall.

I stalked the look books on fashion sites, texted with some of my girlfriends for weeks, plotting about the morning of September 13th.

I decided to hoof it rather than trying to go through Target.com and hit up my local Target at 8am on Tuesday morning. There were a bunch of other ladies, some nice, some snooty - but no fights broke out like what I heard happened in a California Target. I saw a few overly full carts that were clearly headed home to be put up on eBay.

I was lucky though! I got everything I wanted and then some! My haul - 2 Dresses, 2 cardigans, a ruana, flats and heels!

And then today I fell in love with this gem! Thanks to my Twitter friends, I decided I *needed* it!

I'm on the fence about a couple pieces, luckily I have a mom-friend coming over for a playdate tomorrow and to assess the dress situation! I'll let y'all know what I end up keeping and what goes back!

Did you score any Missoni for Target? Did you think the website crashing was a marketing ploy? Because I totally do! Regardless, well done Target, well done!

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T12:00:00.005-04:00

Looks like I'll be ordering these off of Amazon today....

Day 13: Favorite Quote/Bible Verse

2011-09-13T07:36:00.001-04:00

Well, y'all know that I couldn't pick just one for the blog challenge today!!

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Source: 503galleries.com via Courtney on Pinterest

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And probably my favorite quote of all time, something I try very hard to remember every day:

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Day 12: Goals for the Next Year

2011-09-12T08:16:00.000-04:00

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Today's goal challenge post is a good one!

(Much better than discussing fears.... just sayin')

Today our topic is - goals that we would like to accomplish in the next year. I have to say that I haven't really given any goals much thought lately. I'm almost at my "goal weight" and am on track to be there within the next month. I have been going to the gym a decent amount lately. And I am neck high in a pile of things that are for our garage sale next weekend. Which has been a huge help in organizing my house.

Here are some things I would like to do within the next year:

Turn our guest room into a "mom office". I really need a place for all of my Shakeology stuff, stationary, wrapping, etc. I'd still like to have a place for guests to stay, but the room is tiny. So I am going to try to find maybe a day bed or futon type thing for it to give me a little bit more space.

Make more time for crafts and to be creative. I know how important it is for Trey to do these things - we've been playing with crayons, finger paints, making music, etc for as long as I can remember. J.D. has a big love for making music and enjoys it often. But, me? I don't really have too much creative-ness on a regular basis and I'd like to change that.

Make and order the rest of "Trey's Firsts" books via Snapfish, etc.

Maintain my goal weight and continue to be more active. Work on weight training and run a 5k, 10k, or half marathon

Start meal planning on a more consistent basis. This makes it so much easier for me to have something already cooked and ready when JD gets home from work. And basically eliminates the "what should we have for dinner" convo that we all hate so much!

What goals have you set for yourself lately? What helped you attain them?

Day 11: Fears

2011-09-11T12:57:00.003-04:00

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Today's blog challenge topic is fears. I have pretty bad anxiety and I take medicine for it every single day, it helps a lot but I still get freaked out about so many things. I know, this makes me seem a little on the crazy side, but we all have our "things".

At the top of my list hands down is driving. I was in a few accidents when I was younger and the fear has resonated since then. I don't mind just driving here and there around town but places with LOTS of traffic freak me out. I somehow did ok while we were living outside of D.C. - I had white knuckles a lot but basically made myself "suck it up". I think it was actually good for me, and helped me get over a lot of my fears but didn't get rid of them completely.

Basically the jest of this post: if we are going on a long road trip, you probably don't want to count on me driving too much. Really, it's for everyones benefit!

Saturday Morning Scene

2011-09-10T12:22:00.004-04:00

This morning J.D. took Trey to Little Gym and then the park so that I could sleep in and get some shopping done by myself! It was so great but the funny thing is, I was up and showered before my usual time - weird right?

J.D. sent me this picture from the park and included a caption:

"This is how Superman does it, mama!"

Happy Saturday y'all!

Day 10: Your Special Someone

2011-09-09T17:19:00.008-04:00

Today's blog challenge topic is all about your "special someone"! I'm so excited to write this post because it was so long ago that J.D. and I met and fell in love and I'd like to share that!

We met in 12th grade English class. Thank goodness for alphabetical order because we were placed next to one another. He was always staring at me and I kept thinking "what is he looking at?" "Is he looking at me?" "OMG does he like me?" Well a mutual friend confirmed that he did in fact, like me.

Days later he came over my house to watch Robin Hood for extra credit in class. We had our first kiss that day and it was magical. I still can remember every detail even today!

13 years later.

That's right, this October 12th will be 13 years since that first romantic (as romantic as one can be at 17) moment.

Like with any couple, we have had ups and downs, highs and lows but at the end of the day I know for a fact that there isn't anyone else I'd rather raise a family with, share my life with, and grow old with.

I feel so loved and secure when I am with him. No one else can ever make me feel so calm and happy. He always stands up for me and makes me feel like I am one in a million. I know this all sounds like a total sap fest but it's true, I love that he is Trey's Daddy because I know he will look up to him and want to be "just like da-da" and that makes my heart smile. I know that J.D.'s main goal everyday is to make sure that Trey and I are loved and well taken care of, I know that we are truly blessed.

So pardon all of the mush around here today but I thought I'd share some old random pictures of "my special someone"!

I started stealing pictures off of my Snapfish account and got a little out of control. Feel free to skip the picture overload that is about to occur!

We like a decent amount of silly with our holidays!

He loves baby Zoe SO much!!

He does so well dealing with some of my crazy shenanigans.

Watching him turn into such an amazing father has made me fall more and more in love with him!

He's my soulmate and best friend and that's all there is to it!

Friday's Thoughts

2011-09-09T13:08:00.006-04:00

Here is my brain dump for the day:

I am loving the 30 day blog challenge. Except I haven't done day 8 which is about friends. I'm working on it but I feel like I have a lot to say because I'd really like to include by blog friends too. (Meaning my real life blog friends like this chick who I met for coffee yesterday and this chick who I met for coffee today!) I've formed such a bond with lots of these local blogging ladies and I'd really like to share that!

JD and I went on a "date" last weekend. We made reservations, got "dressed up" (whatever that means these days...) but you know what we didn't do? Get a sitter. Nope. We dressed Trey up (Monogrammed polo and Madras pants via SheShe Made!) and took him with us. It was awesome! It was so fun to be on a date night with my TWO favorite guys! We had a wonderful time and Trey was so well behaved. The owner of the restaurant came over to compliment us on how he acted. (p.s. No smug-mommy-ness here, we just had a lucky night!)

We tried out a music class this week and Trey and I both really enjoyed it. The teacher is an old friend that I made during my prenatal yoga classes. It was so wonderful to see her again and for her daughter and Trey to play together. I don't know if the class will fit into our schedule this fall (it's during his nap time and it doesn't look like that's going to work) but I'm guessing that he will be down to one nap a day by next semester so maybe we will go then. Do any of your babes do music classes? How do they like them?

I am officially out of chocolate Shakeology at my house besides the bag that I am using for myself. I thought with bathing suit season over everyone would be taking a break. WRONG. I literally have friends stopping by with cash or paypaling me so I can mail them order. I love it! It's really it's keeping me motivated too! Let me know if you are interested and I can give you more info!

I'm such a nerd. The excitement I get when the library emails me to tell me a book I have been waiting for is on hold for me is just beyond ridiculous. It's the simple things really. Oh, and I'm obsessed with Beth Harbison books right now. Love her!

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This bread is changing my life. I whipped up some apple cider glaze to go on top, served it slightly warm - it TASTES like FALL. Promise. Now get yourself to Trader Joe's and get some!!!

We started the Fall session at The Little Gym this week and Trey was actually kind of shy for the first little bit of class. He was unsure of everything - the kids, other parents, the shakers and that's SO unlike him. In June I probably could have dropped him off and left and he never would have noticed! It's amazing how two months off made such a difference. I'm so glad we are back because I know he really enjoys going and learns a lot there.

I'm so excited that it's Friday! We have a Little Gym make up class (because they were closed on Labor Day) and a first birthday party tomorrow and maybe a beach/zoo/aquarium day Sunday? I'm certain we will find something fun to do! I also want to work on some Fall crafts like woah! I hope everyone else has an awesome weekend too!!

Beach Bum & Baby

Looking for the Valentine's Day Burlap Banner Tutorial?

DIY: Super Easy Pink & Green Ribbon Wreath

Recipe Obsession: Kale Chips

Some Funny Ish

Two On Tuesday: Dance Dance Dance

Pitbull - Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor) ft. T-Pain (My kettlebells teacher uses this in her class and I LOVE it!)

Review: HANAair Professional Hair Dryer

Monday Randoms

The Nail Files

Like Birchbox ~ but for Babies! & A *HOT* Deal!

A Post for Me

Busch Gardens Christmastown & Trey's First Ride!

Duncan Hines & A Girls Night In!

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Card Edition

O Christmas Tree

Trey's First Haircut

Pin-spired Link Up!

Vanilla Extract

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Random Instagram Edition

Thanksgiving Recap

Plum Organics & Baby Feeding Magic

Wordless Wednesday: Mini Beach Bum

Pinterest-ing Laughs for Today

My Heart's A Stereo

SMS: Team Santa!

iPhoto Friday

Save It, Baby

Thankful Thursdays

Say "Cheese" for Tiny Prints Cards!

Quickie Meme

Halloween Party OOTN

Monkey Business

Citrus Lane: Rave Review & a Discount Code!

Baby Talk: Young Love

Two on Tuesday

Smart Thinking & Planning Ahead for Mamas

My First OOTD Post....Ever

The Great Pumpkin is Coming!

His vs Hers: SMS

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday

Ten on Tuesday

What we've been up to

Broke, Fat & Happy?

Secret Menu for Starbucks?

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday

Saturday Morning Scene

Favorite Toys at 13 Months

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday

Two on Tuesday: TV & Cleaning

Day 20: Picture of Yourself

Day 19: Nicknames

Laugh for the Day

Blog Challenge Catch Up: Days 14-18

My Missoni Madness

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday

Day 13: Favorite Quote/Bible Verse

Day 12: Goals for the Next Year

Day 11: Fears

Saturday Morning Scene

Day 10: Your Special Someone

Friday's Thoughts

Like Birchbox ~ but for Babies! & A HOT Deal!