Category: family

Q Turns Six!
So Q wanted two things for her birthday party this year:
1. A big “rainbow unicorn party” at the house
2. Mermaids in the pool-doing tricks
Soooo, instead I offered her option #3: A rainbow party at a local kids gym. Free of mermaids AND messy post-party house. Winning all around.

The place was perfectly “rainbow” themed as is, so all we had to do was add some fun decor, and of course, we can’t forget themed birthday attire!

Q’s adorable rainbow leotard was custom made from The Leotard Shop and the gorgeous rainbow layered cake (which was pretty much the hit of the party) was from Society Bakery. I mean, it was either the cake or the mountain of candy I had laid out on the kids’ tables…not sure which one was the clear winner. You’re welcome, parents. 😉 Since Society Bakery doesn’t do fondant, I ordered this custom cake topper from Sugar Decor by Letty. It was the perfect addition to the cake! I think my favorite details of the day were the adorable sunshine paper plates and cloud napkins from Meri Meri. I just love all of their stuff so much! (They also made the party hats and goodie bags!)

For the main table, I made gumball filled “6” centerpieces and then decorated the tables with jars filled with all sorts of rainbow colored treats and candies. Each kid got a takeaway carton with little tags that said either “fill me up, buttercup” or “taste the rainbow”. They filled these up with the treats on the table and brought them home as favors. Again, parents- you’re welcome!

I also scattered rainbow colored glass jars from Hobby Lobby all over the tables and filled them with crayons. I then had coloring sheets and stickers scattered about. Once the kids hit the table, they had plenty to occupy their time and attention while they ate lunch.

For goodie bags, I stuffed each bag with a rainbow lollipop, a slinky, a rainbow crayon, bubbles, and my favorite favor: these adorable tins of scented play dough from ZDough. Working with Kira to create custom doughs was so much fun! We went with rainbow colors and she stamped them all with different sayings like, “Happy Birthday!”, “Thank You!”, “Q”, and “6”. Each dough came with a packet of glitter to be mixed into the dough for extra fun play and they came packed in a super cute paper sack. These favors were a HIT at the party…some of the kids even tore into them at the table before they left the party! I highly recommend these as a fun & different favor idea!!

Next, I worked with the talented A Dancing Baker to create these absolutely adorable rainbow cookies. Quin just about flipped her lid when she saw that the clouds had edible glitter on them!! They were so pretty, I almost didn’t want to eat them. Almost. But good thing I caved, because holy cow…they were DELICIOUS!!

The party room was pretty “colorful” as is, but I ordered this awesome rainbow balloon arch and some other filler balloons from Balloons Everyday! They are in the DFW area and were so amazing to work with…they’ll be my party balloon go-to for all future party needs for sure!!

The kids had a blast running around the gym and Q was on cloud nine, so I think it’s safe to say that the party was a sucess…and Q didn’t even miss the performing mermaids in the end! 😉

Q’s Rainbow Outfit Shop Links: Dress (last summer), Boots, Socks, Headband

Cubby’s Yellow Leotard: Alice & Ames

Rainbow Canvas: Home Goods

Paper Umbrella, Letter Q, Glass conatiners, fun letterboard letters, and random decor: Hobby Lobby

White Letterboard: Letterfolk

Pink “Party” Balloon: Pretty Little Social

Happy 6, my sweet Rainbow girl! Let’s take this next year nice & slow!
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August 28, 2017
Newborn Session
So, it seemed fitting that since he is about to turn four months…

FOUR! (HOW in the world?!)

…that it was due time to finally post Max’s newborn photos. Don’t judge. Life is crazy, you guys. Mothers of three or more…How. Do. You. Do. It?!?!? Like, besides hiring a personal chef, full-time nanny, glam squad, and a round-the-clock housekeeper…how? Just, how? I need all the answers!

Anyways, without further chatter …(cause I know you’re all just scrolling right past these words to the pics…don’t think I don’t see you.) here are the photos from little Man-Man’s newborn session:

Note: My poor Q came home from school not feeling so great the day of pictures, with our photographer (the amazing Leah Cook) already there. So, we just went with it. If you think she looks a little less-chipper than usual or is missing from some of the pics, that’s why. Poor babe!

Gah, look at how tiny he was! He hardly looks like the same baby. These pics make me so sad…sad that he’s already no longer considered a “newborn” and is now an infant.

Ugh. I struggled so much with these early days. I knew he was our last babe and I wanted so desperately to keep him teeny teeny tiny. But at the same time, I longed for the days when he was just a few months older, a bit less fragile and a bit less fussy. I’ve never had easy babies (not ONE!) so I guess I wasn’t too surprised to learn that Max fell into the same “difficult” category. He’s getting a little better every day, but let’s be honest, he’s still up alllllll night long wanting to snuggle and nurse. Such a Mama’s Boy! 😉

Watching “Mac” with his little Max has to be the sweetest thing ever. It’s funny how relationships form differently right off the bat. There’s no denying the way Ryan looks at his son…(not to be confused with the “I’m completely wrapped and twisted and tangled and super-glued around your tiny finger” look he gave to his girls!) 😉

Max’s room was such a labor of love- designed with a beach/surf theme for his Californian daddy. If you want to read and see more about Max’s room with clickable links check out THIS post! 😉

Poor, sweet Q. We all know she would’ve been hammin’ it up for the camera if she was feeling better! Such a bummer…

Sweetest Max, baby. We sure do love you a whole lot. You can go right ahead and stop growing now, ok?

All photos by my sweet friend: the incredible Leah Cook Photography
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August 26, 2017
Virgin Gorda
*Scroll to the bottom for a 2019 post update!*

June 2017:

Well, friends- we’re back! Crazy to think that after all that planning and packing and prepping…the trip is already over. BUT- I will tell you, it was worth every second and every penny! Virgin Gorda *might* be my new favorite Caribbean destination!I received so many questions via Instagram while we were away and with data roaming charges being so high and the internet connection being less than stellar, I figured I’d answer some of them here!

First off:

Q & A’s clothes & bathing suits: I almost ALWAYS tag the shops their outfits are from. Just tap the picture on instagram to see the shop names (I know this seems kind of obvious, but I still get lots of “Where is that dress from?” type questions over in Insta-land. So, yeah click the picture for shop names.) If it’s NOT tagged its most likely an old piece or something that is no longer available. OR my shopaholic brain simply forgot where I got it! 😉

(Ex: These blue rompers got lots of questions and I didn’t tag them because they were purchased at Old Navy last summer- or even the summer before, maybe! I loved it when I bought it and went back and got one in every size- thus the reason Q & A both fit into one this summer! Yaaaay for being a shopaholic!)

Travel Items: Ok, so I definitely over-packed for this trip (See Travel Tips post!) and I wanted to share a quick list of things I did NOT use while on vaca, things I definitely NEEDED and things I totally forgot to bring!

Did NOT use:
- The MiFold carseat boosters. Most travel in the Caribbean is done by way of boat or open air taxis so these seats stayed in the luggage the whole time. Boo!
- Polaroid Camera. The charger got lost early on, the battery kept dying on us, and honestly Q just had no interest. Waste of luggage space.
- So many outfits! We had a chef come in & we ate at the house a bunch on this trip, so the girls went from bathing suits & coverups straight into pjs most nights. I think we went out to dinner twice. So basically aside from travel clothes, I used TWO outfits for the girls. T-W-O. I will not even tell you how many I actually brought!
- So many SHOES! I bought the girls THESE slip on sandals by Igor and they wore them every single day. On the two nights they dressed up to go out to restaurants they wore their brown salt water sandals. I literally only needed two pairs of shoes for them. Same for me. I needed flip flops. The end.
- All those airplane toys. I’m on the fence with this one because the girls mostly watched their ipads on the plane BUT they did play with their toys during down time at the house. So I guess they did come in handy.
- The Monkey Mat. The kids played IN the sand and Max, wellll- never let me put him down. Never needed it or opened it once!
- Water shoes for the girls. We brought them for The Baths but the shoes were actually slippery on the rocks and it was easier/safer to go barefoot!
Definitely USED:
- snorkel masks
- life jackets
- alllll that food!
- lots of bathing suit options…and lots of rashguards!
- alllll that sunscreen
- 6 packages of wipes! Thought I was over-packing here but, nope!
- Boppy- for feeding, naps, airplane ride, etc. Used this every single day.
- Breast pump, lots of breast milk storage baggies, and a small insulated cooler and freezer packs for toting that milk to dinners and on our travel days!
- Extra bottles! We use glass and one shattered upon arrival…thank God for extras!
- First Aid kit: children’s tylenol and thermometer were needed and definitely USED!
- That Aqua Heat travel bottle warmer. That this is Pure GOLD, I tell you!
- The mosquito net for baby boy. We put this over his rock n’ play every night and every time he was outside!
- Mesh baby carrier! This thing was awesome for carrying Max out in the sun & water
- Giant hat for myself. This served as protection for me as well as a tiny umbrella for Max while I was carrying him in the sun!
NEEDED but forgot:
- More diapers- we brought 50 diapers and were running very low towards the end of the 8 day trip. Ohhhh newborn life.
- Beach toys. We thought there would be a basket of sand toys left behind from the previous house guests (usually the case) but there was not. totally should’ve brought a small package of sand toys.
- Meds- I always pack a first aid kit but I cleaned out some expired meds before the trip and totally forgot to replace them. Luckily I had children’s Tylenol (needed for when Q & A got tummy bug fevers) but I forgot and NEEDED children’s Benedryl and also saline spray and squeeze bulb for baby boy’s congested nose!
Next up, the trip itself! Here are the details, as promised!

Location: Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

House: Villa Aquamare, via a vacation club we are members of.Virgin Gorda was GORGEOUS and the house was equally as stunning. The staff was superb and all around the experience was a five-star one. Not sure how any other house or beach trip is going to compare to this one! Do me a favor, if you ever go…please hire Chef Mimi to come cook for you…and request her Key Lime pie for dessert. (I don’t even like key lime pie!) Trust Me!

Tourist Spots:

On Virgin Gorda-
- Hog Heaven-BBQ joint. This place is located at the top of the island and the view alone is worth the trek. We stopped here for a drink and a snack (french fries) before heading out to lunch. So I can’t speak much of the actual food, but it’s a total tourist dive spot. Aka: showing up in a bathing suit and cover up is totally acceptable!
- CocoMaya- Asian Fusion. Gorgeous restaurant, beautiful scenery and yummy food! The girls loved the “back yard” (beach with corn hole, giant jenga, and fire pit) they could play on while we waited for food at our table.
- Saba Rock. Tiny little rock island off the coast of Virgin Gorda. Good food, cute gift shop, and you can walk the whole island in about 10 minutes. Only negative- no walk-in beach access, since the island is basically a big rock. (Water taxi to get there)
- The Bitter End Resort. Kind of dated, cute shops, good if you’re looking for some fun water sports. (Can get there by land taxi or boat)
- Chez Bamboo– a local restaurant. We ordered take-out from here one night and were very underwhelmed by the food. I’d maybe skip it.
- Rock Cafe– italian restaurant. Cute place, piano bar inside, we ate outside among boulders (thus the name). Food was just ok, but the atmosphere was pretty cool!
- The Baths! This place was phenomenal! Probably wouldn’t recommend doing it with a baby… but it was worth all the “You guys are crazy” looks we got from everyone! The girls had SO much fun climbing through all the rocks and tunnels and the water and views were just beautiful. Plus, I’m convinced we spotted the Goonies…Sailing Around the BVIs-
- We did two boat days with our favorite boat captain, Dana Paradise on the Take it Easy 2. We sailed all over the BVIs, stopping to snorkle at The Caves, The Indians and several other hot spots. We hit up Norman Island to eat at Pirate’s Bight, Saba Rock, and Soggy Dollar on Jost Van Dyke. Boat days are kind of our favorite…and not just because of the rum punch! 😉
- Side Note: On our first day at sea, one of the boat crew heard the girls talking about their love for Moana. The second day we chartered the boat, she went out into the caves she knew we’d be snorkeling in and planted a special gift for the girls to find. When the girls went out snorkeling in the caves they found plastic bags with their names on them. Inside was a note “from Moana” along with handmade island skirts and flowers for their hair. The girls were completely awe-struck and wore their custom made outfits from Moana for the rest of the day. THAT, my friends, is called quality crew! Miss Alicia, if you ever read this…YOU are the bestest ever! Thank you for making my girls’ day!!!
Any questions, send them my way!

Seriously…best trip ever!

Next up in our summer adventures…New Jersey!

In the meantime…extra vacation pics: ( Cause there’s always plenty of those! 😜)

2019 Recap

So we just got back from what might easily be my favorite Caribbean destination!

Here are a few updates and answers to some of your questions!

How we Got there:

This time around we flew from Dallas>Miami (stayed at The 1 Hotel South Beach for 3 days). We then flew to St. Thomas & chartered a water taxi (there is also a ferry) over to Virgin Gorda. It’s definitely a looong day of travel. Last time we flew Dallas>Puerto Rico>Beef Island and then boated over to Virgin Gorda, which is a shorter boat ride but Beef is a much more expensive airport to fly into. We all agreed, in terms of time and cost, that the way we did it THIS year was more practical.

What We Packed:

Aside from the normal stuff, we also packed a cardboard box full of “disposable” (meaning it won’t be coming home with us) items, such as diapers, wipes, some snacks for the kids, a few floats/tubes, some cheap water toys, extra sunscreen, etc. We check the box as luggage (Ryan gets to check bags for free since he travels so much for work). If you don’t want to pay for an extra piece of luggage, check with your destination to see if you can ship your “box of disposable goods” to the location and have them hold it for you until you arrive. A note of warning- ship it FAR in advance…mail to the islands is sloooow! Our rationale behind the box, as opposed to just packing another suitcase, is that we use up the contents of the box while on vacation, and then don’t have a big empty suitcase to cart back home with us. We’ve been doing this for years now!

Where We Stayed:

We stayed at the same home- Villa Aquamare (It’s one of the locations available through our vacation club, so we book it by using “days” of our membership- it sort of works like a time share). I believe you can rent for cost it without being a member, but at the price, I’d probably recommend looking into some of the cool AirBnB locations on the island!

Where We Ate:

We visited some of our favorite restaurants on the island mentioned above like Hog Heaven & CocoMaya but also tried out a new spot called Sugar Cane which had amazing food & atmosphere. We were going to try a brand new place called Nova over on Oil Nut Bay, but we got tired that day and decided to order in from Hog Heaven (again!) instead. The other nights we had our “BFF” from last time, Chef Mimi come & cook for us! There’s nothing quite like showering after a day in the sun and eating a fancy dinner in your pjs!

What We Did:

-Necker Island: Through our vacation club we were able to book something called an Eco Tour over on the private island. We thought we’d get to see some of the endangered species Richard Branson keeps on the island, get a tour of the property, and then be able to relax on the beach for a bit. We were WRONG! It was a four hour tour of the property- which, don’t get me wrong, was cool to see, BUT…we were not dressed appropriately, not mentally prepared for such a long day, not offered a single thing besides a water bottle, and had FOUR little kiddos in tow! It was a bit of a tease if you ask me. We were made to feel (by our tour guide) like we should be eternally grateful for being allowed to step foot on the island. Listen, Richard Branson has built a pretty freaking spectacular island for himself…but we were all ready to get back to Virgin Gorda where we were allowed to eat, drink, and relax on the beach! It was definitely a “one and done” experience. If you’ve seen the MTV cribs episode, save yourself the trouble (and the four hour “don’t touch anything” tour!)

-Boat Days are our FAVORITE days so we booked two this year. The companies we used were Virgin Charter Yachts & Ocean Bliss Charters . Since our group is expanding, we find that catamarans are the way to go for us! A few of the places we visited in 2017 were unfortunately destroyed in the recent storms (but are being rebuilt, don’t worry!!) so we had to skip Saba Rock and The Bitter End Resort this year but we hit up: snorkling at The Caves & The Indians, Norman Island to eat at Pirate’s Bight, and of course, our favorite (and currently rebuilt after the storms:) Soggy Dollar on Jost Van Dyke. We also checked out a new island this year called Cooper Island. It had a great little beach bar/restaurant and the cutest tables in the ocean to hold your drinks for you! My kind of place! 😉

-The Baths: The Baths of Virgin Gorda might be one of my very favorite places ever!! If you’ve never been, here are a few tips:
1. Check with locals about Cruise Ship days. Avoid those days- it’s way too packed! Unless of course, you’re on the cruise ship- then, have at it!

2. Fun Fact: it’s a national park so it’s technically always “open”. We go VERY early to avoid crowds.

3. Going early means you skip the admission both which opens around 8:30 (I think it’s $5-10 per person) but you most likely won’t have access to the bar/snack hut (which opens around 10-ish…island time 😉) But we like to go early and then stay and swim/hang out on the beach for the whole morning/early afternoon anyways so we get the best of both worlds!

4. Bring your own water & towels and find a nook outside the caves to leave them while you explore. Wear a fanny pack or backpack with your valuables. You will want to be hands FREE inside the caves.

5. We found that water shoes made it the rocks feel more slippery, and we all opted for bare feet instead.

6. Wear a bathing suit or something you don’t mind getting wet!

7. There is a gift shop & a good restaurant at the top of the park- it’s a great place to hit up on your way out!

8. If you find the “secret rock” to jump off of into the ocean, leave a comment below for a virtual high five!

*The girls suits they were wearing in the Bath pics were from MIKOH

Important:

Virgin Gorda is in the Britsh Virgin Islands (BVIs) so plan travel documents accordingly. We all needed passports- babies too!! It isn’t a bad idea to travel with a bunch of extra pens as well, since you will need to fill out customs forms, etc. along the way and those places always seem short on pens!

I think that’s about it! I’m already counting down the days until we go back again! Virgin Gorda truly is magical! If I missed anything feel free to leave a question in the comments below!
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July 8, 2017
Tips for a Beach Vacation
Brave.

Crazy.

Insane.

These are all things I’ve been called after telling people that we are headed to Virgin Gorda next week with our three children- yes, newborn included. I guess they’re all probably pretty true, but here’s the thing: This isn’t our first rodeo! Ryan and I have always loved traveling and after having Q, we took the 8 hour flight over to Hawaii when she was only two months old and we never looked back. We figured out the best and worst ways to travel with a baby (some major bumps and “learning experiences” along the way)! Fast forward a few years to Cubby being born and we were cruising around the Caribbean with another 2 month old in tow. So yeah, we might be totally crazy- but we’re doing it again. Why? Because we feel like we kind of have this “traveling with kids” thing down pat by now, but mostly because mama needs to have her toes in the water, ass in the sand….and a cold rum punch in her hand! 😉

Anyways, I’ve been sharing some of my packing over on my Instagram stories and I’ve gotten lots of requests for more info so I figured I’d share a little bit about how we travel with the kiddos, and the products that make it a little bit easier!
1. Lists and Schedule: I’m an OCD nut so when we plan a trip the first thing Ryan and I do is sit down and write out a loose day-by-day itinerary. Sure, plans change once we are there, but knowing vaguely what we’ll be doing each day helps me with packing. Then I make a list, and then a list of my list and then a master list of all my lists. 😉 (Lists are your friend.) I make a page for each family member, Ryan excluded (cause he’s a big boy and can pack for himself) and I write down everything I need to pack for that person- even the most obvious things like “underwear” and “toothbrush” make the list, because you KNOW those are the things that always get forgotten!
2. Pack in advance: Life is pretty damn crazy with three kids, I’m not going to lie. I get little pockets of “free” time each day when I can actually get things done before getting interrupted. So I start shopping/packing weeks in advance. I take out each family member’s suitcase and lay it in the hallway with their list on top. As I do laundry or shop or see an item I know we won’t be needing to use before the trip, I lay it in the suitcase. Then when the time comes to actually pack, most of what I need is already there, and I can use the list to quickly figure out what still needs to be packed. Packing in advance is key!! I’ve had so many people message me about the packing cubes I use to pack for the kids, so I’ve linked them HERE. They really are game-changers!!!
1. Planning Outfits: So I’m a bit of a nut with dressing the kids. As in, I enjoy it and I like them to coordinate and look put together (most of the time). The only way this is possible for me is if I literally lay out every outfit- bow to shoes. Once I lay out coordinating outfits and suits, I stack them up together (meaning both of the girls’ “Monday” outfits are in a pile together) Since Max is so young and will mostly be wearing onesies and pjs, he’s excluded from the daily outfit piles…for now! 😉 This helps SO much when we are there and the kids are sandy or dripping water everywhere from the bath, and the baby needs to be fed and we are late for dinner reservations- I can literally hand Ryan the “Monday” pile and he can get the kids ready without them winding up wearing two left shoes (which, let’s be honest- is Cubby’s favorite thing to do!)
2. Plane Entertainment: We reserve ipad time for special occasions so that once on the plane, the kids are actually excited to use them. Before we travel, Ryan let’s the girls pick out a few new movies/tv shows/apps to download onto their ipads. They get really excited about this! Then I let each girl have a backpack. Here are some packs we love! These are from Herschel and I LOVE them, except they were a bit too small for this trip. I linked them here: Herschel Survey PacksSince this is a longer trip, I grabbed these bigger packs from Pottery Barn Kids. They were on sale for $12…TWELVE!! I don’t believe they are on sale anymore but I linked them HERE for you just in case you want to keep you eye out! Since they were “the same” I let the girls pick out their own key chains to individualize them- they like to feel special like that. Aside from being cute and cheap- these backpacks are the perfect size and have cupholder slots on the sides for the girls water bottles (aka one less thing I have to carry!)
  I keep a cabinet in the house that I stock with small toys, books, magnet tin games, etc. that are specifically for travel/restaurant use. Target dollar section is my best friend for this! I let the girls “shop” the closet and decide what they want to pack in their bags. They LOVE doing this and again, it keeps them excited to play once they board the plane. Here’s a peek at some of the things the girls chose for their bags: ipad (obvi!), kleen kanteen water bottle (our fav brand), a school workbook for Q, sticker/coloring books, “Grab & Go” coloring Play Packs (Thanks Target Dollar Section!), Some marshmallow clay (this stuff is awesome), a plain notebook & fresh crayons (always a kiddo favorite!), a small pouch of figurines (Cubby especially loves to play figurines! Q packed some shopkins & Cub packed My Little Ponies), a mini Buddha Board (check this out- you paint with water & it dries and erases!), wiki sticks (so awesome for travel!) and of course, some of the dreaded “surprise packs” (LOL Dolls anyone?!). Most of these toys have passed the test of time- meaning they keep the girls occupied for longer than 30 seconds. Anything they get easily board with, doesn’t make the cut!
3. Secret Weapons: Aside from their “quiet bags”, as we call them, here are the secret weapons for traveling with kids: snack, snack, and SNACKS. Seriously, imagine that you are going to be stranded on a deserted island for a month and then pack that much food for your several hour plane ride- trust me. I pack lots of different snacks in small amounts because it’s all about the novelty of “trying a new snack”…with my kids at least. I love using THESE plastic organizers to fill will all different small sized snacks: granola, almonds, m&ms, fruit snacks, goldfish, etc. And don’t forget lollipops or something chewy to help pop those ears during descent! I also ALWAYS pack a giant gallon sized ziplock (or five) to use as my “trash bag” during the flight. It makes keeping our row not look like a stage-5 disaster zone a little easier.
4. Travel Clothes: We usually fly super early in the morning so the key to getting out the door is dressing the kids in their travel clothes the night before. Crazy, you say? Not with Plain Jane Play Gowns! These adorable and cozy dresses function as a nightgown BUT are cute enough to pass for a dress! I put these on the girls the night before and lay out a pair of sandals and a jean jacket or cardigan to throw on in the morning. Then I pack an outfit in one of the zip pouches from my packing cube set above that into my carry on. At some point during the flight I get the girls changed into their real clothes and do their hair. Sounds like a lot of work, but in all reality- it kills a good 15 -20 minutes of flight time! 🙂 If you have little girls and you don’t know about Plain Jane…do me a favor and click that link right there!!!
5. Sunscreen: I linked a few of my favorite organic/mineral based sunscreen brands to use on the kids. I’ve used them all and find these brands are the cleanest (chemically speaking), the easiest to use, and work the best. Babo Botanicals, Babyganics, Blue Lizard, Alba All of these brands have a spray option (besides Blue Lizard) and I know we are supposed to “stay away from the spray cans”, but let’s be honest- practicality trumps all when dealing with wet, sandy kiddos! What I usually do is apply a thick coat of a lotion sunscreen in the morning and once again mid-day, then I use the spray can for all the in-between coverage! 😉
6. Items for the Trip: I’ve been known to ship an item or two to our location in advance…especially when we have a teeny tiny baby. This time, since we are staying at a house, I went ahead and shipped a rock n’ play. It’s Max’s current favorite sleeping apparatus & the pack n’ play they had available just wasn’t going to cut it since it’s not what he’s used to. Plus, I figured the rock n’ play is so light and easy to carry, we can easily cart it down to the beach and then back up the house for naps/bedtime every day! Amazon Prime is my BFF, people. Here are some other items we are bringing. (Sidebar: Most of the time we like to pack any “extra items” (that we know won’t be coming home with us) in a box- this way we aren’t traveling home with extra EMPTY luggage- cause that’s just annoying.
Monkey Mat

I haven’t used it yet- but look how small it is?! I think it’ll be a perfect beach mat!

Kids Snorkel Masks

Ok, if you do beach trips and like to snorkel these are a MUST!!!

The girls absolutely LOVE these!

MiFold Travel Booster Seats

Again, I haven’t used these yet but since we are going to be in the Caribbean and our “car time” will be limited, I thought these would be perfect for the girls in a pinch. Look how tiny they are!! (Although I have to say- they are pretty heavy!)

Netting and Foam Fan for Baby

Mosquitos, Zika, Heat…you know.

Mesh waterproof baby carrier

Max insists upon being carried at all times so although I love my Solly Baby, I thought this one would be much better suited for a beach trip!

Cute floaties: Flamingo float, arm floaties

Because, hello photo opps!

Aqua Heat

The only travel bottle warmer I found that didn’t require you to boil water on a stove first or be plugged in for it to work. This one has a warming packet that you add to the water in the base cup. It heats the water and the stainless steel bottle that goes into it. Takes up to 2 minutes to warm the bottle. I am breastfeeding but I’m still not fully comfortable breastfeeding in public (or when sitting next to a stranger) and sometimes when Max is really sleepy he does better with the bottle anyways. So we will be bringing a few packs of breastmilk in a little cooler bag and this warmer will be perfect for on the plane/ on the go! But here’s a little warning: there are “hot” packets which will boil the water and “warm” packets- make sure if you get this for bottles that you ONLY use the “warm” pouches!

Yeti Rambler Bottle

Two Words: Rum. Punch.

Polaroid Camera

For my little budding photographer. But really, we all have fun snapping polaroids when we are away. I bought some cute little polaroid albums and Q loves collecting all of our snaps. 🙂

That’s about it, I think! What’d I forget? Let me know and I’ll add it!

Now, all that’s left after alllllll that hard work and planning is to sit back in the sun and enjoy a frosty beverage uninterrupted.

Bahahah! Well, a girl can dream…

Happy Travels, friends! xo
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June 27, 2017
Father’s Day 5.0
Well, it’s that time of year again…time for our annual Father’s Day portrait. We like to pretend it’s a surprise every year but it’s pretty much expected. This year might be my favorite yet…maybe because the picture is finally complete!

Can’t wait to watch these three grow together over the years…

Happy Father’s Day everyone, especially to the daddy of these lucky kiddos! xo

(PS scroll down for the fun flashback collage starting with our first pic in 2012! Q was just 10 months old!)
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June 18, 2017
Before & After
A month before birth and a month after.

Crazy- these tricks time plays on us.

How is it that the top photo was just taken yesterday ( I swear it!) and yet the bottom picture feels like the way life has been for as long as I can remember??

Must be the exhaustion setting in.

Regardless, I love this little group of tiny humans…
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June 5, 2017
Dear Max
Sweetest Baby Boy of Mine,

I honestly cannot believe that you are here, and have been in our lives for one month already! It feels like life before you has already become a hazy blur and yet I can remember the day we first met like it was only just yesterday.

We went through so very much to bring you into this world and you are our miracle baby for so many reasons. But most importantly, you are here and you are ours. We had some scares about your health before you were born, and we are certainly not out of the woods yet, but having you HERE, in my arms, makes it all much less scary, yet much more real at the same time. Seeing your little cherub face and kissing your sweet peach-fuzz head makes me feel as if it is all going to to be ok- because there simply isn’t any other option. But then my Mama Bear instincts set in and my stomach turns at the thought of doctors touching your perfect little body. So I guess it’s a Catch-22 or maybe it’s just what we call “being a parent”. But don’t worry, we’ve got you sweet boy and it’s totally going to be fine- even if mommy has to cry her way through each appointment, test, and procedure- you most likely won’t remember a single bit of it.

Anyways, I wanted to tell you a little bit about the day you were born; a day that is just as hazy as it is poignant in my brain- a day I will never ever forget as long as I live.

Your due date was May 11th and knowing you were going to be our last babe, I had my “birth plan” all laid out. I really wanted to let you come on your own time, to go into natural labor, no inductions or schedules. I wanted to experience it all- water breaking, contractions, the whole thing (I know, call me crazy!)

Your sisters were both inductions and such easy births that I guess I took the whole birth experience for granted and thought of your birth with only thoughts of excitement and joy. Well, that all came crashing to a halt when we discovered your kidney issues at our 20 week anatomy scan. After several appointments with fetal care specialists and high-risk pregnancy doctors, we were told that I would need to induce to ensure all the proper doctors could be present at your birth and to try to control the situation as much as possible. I was also told that I was going to be delivering at a different hospital than planned because of the on-site surgical center (in case it was needed) as well as the excellent NICU unit, which we were also told would most likely be needed. I about broke down- but had to quickly remind myself that the most important thing was your health and safety. I can’t even lie to you, Little Man- it was a long and scary few months for us. But they scheduled our induction for May 4th and we braced ourselves for what lie ahead.

Cut to the night of April 26th. Daddy brought your sisters to Q’s last soccer game of the season and I sat home texting everyone about my doctor appointment earlier that day. I told everyone not to worry or rush to get here because I was only at 2cm and you were likely going to make it to your induction date after all. I finished writing in your journal, put on my pjs, and laid down on the couch to watch tv with Daddy. We were in the middle of watching a show when I felt a rush of water and gasped. Daddy jumped up and asked me what was wrong. I just stared at him in total disbelief and said, “I think my water just broke!!!” (Yep, someone up above must’ve been listening because I got exactly what I wished for.) The following 30 minutes would be hard to describe, but it was pretty much what you’d expect a scene in a comedy movie to look like…so much rushing and crying and packing. And water…SO.MUCH.WATER! We called your Aunt Britt to come over and stay with your sisters overnight and I just remember crying so hard that I couldn’t even see what I was throwing in my hospital bag. I kept saying that I wasn’t ready, but I think what I meant was that I was just scared that the time to face the music was finally here. Daddy was just running around smiling and laughing and calling your grandparents to tell them to change their flights and saying to me, “This is good! This is awesome! He’s ready! We’re going to meet our baby boy tonight!! It’s going to be ok!” …while I hyperventilated and waddled around the house in nervous circles.

We rushed to the hospital and arrived around 9:45pm. Once we were there we realized that Daddy was in such a euphoric frenzy that he left his entire suitcase at the house. Luckily, Mommy remembered hers…which was clearly more important! 😉

I got my epidural around 11:30 even though I wasn’t feeling too much pain yet. Luckily I got it though, because the pain set in shortly afterwards…and was pretty intense- even through the epidural! Your Uncle Brendo went to our house to stay with your sisters so that Aunt Britt-Britt could be at the hospital with us. It was a bit frantic trying to get all the right doctors there in the middle of the night! I remember around midnight the NICU doctor came in to talk to us and tell us what to expect. He said that based on my extensive notes from the kidney specialist (yes, mommy is a huge nerd!) they were going to have the NICU team in the delivery room for the birth, where they’d assess you and decide what to do from there. Then there was a lot more waiting while Daddy and Aunt Britt-Britt entertained me with annoying music and crazy dancing.

And then, Little Man, at 2:46am, after just 3 pushes, I saw your precious face for the very first time. They laid you on my chest and suddenly the crazy, hectic room around us faded away and it was only you and me. I knew in that moment that it was all going to be ok and that you were exactly where you needed to be. You were 7.3lbs & 20 inches of pure perfection. The doctors checked you over and let you lay skin-to-skin with me for 2 hours before they took you down to the NICU.

To tell you the truth, the period of time between them taking you and me getting to see you again was all a blur. I know we moved rooms and that Aunt Britt left to go be with the girls when they woke up at the house. I know there was some face-timing and lots of phone calls. But mostly the spinning didn’t come to a halt until Daddy and I finally got to go to the NICU and hold you again. I’ll never forget the sight of your tiny little body on that bed. I wanted to scoop you up and run away with you, but I knew you were in excellent hands and it was for the best.

Within the first few hours you stopped eating and needed to be given a feeding tube, which was no fun at all for any of us. The other part that wasn’t fun was that your sisters weren’t allowed to come see you…and they were so so excited to finally meet you.

Within a few hours your grandparents arrived from all over the country and got to come in one-by-one to meet you. Unfortunately, only four adult visitors were allowed in the NICU, so your Uncle Dan, who drove 4 hours to come see you, had to wave at you through the waiting room window. I felt so very sad that we couldn’t just have you in the room with us with your sisters and all of our family members, but I also felt very lucky that you were here and doing so well. I had so much to be thankful for!

The next day you started latching and eating again and we were able to remove your feeding tube. (yay!) Then they ran a series of tests on you to assess your kidneys. The tests pretty much just ruled out several options but didn’t really give us any answers. We were left knowing there was a big problem going on inside of you, but having no idea what was causing it or how & when we were going to fix it. That was something your urologist would have to figure out once we left the hospital. With no further tests to be run and you eating again, they finally released you to our room on the final night.

Your Toey and Papa took a video of me & Daddy cheering and crying as we rolled you out of the NICU. It was one of the very best moments ever! We had your tiny crib set up right in the front of our room so that it would be the first thing your sisters saw when they walked in that night to visit. Oh, Max…if only you knew how loved you are! Your sisters’ faces lit up when they saw you for the first time. Q literally squealed with clenched fists and Cubby just kept smiling and trying to pet you like a puppy dog.

The next morning, before we were discharged, we had our amazing friend Liz Labianca come in to take some hospital pictures. It is something I will forever be grateful for! The whole experience was such a blur that even when I saw these pictures a few short days later, they seemed like snapshots of a dream I couldn’t quite remember all the details of. Such a gift to have these, to cement in time these moments I never want to forget. Ok, and now I’m getting all emotional again…

Your birth, my sweet boy, from my water breaking to us arriving back home again WITH you (complete with blue balloons and cheering family members in the front yard) was the most surreal experience of my life. I don’t think there will ever be adequate words to describe the frenzy and excitement; the fear and the pure joy that encompassed your arrival. I cried the day we left the hospital, because I knew we were closing a chapter of our lives- a chapter that I’ve so cherished for the past six years. I cried because I was sad to see my child-bearing days come to an end and I cried because I was so excited that our family was finally complete- because of you. Your birth was a pure whirlwind, Mr. Max- a whirlwind of people and travel, of unknowns and setbacks, of emotions and exhaustion. And these photos along with the memories I do have, as blurry as they may be, will be cherished forever and ever…just like you.

So, welcome to this crazy world of ours.

We love you, our handsome little man.

Our tiny miracle.

Our Max.

*All photos in this blog post are courtesy of Liz Labianca Photography.
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May 29, 2017
Big Sister Gifts
When Cubby was born, we were asked what we were giving Q as a “Big Sister Gift”. (Categorize this under: Babymoons and Push Presents. Also known as the “We Were Clueless” Category. More here.)

After some blank stares and some quick googling, we ran out to the nearest toy store and surprised Q with her very first tricycle. She was so thrilled…it almost helped her forget that her new baby sister cried bloody murder 24/7. Almost. (We love you, Cub Scout!!) 😉

This time around, I wanted to be prepared. I wracked my brain thinking of something the girls don’t already have…something they could save, something that would always bring back the memory of when their baby brother was born. It took a lot of internet…I mean, SOUL searching – but this is what I came up with… (pictures below)
- I started with two new books about being a Big Sister. I looked through a TON of “big sister” books and found two that I really thought fit each girl’s personality. You can find Q’s here and Cub’s here.
- Next, I wanted to get the girls a piece of special jewelry. Mostly because they are both currently obsessed with wearing every piece of jewelry they own. I found these precious personalized “I Love My Big Sis” sterling heart necklaces. I figured they would be cute for the girls to wear now but also a sweet piece for them to grow into & save. I might even get them engraved once Baby Boy arrives.
- But, I also know how their little gypsy hearts are about jewelry and I wanted to give them a piece of “costume” jewelry that they could wear everyday, if they wanted to. I found these adorable beaded bracelets on etsy and had them personalized with each girls’ name, favorite color beads, and a “Big Sister” charm.
- There is a fun story behind these “Big Sister” shirts I got for them. The smaller white one was actually what Q wore to the hospital when Cub was born! It just so happens that Cub is basically the same age now as Q was back then, so it fits her perfectly. I mean, check out this photo of my tiny girls…I die! I wasn’t really planning on having a brand new shirt made for Q this time around, so I kind of tossed the idea of the “Big Sister” shirts altogether. That is, until I was browsing my favorite consignment shop and found this pink “Big Sister” shirt staring in my face from the racks…it’s the SAME designer, in Q’s exact size…in a consignment store!!! I pretty much knew it was meant to be! Plus, they will go SO perfectly with baby boy’s “Lil’ Bro, Yo” onesie from the fabulous Swanky Shank! I’m already planning the photo shoot in my head! 😉
- Lastly, (and these are my favorite part of the gift!) I found these precious camera/album sets on Etsy. The girls are obsessed with taking pictures (I have NO idea where they get this 🙂 ) and they are always asking to take pictures with my phone or carrying around their instax polaroid. I thought these disposables (can’t believe they still exist!) would be so fun for the girls to carry around and document the first few days of their baby brother’s life through their own eyes (God, I hope I don’t regret this). After we get the pics developed they can put together their own little scrapbook photo albums…plus, they are (say it with me now:) PERSONALIZED!! How cute is that? I think it’s something they’ll enjoy now, and enjoy looking back on when they are older, as well!
What do you think? Have any other great ideas of anything I can add to their “Big Sister” packages? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!
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April 18, 2017
BabyMoon…?!
So I’ve heard about these things called Babymoons. They belong in the same elusive category as things called “push gifts”, aka a gift you are given by your spouse after “pushing” out a baby. Neither of which belonged in my vocabulary when I first became pregnant with Q and I have to say, neither have been adopted by our family over the years.

Listen, I am NOT judging here, but for me, a “Babymoon” sounds like an awful lot of work: packing, flying/traveling, finding sitters for older siblings, and carting around an extra, say, 20 pounds…all while sober?! Call me crazy, but I think I’d rather have an “After-Baby Moon”, you feel me?

All of the above is precisely why we are calling the trip we just returned from: “Our Last Four-ah”. (see what I did there?)

Yup, our last little dose of travel as a family of FOUR!!

Was it relaxing? Nah.

Peaceful? Nope.

Exhausting? Yep.

Worth every last memory made? You betcha.

So we took the whole “Spring Break” excuse and ran with it…and pretty last minute, too! We are new members of a pretty fun vacation club that allows us access to rentals/villas/units all over the place. All we had to do was plug in the dates a few days before we wanted/needed to leave and any available options popped up. We went with Sea Island, GA mostly because we had never been before, there were lots of activities for the girls to do, and most importantly: short flight.

(Girls play gowns/night gowns: Plain Jane)

We stayed at a property at The Cloister Resort and it was so beautiful. The girls loved that we had our own pool, that we could walk to the beach, and that there was a plethora of shells to collect. Add in a beach playground and a candy/ice cream shop on-site and the girls were pretty much in heaven. We scheduled a kid-friendly fishing expedition and horse-back riding. Both were a huge hit…tied right up there with the candy shop.

(Links: Ardyn’s rash guard top, all other swim suit pieces)

(Links: yellow swim suits and blanket)

Plus, we were there for St. Patty’s Day so we got to wear our green, make s’mores by the fire pit and chase a real life bag piper around a fancy golf course. It was great fun & I’m pretty sure we are never invited back…

(Links: Dresses and St.Patty’s Day Flair, Denim Jackets, Q’s shoes & knee socks, Ardyn’s Shoes & knee socks, Ardyn’s shamrock bow.)

Aside from the fact that we caught a blue crab, a sting ray, a sea squirter and ZERO actual fish, the girls had a blast “fishing”…

(Links: Play Gowns, sandals, sunglasses)

But, I think they had the most fun at the horseback riding lesson. Thelma & Louise were the sweetest horsies ever, and I was very jealous to be left out of the riding experience. This place was great, they even let the girls feed and brush the horses afterwards. Also, we all want a pony now… (we= me and the kids).

After our little stint on the East Coast, we went home for about 24 hours, repacked, and headed out to the West Coast. (Unlike our spur of the moment GA trip, this next leg to CA had been planned for months!)

We started in La Jolla Cove, San Diego at La Valencia Hotel (for those of you who asked on my IG stories!) because Ryan had to make a pit stop there for this little thing called “work”. While he conferenced, the girls and I explored the coast (aka the stinky seals and awesome tide pools), did some shopping in town (it was SUCH a cute town!), and enjoyed plenty of room service.

(Links: blue dresses, sweaters & shoes, Ardyn’s bow, Q’s bow)

(Links: bows, dresses and sandals: see above.)

PLUS, we even got adventurous & took a road trip up to LA to visit our bestest Insta-friends, @helloerinv & her crew. Our day included wigs, candy, and Q & Lex trying on everything in Lex’s wardrobe. It was pretty much the best day ever…

Just ask these two:

(Links: Q & A’s outfits, Q’s bow, A’s bow)

After Ryan’s conference, we headed back up the coast and straight to Disneyland to celebrate Cubby’s 3rd birthday. (We planned this trip instead of a birthday party this year.) We met Ryan’s parents, sister, her husband, and their three little girls there and Cub was in birthday bliss all day long! It was an absolutely exhausting good time and I’d do it all over again tomorrow…swollen feet and all!

P.S. Lunch at Ariel’s Grotto was a great way to knock out all the Princesses without any lines!

(Links: leotards, A’s tutu, A’s birthday headband, knee socks, shoes)

After Disney, our entire extended group headed to Newport Beach for a little R&R (after a pit stop at Del Taco, of course). We all stayed in a house at Pelican Hill Resort and it was so much fun being able to stay in one place together. All five cousins got to cook breakfast with Papa in the mornings and have movies nights together. I love watching the girlies together, especially since we live across the country and don’t get to hang out very often. It’s important that the times we DO get to be together is good quality time!

(Links: girls’ bathing suits, hair clips)

(Links: pink jeans, shell sweaters (last year), A’s bow, Q’s bow)

After our time in Newport came to and end, we were homeward-bound. That is, until our plane was grounded due to storms and we had to spend one more night in a hotel (sans luggage) before finally getting home the next afternoon. But hey, a little room service in bed never made anyone mad…

So now we are FINALLY home and ready to settle in and get ready for Baby Boy Mac to arrive.

I have to be honest with you, I get asked about how we travel with the kids all the time and I’m telling you- these trips TOTALLY kicked my pregnant butt!! It’s three days later I’m still trying to bounce back. Laundry, grocery shopping, unpacking, lunch packing, chauffeuring, cooking, homework-ing, and Easter prepping have my head spinning, I’m not going to lie.

I’ve found that the best way to handle it all, is to take a nap instead. It’s really working out well for me. 😉

Maybe I do need a Babymoon after all…location: my bedroom.

(links: dresses, bows)

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March 30, 2017
Nursery Sneak Peek
When Ryan and I first met, about 15 years ago (holy crap!) we were attending college in Southern California. I was a fresh “New Jersey transplant” and he was the epitome of a California surfer boy, through-and-through. He wore Rainbow sandals exclusively and surfed in lieu of going to the gym. One would almost never guess that was the case if you met him today in his embroidered belt, tucked-in button down shirt, uttering the word “ya’ll”. Yep, my Cali boy has turned Texan. Which is pretty awesome too…by the way.

But, when we moved here 10 years ago and started talking about starting a family, I always said that if we had a baby boy one day, I’d love to bring Ryan’s Cali-surfer-boy style into the nursery. Well, shockingly…here we are…a baby boy on the way and surfer-boy nursery underway!

This nursery has been a labor of love, and it is still NOT finished. The OCD side of me really wanted to wait until it was all done before posting, but the impatient side of me really couldn’t wait any longer. I figured I’d been sharing enough snippits and purchases on my IG stories, so why not just put them all together here?

The colors and overall vibe of mixed media have been my vision since day one, although with such a difficult/awkward room to work with, I’ve had to compromise a bit with the overall layout and furniture pieces/placement. All-in-all I’m really loving seeing it all come together. It’s actually pretty surreal.

So here is a tiny sneak peek of Baby Boy’s Modern Surfer-Boy room…probably the only surfer boy in Texas! 😉 There are still some finishing touches to add…including linens and some framed photos from “the olden days” of his daddy, in-action, surfing.

I can’t wait to see our babe grow up in this space, to hear the stories of his Daddy’s California adventures, and to actually get to use the tiny board his dad picked out just for him. But for now, Cubby will take over & pretend this is her second bedroom…

The wallpaper is from Hygge and West and I had been eying it for a while. When we found out this babe was a boy, I purchased it that same day. I do love me a good accent wall! 😉

The gorgeous Tulum beach print is from Max Wanger. Don’t you just want to jump right in that water with a cocktail?

No?

Just me, then.

Finding a rocker that was comfy & deep but compact enough to fit into this tight corner was a challenge (and several were purchased & exchanged), but then we found this one from Land of Nod and it is EXACTLY what we were looking for!

The sweet globe below was custom made for us from this little etsy shop, Le Marigny. I got to pick the paint colors AND the quote. I’m pretty much obsessed with how it came out.

If you’ve been watching my instagram stories, you know all about my obsession with Babylit books. They are so adorable & educational…and I love the pops of color!!

Also, can we talk about how adorable that kiddie surfboard is?! And if this little man isn’t into surfing, I have no doubt his sisters will gladly take it for a spin or two! 😉

That’s it for now! I’ll be sure to do a FULL post once the room is ALL finished, complete with links to everything. But if there’s anything else you’d like info on in the meantime, just leave a comment below & I’ll do my best to answer it!

Thanks for checking out our little man’s space…and for sharing our excitement!

for your pinning pleasure…
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March 8, 2017