Category Archives: Baby & Kid Stuff

Blog Party {How Does Your Nursery Roll?} Week 6 : From Baby to Big Girl


I am so excited to be a part of Simply Baby Furniture’s Blog Party learning all about some other fab blogger’s and their nurseries! This week, I’m excited (although a bit embarrassed) to show you Miss Lavery’s nursery. I’ll confess, it’s a total mess! We moved into our new house right before Christmas and since Lavery is turning 2 in July, we are in the process of transitioning her from her baby nursery to her big girl room. Without further ado.. meet Lavery’s humble abode!

Let me first start by saying, I did not choose this color. The walls in her room were painted this already in our new house and we decided to keep it while we decide what to go with for her big girl room. Her old nursery walls were a pale pink and the bedding and decor matched with a light pink and white toile. Her nursery right now is completely “mixy matchy” in every way!

I love the large white letters hanging on her wall and I wanted a more “clean” look as opposed to the hanging letter with ribbon we see a lot of. Even though we can convert her white sleigh style crib, we are planning to move her up to a big girl bed sometime in the next few months instead of keeping this. Her windows are also “curtain-less” right now since we are in transition too. ;)

I knew I was having a girl and had my hear set on white furniture. I found a great Bassett Furniture sleigh style crib I fell in love with so went with this then added the rest of the pieces from there.

Her changing table was a DIY project. I found a wooden changing table at a yard sale when I was pregnant for cheap. I repainted it to match the white decor in her room then took a black and white damask fabric to lay down on the shelves to pair with baskets and use as storage. Right now, it still stays that way until we make the switch. I did the same with an end table used next to the glider/ottoman that has since been taken out of her room.

I’m still using the pink toile decor from her baby nursery right now. I still love it (even though I’m not so sold on that with the green walls.) I do love pink and green together and think I will keep those colors when redecorating, but maybe add in some chevron since I’m so into it right now and I think it will give her room some “big girl flair!” What do you think?

The two favorite parts of her room right now and I hope to keep incorporated into her room when it’s completed are these pieces of art work. Her name was designed by my friend, Sarah Masci : A Drop of Golden Sun when I was pregnant and I still love it! I think the colors still go well with the green walls and while it hung on her door in her old nursery, it’s hanging on the wall in her room now.

She also has this Cinderella quote I bought over Christmas at Blacklion in Charlotte hanging up that I absolutely love and sticks with the whole pink and green theme I’m thinking we’ll run with.

All in all, right now her nursery is nothing short of a mis-matched mess, BUT I think I’ll be able to work with a lot of what we’ve already got and incorporate into her new, big girl paradise – coming soon! :)

I would love it if you would join me on Facebook & Twitter too! Watch for an update on what her big girl room turns out like!

 

Don’t forget to check out these other great blogger’s who have been sharing their nurseries each week too!

Vivid Hue Home

Rhymes with Smile

Little Black Door

Fancy Free Me

Design Post Daily

Scrappy Love Blog

Stick it, Tag it, Find it {Kiddotags Review}

So, I will be the first to admit I am always learning as a mom. Last year, when LC first started going to preschool I never thought about labeling all of his stuff. I never even considered writing his name on the tag of his coat, on his sippy cup, or his lunch box. Why wouldn’t the teacher’s know he was the kid with the blue Patriots fleece and lunch box with a “C” embroidered on the front?

It wasn’t until he started coming home with masking tape on his cups with his name written on them or in black permanent marker on the bottom that I realized I should probably be labeling my kids stuff. Once I realized this, it was a matter of actually doing it and keeping up with it for every new cup, snack trap, or coat that I had to keep up with.

Enter Kiddotags into my life.

I feel like such a dork, because the day our Kiddotags arrived, I could barely contain my excitement to slap these adorable sticky labels all over my kids cups, bowls, food pouches – you name it! We got a value pack with labels in different shapes and sizes to fit on sippy cup tops, bottoms, sides, all the way around so we would have no more missing lids or cups!

We also got clothing tags, which are not only practical, but adorable! I love that they are so easy to use – they just iron on and Kiddotag’s says they’re also easy to remove for when your little ones grow out of their clothes so the name isn’t left on there when it’s time to donate or re-sell. I even read they can stick onto glass, so since I chose the cute crab design, I might just use them as part of the decor for Lavery’s “under the sea” birthday party coming up too!

The awesome news? No more black permanent marker coming home on cups!

I also think I’m completely in love with these super adorable AND practical Social Kiddo “business cards.” How many times have you been to the park and met a mom with children playing so well, you want to plan another playdate!? Social Kiddos lets you carry around your kids names and all of your info to just hand right over if you need to! We like to be out and about, and my kids get their socialization skills from their mama, so these are a perfect cute, practical, and fun accessory to keep on hand while out and about! Need to give someone your phone number or email? Hand them a Social Kiddos card and you’re good to go! Anyone who know me, knows it’s only natural my children would walk around with their business cards ;)

Can I just tell you… even if these (dishwasher safe I might add!) tags weren’t so practical, I would still want to use them, because they’re so darn cute! And super easy to apply, all you have to do is make sure the surface is clean and dry and stick it right on – easy peasy! You just want to make sure you’re sticking onto a smooth surface.

In love with the cuteness and practicality of Kiddotags too!? They’re perfect for my need to reuse and keep things organized and NOT lost for once! What would you use them for? Check out Kiddotags on Facebook and Twitter to watch for deals, usage ideas, and more!

Spring Blog Party {How Does Your Nursery Roll?} Week 2

I am so excited to be  a style contributor for Simply Baby’s blog and I’m especially excited to be joining my fellow style contributors for a fun blog party every week! I hope you’ll join us this week  as the blog party embarks on its second week and check out Tiffany Leigh of Tiffany Leigh Interior Design who’s featured today!

I would also love it if you would check out my fellow style contributor’s – I know you’ll love them!

 

Spring Fashion with Stride Rite & Zoe Girl Designs

Having a daughter means many things. One of my favorites? Fashion. I love dressing up Lavery probably just as much (if not more) than she loves to get all dolled up too. I love to pick out adorable outfits with accessories to the nines and watching her prance around so proud.

Among one of her favorite accessories? Shoes. Ever since she was a baby, she has loved shoes and she stands at the shoe closet banging on the door until you open for her to take her pick. Lately, her first choice are these adorable pink pom pom shoes from Stride Rite. Aren’t they adorable?

I love the girliness of these shoes and Lavery does too. We’re having so much fun pairing these with the endless selection of dresses, shorts, leggings, and skirts in her closet! The part mom loves? Stride Rite is a trusted brand making their shoes with good quality, so no worrying about them getting ruined after a few spills outside.

Even though I have one serious girly girl with a love for fashion on my hands, she’s one tough cookie and she likes to keep up with her big brother. The durability of these shoes gives her both the fashion and the strength an active toddler needs. I can’t tell you how many pairs of shoes we have gone through between both kids and anytime we make the investment on Stride Rite, it’s worth every penny.

Now that we’ve got THE shoes, what about the clothing and accessories?

I had the opportunity to work with the fabulous Zoe Girl Designs at an event last weekend and she graciously gave us the adorable chevron skirt seen in the photos. I first recognized Zoe Girl Designs, because her adorable boutique clothing is on sale at The Boulevard at South End and as soon as I spotted the chevron toddler fashion, I was hooked! I was so thrilled when she contacted me to participate in The Great Cloth Diaper Change last weekend and even more excited when she offered up one of her especially cute creations for my princess to sport at the event!

Lavery’s Zoe Girl Designs skirt plus Stride Rite shoes are polished off with an adorable headband purchased from The Boulevard at South End! I think I have a little fashionista on my hands, don’t you? Move over Gisele, there’s a new girl in town! ;) I think she’s got what it takes to start a fashion blog, Toddler Fashionista.. whatcha think!?

Thank you so much to my lovely partner Dana of Baby Elan {Daily} for introducing us to these adorable Stride Rite shoes and Zoe Girl Designs for our fabulous skirt. Good news – they’re both Lavery approved! ;)

 

 

Forever’s Like a Dream Sample Disclosure: The opinions expressed above are honest, accurate, and not encouraged anyway by monetary donations. A skirt and pair of shoes free of charge were received from said company, as stated within the editorial.

 

 

Celebrate Earth Day Everyday with a Lorax Nursery

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” -The Lorax

Did you plant a tree this past weekend in celebration of Earth Day? If so, The Lorax applauds you. After all, he does speak for the trees!  Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is one of my favorite family movies. At the risk of my mothering skills being judged, I’ll admit that my three kids practically have the whole movie memorized. The storyline, witty one-liners and voices by Taylor Swift, Zac Efron, Betty White and Danny Devito make The Lorax equally enjoyable for children and adults alike.

After watching The Lorax for the 20th time and seeing all the celebrations of Earth Day, I nostalgically wished I could’ve created an eco-friendly nursery theme featuring  The Lorax.   Who wouldn’t love all the vibrant colors, funny characters and beautiful Truffula trees?  Most importantly, the message from the movie is something I want to engrain in my children, because saving our environment is our future.  I know I had a hard time thinking of the perfect nursery theme for my kids, which is why I’d like to share my nursery design ideas for all the newbie parents out there.  From my thoughts to you…

Fantastic Design Ideas

Thanks to a combination of The Lorax branded products and DIY tricks, you can make baby’s room earth-friendly while reflecting your own personality at a reasonable price.  Here are some creative ideas to turn your nursery into a slice of paradise in the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss.

3 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Everyday with a Lorax Nursery:

1. Paint- Select your favorite solid color to use on your nursery’s accent walls. On the main wall, create your own DIY mural of The Lorax’s truffula trees by projecting them on the wall, tracing and painting with your own creative flair.

2. Wall Art and Accessories-

 

On the accent walls, you can showcase The Lorax branded products likethis Trend Lab Wall Clock with the movie quote, “Save the Trees for me” or this “I speak for the trees.” Trend Lab Frame Set.  You can also look for wall decals that are an easy way to spruce up your walls without taking a gamble of your artistic abilities.  Create a lively scene and watch your nursery walls come to life!

3.  Eco-friendly Baby Furniture :  There are many nursery furniture products that use resources that are from eco-friendly sustainable forests and use non-toxic paint and finishes.  That would be the ultimate tribute to The Lorax, right?  If the Onceler could of replanted the trees while others were harvested, it would be a sustainable environment and would not turn into an artificial jungle like Sneedville.  It’s great eco-friendly practice and a valuable lesson to teach the kiddies.

4.  Be resourceful- You don’t have to spend a fortune to decorate nursery shelves, bookcases and night stands.  Some great resources are often little to no expense. For example, you can frame this free Lorax themed printable…

…frame your own Truffula tree art with pom poms and twine

Babble.com

With a nursery theme like The Lorax, the options are limitless! The key is to get creative, have fun and be yourself. Not only will you be gifting your precious child a world of color to stimulate the mind from the very beginning, but you’ll also be instilling, at an early age, the importance of being a good steward of what’s been entrusted to you, including the earth. Happy decorating. Don’t forget- someone like you really can care a whole awful lot and things just might get better….

Author bio

Hey Yall!  My name is Hannah and I’m a Southern girl that loves sweet tea, flip flops, the ocean and road trips.  As a social maven and work-at-home mom of 3, including toddler multiples, I am living out my Faith while trying to balance babies, budget, beauty, blogging, bookoos of laundry, and Bible Study. I am truly blessed by a great support network of family and friends.

For My Little Lady {Kivelli Baby Review + GIVEAWAY!}

When my good friend Dana of Baby Elan {Daily} first told me about Kivelli Baby, offering ”elegant infant and toddler blankets, gifts, & more”  I was so excited! Her little Gracie and my little Lavery are such the biggest little girly girls (YES – only at 20 months… did I ever mention they are only a few weeks apart!?) Anyway, they both love to wear jewelry and they prance around showing it off like they’re having breakfast at Tiffany’s!

I could not wait for the gorgeous Crown Jewels bracelet to arrive in her pretty little hands and I think we were both jumping for joy when it finally arrived!

The Crown Jewels bracelet is from their Vintage Collection, but Kivelly Baby features a Layette Collection as well and let me tell you… seeing how stunning this bracelet is in person has me seriously wanting every.single.one!

I love how my little 20 month old princess can wear such a timeless and elegant piece at such a young age. And one of the best parts? She’ll be able to grow with the bracelet, because even though it fits her now, the adjustments will allow for her to wear it in years to come. I love how she can have something so gorgeous at such a young age, continue to wear it, then even save it for her daughter when she grows up. The bracelet is that gorgeous.. I will certainly be saving it for her to keep!

My little active 20 month old even sat still with her hands in her lap for a little photo shoot showing off her precious Kivelli Baby fashion. I can honestly say this bracelet has me so in love with finding more perfect pieces for my little lady!

 

And you want to know what’s really awesome? I have an amazing giveaway for you! There will be FIVE winners!

The grand prize is 1 bracelet of the winner’s choice. Be sure to browse the Vintage & Layette Collections to pick out your favorite!

And four second place winners will receive a $15 gift certificate to the Kivelli online store to spend however you like!

All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

Make sure you are a VERIFIED email subscriber. You MUST be a verified email subscriber to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Forever’s Like a Dream Sample Disclosure: The opinions expressed above are honest, accurate, and not encouraged anyway by monetary donations. A bracelet free of charge were received from said company, as stated within the editorial.

Superheroes Commence! {DIY Birthday Invitations}

When Landyn asked for a Superhero party for this 4th birthday, I was so excited! I instantly turned to Pinterest for inspiration. I wondered how in the world I planned parties (or a wedding! AHH!) before Pinterest came around. Then….

I had to laugh, because the invitations I ended up making didn’t even come from Pinterest at all! I got some inspiration from bits and pieces, but then decided on my own idea.

I’m a very “do-it-yourself” type of girl. Last year, I turned to Anders Ruff printables for LC’s LEGO party since I just had surgery, but this year I knew I wanted to come up with some of my own designs. I wanted to include superhero masks on the invites, so I used one of his superhero masks from his costume as a template and traced it onto foam paper then cut out. I hole punched the ends and tied with elastic and Voila!

I did an assortment of colors and overall, each masks cost under $1 each! Way cheaper than ordering on Etsy or another site!

Then I just created a basic invite in photoshop with the party info. I used the Fantastic Four logo since it’s his 4th birthday and found various clip art like the POW for the date to dress it up. I cut each invite out and glued them onto scrap booking paper then added the mask with it to create a unique personalized superhero invite!

Making the masks was tedious, but it was SO EASY. All you need is a superhero mask if you already have one to use as a template. You can decorate them up more, but I wanted just basic ones with each child’s name for the invite. If you don’t have a mask to trace yourself, you can get a template here  at Cutesy Crafts.

Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey ® {Review}

Last night was a night full of firsts for our family. It was out first time taking Lavery to any sort of performance and our first night at the circus! Kyle and I both realized we didn’t think we’d ever been to the circus before (and if we did, it was when we were really young so we didn’t remember it.) We weren’t really sure how it would go bringing a one year old to the circus, but to our surprise… she LOVED it!

Before the show, we got to check out a cool animal clinic where we met Kelly… Yes, Kelly (the elephant!) Landyn got a kick out of the elephant sharing the same name as his mommy and he made sure everyone knew it – HA!

Lavery had a blast at the preshow watching all the dancing.. she even got down with the crew herself!

Once the show started it proved its title to be true.. “The Greatest Show on Earth.” I have never in my life seen anything like it and both kids watched with big eyes as they performed tricks on motorcycle in the air, ran through fire, flipped around on horses, and so much more!

The stories you’ve heard cannot do the circus justice – you HAVE to see it for yourself!

If you live in Charlotte, you can still get a discount on tickets until February 3rd! Experience “The Greatest Show on Earth” and watch the light in your little one’s eyes as they experience the impossible with Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey ®Presents Dragons!

For tickets & more info, check out Time Warner Cable Arena’s website here.

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.

Baby Spa :: Natural Care {Review}

It’s no secret that I prefer natural products and shop for only the most natural and healthiest products for my children. Skincare is no exception. When Baby Spa contacted me about checking out their products, I was so excited to try them out!

I normally find a brand that I like and stick to it, but I was excited to test our Baby Spa. The assortment of products had me excited to check out them all! I was sent samples of stage 1 and stage 2 Soothing Face Cream to use with both my 1 year old and 3 year old and the Moisturizing Baby Lotion. I love that they came in different stages for different ages. Baby’s are not a one size fits all and I love that Baby Spa gives safe options for different ages.

When reading Baby Spa’s website, I found all of the ingredients are ECOCERT certified (which is a certification for natural and organic cosmetics.)

I am not the type of person to just trust a brand who says it’s organic or to buy it, because a business says it’s safe and healthy. I research. Even before I opened these samples, I read about the company, ingredients, and products before even considering trying them out. Everything I’ve read and tried – I love! As a mom who is constantly searching for the best, I have wholeheartedly found a favorite in Baby Spa products.

Aside from the fact that Baby Spa stands for everything I believe in when it comes to natural skincare and health… it also works! We have all had some serious dry skin lately and I’ve found myself using the lotion on my hands (and making sure it gets thrown in the diaper bag on the way out the door!) I’m also really picky about the thickness of my lotion and I love the consistency and it smells amazing too!

Loving the products I’ve been trying so much – I am so anxious to try out the Tearless Shampoo and Calming Massage Oil! I’m hooked! I have to laugh at myself for getting so excited now that I’m a mom about natural baby products… I love when I find a company who is as passionate as I am about providing the safest, healthiest, and all natural products for those precious little angels of mine! ;)

 

Meet Barnaby

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter at all, you might have seen photos of our little elf popping up here and there, so I thought it was time to give him the “official” introduction.

Last year on Thanksgiving, Barnaby became a part of our family. Although he’s talked about all year long by my excited little man, he only shows up during the holiday’s. I’m sure you all know of the “Elf on a Shelf” tradition and it started for us last year.

Since we normally get our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving night, it was only appropriate for Barnaby to make his first appearance on the same night too. How he got his name is kind of a funny story….

Who has seen The Santa Claus movies? Everyone, right? Well… you know Bernard? For some weird reason, I always called him Barnaby. We decided to name our elf Barnaby so there really is an elf named Barnaby around our house!

Last year, I was a new “elf mom” so for the most part he just got moved every night and left a few surprises here and there. This year, we’re getting creative. On his first night, Barnaby brought the kids Christmas pj’s to wear for the holiday season!

So far, he’s toilet papered our tree, left a little hot chocolate and cookies surprise after the kids went on a walk around the neighborhood to see the lights, and stole mom’s magazine to catch up on celeb gossip with a midnight snack. We’ll have to wait and see what fun Barnaby continues to get into as we approach Christmas! He even made it onto WCNC Charlotte’s Pinterest page! They have a whole board dedicated to “Elf on a Shelf!”

Stay tuned for more elf fun – hopefully I’m a better “elf mom” this year! ;)

Do you have an “Elf on a Shelf?” What’s his (or her) name?