stocking stuffer ideas!

Stockings may be one of my favorite parts of Christmas. When I was growing up, some of the best loot came in our stockings! I love that my Mom would always make everything personalized and unique for each of us. I try to carry on that tradition with my kids and try to include thoughtful, meaningful things instead of just loads of candy or trinkety junk that's sure to get broken in a few hours. 

Sooo here are my picks for stockings this year! 

1. A scarf! Like this one from Gap. Every girls loves her accessories, right?

2. Pretty much anything from Rifle Paper Co., but especially their cute notepads.

3. Herb cutting scissors from Crate & Barrel! Because chopping cilantro is annoying.

4. Marshmallow cookie sandwiches from Malvi. Not only is the packaging adorable, but the flavors sound delicious!

5. Personalized brass key chain, like here on Etsy. 

6. Jamberry nails! SO cute!

7. Bath bombs from Lush. Like a giant, scented alkaseltzer for the tub.

8. Lounge pants, yoga pants- some type of pant with an elastic waistband.

9. Make your own vanilla extract kit. Tastes way better than store bought!

10. Stickygrams! Get her Instagram password and create small magnets for the fridge with your pictures (but leave out all her selfies and food pictures).

1. Portable USB Battery charger, on Amazon

2. Beard Pack Facial Hair Care Set from Uncommon Goods. If you're going to rock a beard, treat it well.

3. Bacon Candy Canes at Urban Outfitters- I think I need to get these for every man in my family.

4. Aluminum collar stays on Etsy. Does anyone else's husband hoard the little plastic ones??

5. Screwdriver key chain set. Because what is a man if he isn't prepared? Not prepared. 

6. Leather wallet iPhone case by Madewell

7. Razor pit sharpener by Uncommon Goods

8. Fun dress socks, like these shark socks by Uncommon Goods

9. Wooden bow tie! Conversation piece? I think yes.

10. ManCan candles, in scents like smoky barbecue and pizza. Maybe for the office or man cave (because that's definitely not going in my living room).

1. Finger printing art set

2. Pocket doll in Matchbox home - Umm..can I get one of these for me? It's so LITTLE and CUTE!

3. Mr. and Mrs. Food Plate Maybe this will help my picky toddler not be so picky? 

4.  Mini games, like Tic-Tac-Toe

 5. Dino hands temporary tattoos

6.  Tube Toys

7.  Personalized Name Book

8.  Road tape & Car

Check out my other gift guides for babies and toddlers HERE and HERE.

thanksgiving

I had every intention of taking more than these few pictures on Thanksgiving. But my intentions were soon clouded by thoughts of carb loading and pie.

Our Thanksgiving this year was kind of like the movie Four Christmases. Except it was just two houses, not four, and it wasn't Christmas. But we enjoyed spending time with James's side of the family! I sort of dread the day where I'M the one in charge of the turkey. It's so...intimidating. So I'll delay that scene for as long as possible. 

We had to leave the first meal a little early to get to the second one on time, so we missed pie! We had other non-pie desserts at Thanksgiving #2, so this holiday turned out to be pie-less. I overheard Jillian talking on her toy phone today and she said, "Yeah and we didn't even have pie on Thanksgiving!" Incredibly observant, that one is.

 

I told James we need more Thanksgiving traditions other than just eating. We have Christmas traditions coming out of our ears, but not really any for Thanksgiving! Maybe like one of the local races in the morning, a pie baking contest...I don't know. SOME thing. Have any ideas? I'm totally okay with adopting your family's traditions.

All in all it was a great day! I have so many things to be thankful for- a happy, healthy family (many of them living close by), two super sweet kiddos, a hardworking and caring hubby, a job that allows me to work from home...and the list goes on. I wouldn't trade any of it for anything! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

olivia:: 7 months!

How I know I'm getting closer to 30 and farther from 20

You know when you're a kid and each year on your birthday someone inevitably asks, "Do you feel any older?" And you say no because...no, you don't. 16 feels more awesome than 15, and 18 more than 17, but you don't feel older. Feeling older is for old people.

(By the way, it's not my birthday...this has just been on my mind)

But I'm starting to feel my answer changing. I'm totally feeling older. Not so much in like a hip replacement kind of way, but like a...minivan kind of way.

Disclaimer: I'm sure this is like, 95% influenced by the fact I have two kids. Once you have kids you start aging in dog years.

Here's what I mean-

1. You know when you're in college and staying out every night until like 2am is a thing? Younger friends...take heed: you have it all backwards. Sleep while you still can, NAP while you still can, because once you're all grown up and responsible with kids and a reasonable bedtime for yourself, your kids will remind you why you should have taken advantage of your single, childless years and SLEPT. And they especially like to do this between 2-6am. Now the only thing I'm good for past 9pm is a bowl of ice cream and Greys Anatomy on Hulu while sitting on my couch wearing stretchy pants and fuzzy socks.

2. As part of our monthly budget, James and I each have an allowance of sorts. These days I usually spend most of mine on house stuff- paint, rugs, picture frames, a throw pillow. My father-in-law gets me the same present for birthdays and holidays- a Home Depot gift card, and it. is. awesome.

3. I have no shame. I mean, can you really after being crotch up to the world giving birth two times and all kinds of strangers with a front row seat to your expanding lady parts?
The answer is no.

4.The older I get you'd think my filter between brain and mouth would improve, that I'd be able to hold my tongue in certain situations in all of my wisdom. Quite the opposite, actually. Is this happening to anyone else??

5. And lastly, the reason I definitely know I'm creeping up on 30 watching 20 in the rear view mirror- I'm feeling emotionally secure enough to drive a minivan. Well, want to drive one anyway. I have an SUV now and have always wanted an SUV. James knew this going in- I would never drive a minivan. Which is slightly ironic because my first car in high school was a minivan (which was horrifying until I realized I could drive anywhere with more friends than anyone else could). But you want to know what's NOT fun? Trying to squeeze a car seat into a tiny opened door space because of how close the idiot next to you parked, which is a regular occurrence. But the mom in the minivan a few cars down? In and out of those sliding doors with ease- all that LOADING room!! And did you know some models come with vacuum cleaners?! 

A minivan people.

I'm totally embracing it.

olivia:: 6 months!

How did this happen?! Half of a year old, already???

We sure loving having these little sweet cheeks around! If only she would sleep more than 4 hours straight at night, we'd be golden.

 

meg's "little pumpkin" baby shower

My cousin Meghan is expecting her second baby in December! She has one little boy already, but this time is having a girl! Eeek!

We had her baby shower last night, going with a "little pumpkin" theme! I definitely believe in baby showers even after the first baby- all babies should be celebrated and you always need essential items with each one! And who needs an excuse to get together and eat treats anyway? Not me, that's for sure.

Can't wait to see little Rylee! 

Thanks Jen and Kristen for hosting with me and to Michaela for all of your last minute help!

halloween-ween

Happy Halloween-ween! (I dunno...that's what Jillian has been calling it this year. But it is more fun to say...)

Halloween was really like a week long celebration this year- which was awesome (obviously). I LOVE Halloween! It's probably my second favorite after Christmas. No, it's definitely my second favorite.

I don't really get into the scary part of Halloween (or the scary part of anything...), but the costumes, and the trick-or-treating, and the endless watching of Hocus Pocus- I am IN.

This year Jillian kept going back and forth between wanting to dress up as Ariel or Cinderella. It changed every 5 minutes (just like all of her opinions on everything). Finally I had to go with one to start working on costumes. I went with Little Mermaid, so she wanted to be Cinderella. Naturally. Once she saw her costume though, she was happy!

 ^At her preschool Halloween party with her BFF Brynlee the scary witch!

I followed the tutorial here to make Jillian's Ariel costume. I couldn't find green tights ANYWHERE- seriously- I checked 8 stores- so I DYED them using Kool-Aid! I didn't even know that was a THING! But it's amazing. And cheap. And easy. And smells good. I used the guide here to get the color I wanted! I'll probably start doing this more often with..er...other stuff.

^The day before Halloween we took the kids to the farmer's market where they were doing trick-or-treating! It was a good practice run. 

And then finally ON Halloween the rest of us got all dressed up to join the fun. James was especially excited about his minimal costume attire (he doesn't share my enthusiasm for the holiday).

At first I was planning to go as Ursula, but the thought of sewing an Octopus costume after doing Jillian's mermaid tail made me want to not be Ursula. I'm not a huge fan of sewing. It's like the dishes, I'll do it if I absolutely HAVE to and no one else is willing to, and like, mold is starting to grow.

Jillian kept telling me that only kids could be Flounder, but I eventually won her over. Plus I found this really cool idea for Flounder make-up!

 (Mine didn't look quite as cool as the girl who did it on Pinterest, granted she had like 5 eye shadows and makeup brushes and I had 3 face-painting crayons. So not too shabby if you ask me).

 ^So technically Olivia is a lobster. It's a lobster costume. When I bought it, I was super excited about the addition of Sebastian to our little crew. Then I realized Sebastian is not a lobster, but a crab. 

That's almost the same, right? 

For our sake, yes. They're the same. 

Every time I look at this picture I instantly start singing Under the seeaaa, under the seeaaa!

Halloween night really couldn't have been more perfect. I felt like I was in a Hallmark movie. Or even better, Halloweentown! 

We went up to one of our good friend's neighborhoods and ate soup and let the kids do a couple of easy games. Then we loaded up the strollers and walked the neighborhood to beg for candy.

Last year, Jillian was completely terrified of the trick-or-treating process, so I was curious to see how this year was going to go...but she loved it! It made my heart so happy. We did have to work on taking only one candy instead of an entire handful, but she got used to it (until some people told her she could take two and she'd get confused all over again). 

The neighborhood we went to was quite possibly the best ever. Everyone gets into the Halloween spirit! We scored some full-size candy bars, hot chocolate, and caramel apples! They even do a hayride around the neighborhood and one house had a mini haunted house through the garage and another projected the movie Hocus Pocus onto a wall on their front porch.

It was seriously like Halloweentown. I need to live there.

And the weather couldn't have been more perfect! 

The only completely awful part was waking up the next morning to a porch-full of smashed pumpkins. Who DOES that?! Stupid teenagers. I was (am) so ticked about it! Two of them were clearly decorated by Jillian. Do people really feel good about destroying something proudly made and displayed by a 3 year-old? What losers...

Someone remind me next year to move my pumpkins inside the night of Halloween. 

And now we have a plastic pumpkin full of candy that needs to disappear, and preferably not into our mouths. 

Happy Halloween-ween!

gift guide part 2!

Guys...I'm super excited about Christmas shopping (even though I'm still trying to figure out how to do my Halloween costume...my mind is in too many places at once). What's slightly ironic is that even after the first kids' gift guide I posted, I've only purchased one present for each of my kids. Though I don't have much to actually show for all of the mentally energy I've put into this- I have a lot of ideas! That's half the battle, right? ...errr...maybe?

one//  Pop up wooden toy at Land of Nod  (under $25)

two// Wubbanub pacifier holder (under $20)-- I'm especially excited about this one. I'm really over waking up 2034234 times a night just to stick a binky back in because she can't find it!

three// Wooden teething/clutching toy from Haba Magica (under $20)

four// Latches board by Melissa and Doug (under $25)

five// Wooden activity cube by B. Zany Zoo

one// Magnetic catch and count fishing game by Melissa and Doug (under $20)

two// Alphabet sound puzzle by Melissa and Doug (under $20)

three// Marble Run by Mindware

four// Mix it Up! Interactive picture book by Herve Tullet (under $20)--I really can't say enough things about this book! Definitely one you won't get sick of reading.

five// Projector Flashlight at Land of Nod (under $20)

Also, one of my FAVORITE Christmas traditions is new Christmas jammies!

I love this cute picture book about elves delivering them on Christmas Eve! 

If that counts as a gift then my official count is 3 gifts purchased- not two. Well, if sitting in your cart on Amazon counts. 

:-D

raspberry pickin'

Another thing checked off of our fall bucket list! This was our first year going raspberry picking and we will definitely be making that a tradition- it's too delicious not too! There is nothing as good as a freshly picked raspberry. Except next year I think I'll bring gloves...my hands and wrists are soo scratched up. Woooorth it. 

I think Jillian and her buddies were eating them off the vine just about as fast as they could pick them!

 

Most of our little harvest was gobbled up within an hour of being home. I hid the last ones in the fridge for breakfast tomorrow. YUMMMM.

anniversary

My kiddos have been incredibly demanding little boogers lately (I mean who do they think they are...dependents or something?!). Thus I haven't had as much time to sit down and pee alone for 5 seconds  blog lately. Okay let's talk about that for a sec- because that's probably about all I have before Olivia wakes up for the 29th time tonight because her binky fell out of her mouth.

One of my Mom's frequent sayings is, "well you know kids, when you get it figured out they start doing something different!" It. Is. True. They've both been so weird lately. Jillian is going through some major regression recently- talking like a baby, scared to poop on the toilet again (remember that?), suuuuper clingy. I'm sure part of that is due to still adjusting to this new little human in our lives (right?). And Olivia takes forever to put to sleep now and wakes up 29 times a night. Okay, like 3-5. But that's a lot. 

And my patience level is like -5. 

'Tis not a good combination. 

So I'm hoping my Mom's little saying will ring true yet again (like tomorrow) and they'll be on to doing something different- preferably sleeping and pooping at normal intervals. Really that's not too much to ask, is it? Poop and sleep? You'd be amazed and how much smoother things run when those two things are in check (no matter what your age, really). 

OH. So this is supposed to be about my anniversary. 

Happy 6 years to us!! 

It's weird- because it feels like "whoa I can't believe it's been SIX years!" and "wait...it's only been six years?" at the same time. 

(right after we got engaged- before selfies were like, a "thing")

Since we had a big celebration last year for our 5th anniversary last year with our trip to Destin, we wanted to keep it low-key this year. Life has also been so crazy lately it was kind of nice to just go out on a regular date! 

We ate at the always scrumptious Cheesecake Factory and perused the mall. It was delightfully ordinary to just be together. He also surprised me with a pearl and diamond ring that I've been wanting forever!

Each year I've written one of these posts I like to go back and look at my anniversary post for each of the previous years. On our 3rd anniversary, I wrote this:

"Overall, life has changed a LOT. For the better. Definitely for the better. I wonder where we'll be in the next 3 years? Hopefully I'll be a retired teacher ;-) or at least doing online teaching, Jillian will be THREE (wwhhaa???) and we'll probably have another kid, if not then one on the way. WOWZAS. Cheers to us. "

I must be a psychic or something...I AM an online teacher, and we do have another baby! And life is still getting better. So now I feel like I have to do another three year prediction (which is a little harder because everything is so up in the air right now...). Soo my guess is we'll be living in another state where James lands a super awesome job (fingers crossed?), I will be a full-time stay-at-home-mom, and baby #3 will probably be alive and well (we like this three year spacing so far). Time will tell. 

Happy six years Hamase!