Easter Basket Fun

I'm so, so excited for Easter this year. Last year we didn't really do anything- no basket, no egg hunt, and I'm pretty sure my husband had to work. Miss A was ten months old and I decided we'd wait until next year to celebrate.

I mean, really...where does the time go!? The pictures I took for her Easter "session" are some of my favorite baby pictures. That purple dress, headband, Easter bib...she was perfect, in every single way. You bet I'm taking Easter pictures again this year, I don't care if they'll be a blur as she runs around and dives off the couch!

So I'm participating in the Easter basket blog hop and thought it would be fun to share with you what I got Miss A for her basket, or in this case, bucket!

I thought about getting Miss A a white basket. I saw plenty that I loved but in the end I thought getting her a bucket would be much easier for her to carry as she collects eggs and it will be something she can reuse later. Plus, Minnie is on the front; I knew she'd love nothing more.  

I didn't want to go crazy with her bucket. For one thing, it's not all that big, and I wanted everything to fit. Everything fit perfectly, until I found a book that I couldn't pass up. She has a new outfit, a skirt and shirt combo (that has a popsicle on the front, win win), a colorful Slinky, a pink sunhat, a glittery bracelet, a Minnie Mouse straw cup, and her very first chocolate bunny!

I know she's going to love the bracelet as she can't get enough of my own. I'm curious to see what she does with the Slinky. I found it in Target's dollar spot and I loved the pastel color. And don't worry- I'm not going to give her that entire bunny in one sitting. She'll have a couple of pieces every now and then until one of us eats the rest for her. :) I'm also excited about the straw cup as she needs practice using a straw. I'd love to give her some smoothies to drink in the upcoming months! I wasn't planning on getting her clothes, but I saw the popsicle T-shirt and couldn't pass it up. Crazy 8 is a dangerous store for my wallet.

I can't wait to see her face Easter morning!

Weekend Shenanigans

This weekend actually felt like a real weekend. It has been a while, a loooong while, since my husband has had two consecutive days off, let alone an entire weekend. I actually don't look forward to weekends; due to the fact that everyone else gets to have their husbands home and Miss A and I are left to figure out what to do on our own. Shopping on the weekends with her stresses me out with the crowds and busy parking lots, so we usually stick to home and stay pretty low-key when my husband has to work on a Saturday or Sunday.

We spent the early part of Saturday finishing up Miss A's very own swing set! Her grandparents (my parents) bought her this swing set as a very early birthday present and it arrived at our house a few weeks ago. I've been dying, waiting for the hubby to have enough time to put it all together. He had the majority done earlier last week and only needed to attach the swings and anchor the whole thing down. I knew she was going to love it.

After Miss A woke up from her nap we all went on the swings. The three of us, with our adult bums being squished from the tiny seats, but any time either of us got up, she'd say, "Dada swing" and "Mama swing." We happily obeyed. :)

Later that evening we decided to head for dinner. We walked around the outdoor portion of the mall (which was packed with girls in colorful, vibrant prom dresses!) and found a place to eat dinner. That's where all the fun ended- Miss A was NOT having it in the high chair and I had to hold her in my lap, somehow managing to eat a burger and fries with her on top of me. By the end of the night we were exhausted and crashed on the couch to catch up on our DVR.

The next day we invited our friends over to grill and check out the swing set! It was a beautiful day, with highs in the 80s. Perfect day to spend outside on our deck. I marinated some chicken, chopped up some veggies, roasted potato wedges, and served slices of bread with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese. 

I absolutely LOVE this new outfit I got for Miss A at Old Navy, along with these clear jelly (!!!) shoes. THAT ARE SCENTED. Oh my God I've never loved a pair of shoes more, and neither has she, because she refuses to take them off!

We had lots of fun letting the girls take turns on the swings and play with the balls and cars we had on the deck. Then, I managed to snap this picture.

For dessert I made a no-bake Oreo pudding pie. It was the perfect addition to a grilled meal. Layers of chocolate, cream cheese, and Oreo crumbs! Very easy to make and very thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. I only wish I remembered to take a better picture before we cut into it!

She's definitely my girl, what a sweet tooth! 

Good Days

Sometimes I still have those days where I can't believe she's mine. I can't believe she's my daughter, I can't believe I have a daughter. I still have those moments where I hold her a little closer, breathe in her skin, kiss her cheeks and nose a thousand times, and look deep into her eyes. This tiny human- she's all mine, we created her. It will forever blow my mind.

She started off the day on the wrong foot, waking up earlier than usual, and was crying and whiny most of the morning. It could be the two teeth I see about ready to come in, who knows. After lunch she took an early nap and slept for a long time, much longer than she usually does. She was up and ready to play after that and we went to meet a friend at the park. By the time we got back home she was in a great mood. I was able to prep dinner peacefully as she roamed from the kitchen to the family room (we have an overpass in the kitchen so I can see her). As I was chopping veggies she reached for my hand so we could dance. It was the cutest and sweetest thing and we twirled around the kitchen together. Each time she pressed a button on her Minnie car and it played a new song, she reached up for my hand.

After dinner it was time for her bath and she asked me to draw "babies" for her in the tub. She has these bath crayons, which are great and wash off easy. She loves to "color" and "draw" during bath time. I drew lots of smiley faces aka babies, dogs, stars, and hearts. She wiped each one off with a towel and asked me to draw them over and over again. Once we were out of the bath it was time to read books. She grabbed her stack of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse books (all six of them) and plopped down next to me to read. It's one of the sweetest times of our day.

The best moment yesterday was right before I laid her down to sleep. As I was singing her bedtime song, "You Are My Sunshine", she snuggled in close to me and hummed along. I melted, hugging her tighter, wishing with all my heart that I could keep her this way forever. I hope I can remember it for the rest of my life.

So yeah, yesterday was a good day. A day to remember for the not-so-good days, when we're tired, cranky, or nothing is going our way. A day I'll keep close to my heart.

Spring Days & Preparing for Easter

It's no secret that I'm loving the weather lately. We're hanging out outside multiple times a day, having lunch, blowing bubbles, and walking up and down our driveway. She LOVES our driveway. It's slightly sloped so I think she thinks of it as a slide she can walk up and down. I used to try and hold her hand as she went down, afraid of her skinning her knees, but now she's mastered it, and I always make sure to put her in pants. ;)

We're also preparing for Easter! Last week I put together our Spring mantle and realized I didn't have a garland to go with it. What is it about a garland that makes a mantle feel complete? I haven't seen any that I love in the store so I decided we'd make our own.

In our guest room, which is also our craft room/my office space, I keep all my old scrapbook supplies. You may remember that picture of her making a huge mess in this room. There are many, many messes here, not only made by Miss A, but by me. Although I'm sad to say I haven't been scrapbooking as much as I would like. Failure on my new years resolution (how are you doing with those?)

I found lots of pastel colored cardstock and some patterned ones too. I printed out an egg template to trace onto the cardstock and cut each one out. Then I let Miss A add her artistic touch to each one. 

Of course she was all about the yarn, wanting to take the whole spool herself and drape it over like a thousand necklaces. She was also really curious about the hole-puncher. 

I love this white rabbit and pink ceramic egg that I found at Big Lots. $7 for two new Spring decor items. That's a pretty good deal!

Of course no holiday around here is complete without candy. I filled an empty square glass with these colorful chocolate eggs and now reach in for one every time I pass it. Bad idea? Maybe. But they sure are pretty.

I've also been wondering what kind of basket to get Miss A. I saw this Minnie bucket on that same shopping trip and couldn't resist. She loves it, can easily carry it, and it's big enough for me to fill it with her Easter gifts and big enough to stuff it full of eggs that she'll collect. Sure, it might not be that white pastel lined basket I had in my head, but it'll do the trick for now. 

How are you enjoying Spring? I hope the weather has started to warm up!

Grandpa & Grandma Visit!

There is something so sweet about a man and a baby  toddler. Am I right? Something about seeing a big, tall man sitting down to play, color, read, hold her hand, and feeding her bites of chocolate coconut cake.

My parents visited for the last five days and Miss A was one happy girl. Every morning she ran to her grandparents to say hello with a big, warm hug. She played "Cookie Monster" with her grandma (not sure what this means, a game they made up together that she LOVED) and traced her hands over and over again with her grandpa. Lots of songs were sung, especially "Row Row Your Boat" and "The Wheels On the Bus".

We went to the park, on the only warm day they were lucky to receive (seriously Spring, what's happening), to the mall, out to eat, and to a children's museum. She had a blast, but I think her favorite thing to do was sit with the two of them, coloring and reading books. 

It's really interesting watching my parents be grandparents. To see how they interact with her, teach her, and play with her. It makes me wish I could remember what my parents were like when I was that little. If only we could keep those memories! Next up, my in laws will be visiting, no doubt ready to spoil her too. She's one lucky little girl. 

The Day You Wore A Pink Dress

There are so many moments that make being a Mom worth it. Despite being bone tired, crawling into bed every night by 9:00pm, and occasionally dragging my feet, there is nothing else in the world that I would rather do than be her mother.

Sometimes I'm hit with the reality of being a parent. This little girl is mine, my daughter, my responsibility, my everything. I'm the one that gets up with her at night, that makes her breakfast, lunch, dinner (and a million snacks in between), puts bandaids on her boo-boos, watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for the hundredth time, and teaches her her letters, numbers, and colors. Every day is a day that she is older, smarter, happier. 

We went to the park, the three of us (!) over the weekend for a birthday party. The weather is gloriously transitioning to Spring and you'd better believe we're going to be spending lots of time outdoors. Miss A LOVES to be pushed in a swing. She says "weeeee" as soon as she sees a swing and "weeeee" while we push her. The rest of the play equipment? Forget about it. The swing is where it's at.

She munched on her own huge piece of fried chicken, ate a whole cupcake, and half of mine. She said "Wow!" when her Dada pointed out the tall trees and "oh cool" to the Thomas the Train party decorations. Just like that, she became a little girl. 

I cried yesterday, thinking about how close she is to turning two and how beautiful she looked in her pink dress. Yes, I'm tired and exhausted from this strange sleep regression we've been having, making me more emotional than usual. But seriously, when did it happen? When did she become this little person who can wrap her arms around my neck and slap my cheeks and laugh like it's the funniest thing in the world? Those are the moments that make it all worth while.

But still, I'd like to sleep, baby girl.

A Week With Daddy

Last week I mentioned, several times I believe (because I was so excited), that my husband was off work for a whole week. It started off great with us getting out of the house and having delicious cake and tasty dinners...until we all got sick. Yep. Every time. Every time my husband has time off he gets sick! No joke. He was sick for Christmas. He was sick when we went to the beach. He never, ever gets sick and he somehow manages to get sick when he's off. The body and mind are a powerful thing. He knows he can't be sick at work and the minute he's able to relax, it hits him.

So from Wednesday-Friday we hung out at home. I started coming down with something and then soon after Miss A had a runny nose. Thankfully she seems to have gotten my sick fighting traits because I never stay sick for long and neither does she. We were fine after two days and were itching to get out of the house. My husband, being the trooper he is, said he felt better on Saturday and wanted to enjoy his last two days with his girls.

It was gorgeous here in NC over the weekend with sunny, blue skies and 70 degree weather. So we decided to go to the park! We needed fuel first to keep up with the toddler and stopped at a coffee shop. Can you guess what I contributed to the chalkboard? ;)

I got a Berry White Mocha and my husband got a Turtle Mocha. They were both SO good. We will definitely have to go to again. Miss A was being an absolute doll that I had to reward her with a chocolate chip cookie. Gathering our drinks and treats, we headed off to the park. 

She went down all five slides and yelled "weeeee" every time. It's a treat for her to be with her Dada at the park and she was so happy to run around with him. After playing for a while we ate our snacks and decided to check out a local toy store, where we spent an hour playing with all the toys out on display and ignoring her to play with things ourselves. We're such kids. 

On Sunday I ran some errands and then we hung out at home putting up our gallery wall in the family room. It still needs work and more odds and ends but I'm liking how it's turning out so far. I'm sad that our week came to an end and I'm already looking forward to his next vacation, which is in June! We'll be taking our first family vacation and I'm SO excited. Let's say so excited that I almost bought this and this swimsuit but held off because I'm not sure what size Miss A will be. I just love summer shopping!  

Have a great week!

Snow Day!

Last week we had our first official Snow Day in North Carolina. I waited impatiently for the snow to fall ALL DAY and it didn't arrive until late in the evening. I honestly did miss snow and I was excited to see it again and of course, excited for Miss A to see it! She was barely sitting up last winter, we weren't sleeping, and I was in no mood to go out and play in the snow with a five month old. This time around it was so much fun!

Luckily my husband didn't have to go to work at the crack of dawn and was home that morning to experience the snow through his daughter's eyes. We went out back first and as you can see by the look on her face she was very confused! 

Here I am, at 8:30 in the morning, with no makeup on, in a sweater and pants thrown over my pajamas. :)

She liked being out in the front yard better and started to explore. She walked down the driveway and into the street, like she always does when we're out front. 

She was amazed by her footprints in the snow and did NOT want to go back inside. There were many tears. I was sad to pull her away, but it was really cold! I thought we would go back out to play in the afternoon when it was a little "warmer" but she suddenly developed a slight fever (?) and I didn't think going back outside would be a good idea.

We had plenty to do indoors though! Since I knew the storm was coming I went to Target before it, searching for something new/crafty/exciting to do at home. I found the cutest Valentine cookie decorating kit, for $3.99 that I couldn't pass up.

It came with three colored icings, three different kinds of sprinkles, and four heart shaped sugar cookies. We were busy for quite a while!

I tried showing her how to decorate her cookie with icing, but of course, all she wanted to do was eat the icing.

Can you guess who decorated this one? ;)

Cookie decorating on a snow day isn't complete without some hot chocolate. I made it lukewarm for Miss A and I to share. It was her first time trying hot chocolate (or any kind of chocolate milk) and she loved it. 

Oh yes, it was straight to the bath after this. Her face, hands, and neck were SO sticky. Not to mention she picked up the mug and tried to drink it, spilling milk all down her shirt!

Messy messy!

All the snow is gone, it melted the very next day. See, now this is a winter I can handle. A little bit of fun, snow, and snow day activities, perfect! I couldn't ask for anything more...except..Spring!? What can I say, I'm a warm weather girl at heart.