Our Favorite Infant Gifts

Both of our boys celebrated their first Christmas at a very young age. Grayson was only 3 months old & Griffin was almost 5 months old. It seems kind of hard to buy presents for babies that young, but there are a lot of great things out there! Here are some things that both of our boys loved & got a lot of use out of. Some of these things are STILL being used! 

1. B. Zany Zoo Activity Cube (both of the boys still play with this!)

2. Bright Baby First 100 Words book (we love these books & they have a bunch to choose from. Our boys both love the First 100 Animals & First 100 Machines) 

3. Fisher Price Rock-a-Stack

4.  Lakeshore Soft Photobook (my aunt got this for Grayson when he was a baby & it has all the family pictures and it is labeled. This is so great...especially since we don't live near our family!)

5. Oball Rollin' Rainstick

6. Vtech Move and Crawl Bawl

Our Favorite Toddler {BOY} Gifts

Have you all started your Christmas shopping? I'm sure a few of you are done with your Christmas shopping. That will never be me. You won't even find me in the stores on Black Friday; Cyber Monday is more my speed! Shopping from the comfort of my couch without the crazy crowds. I love picking out the boys' Christmas gifts. Having little kids makes it so much fun! Boy gifts are what I know best & I wanted to share some of our favorites around here!

1. KidKraft Everyday Heroes Set

2. Black & Decker Tool Box

3. Playmobil Ladder Firetruck

4. Little Tikes Gas 'n Go Mower

5. Little Blue Truck

6. Lego Duplo My First Construction Site

7. Stackadoos

Favorites for Fall

It's now officially fall and I am going to pretend that the weather has cooperated here in Tennessee. I know that you all have seen your fair share of "OMG I LOVE FALL" and Pumpkin Spice Latte posts, but guess what? You're getting another one! This is my favorite time of the year & I am so ready for it to not be blazing hot outside. 

 One of my favorite things to do early in the fall is go to Reed's Produce Market in downtown Franklin. I go every year to get all my fun pumpkins and their beautiful mums. This picture was from last year at Reed's...look at my babies! SO tiny!

I also have a weird obsession with pumpkins. I went my whole life until I was 23 thinking there were just regular ol' orange pumpkins. My best friend, Whit, introduced me to the blue pumpkin and I have been pumpkin crazy ever since. I always get a huge assortment of pumpkins for our front porch in all the different colors.

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Fairytale pumpkins are my favorite!

I also love fall family pictures. I've actually had the boys outfits for said family pictures since early July. Hey, I'm a planner! And do you know what comes after family pictures? PICKING OUT CHRISTMAS CARDS! The people over at Tiny Prints have really outdone themselves this year with their Christmas cards. I love them all. My favorite is the All That Glitters collection...because when you live in a house FULL of boys you need to have glitter anywhere that you can get it! 

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Am I crazy for already planning out Christmas cards in September?! Don't answer that:)

The Hunt for Easter Cards: a Tiny Prints review

One of my favorite things is snail mail. There is just something so fun about receiving cards in the mail from friends and family. Once we had Grayson, I started sending our close friends & family cards for every holiday. I will take any excuse to send out pictures of our cute boys! 

This is where Tiny Prints enters in. I love their products! I've been browsing their website because I have Easter cards on the brain. Have y'all seen their Easter collection? Everything is so cute!

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 I love how simple & colorful all of their spring designs are. You can also add mailing labels to coordinate! Be still my snail mail loving heart! 

How cute are these?! Do you think my all-boy home would approve of the glitter eggs?

 

 I love this egg hunt invitation, too! We have 3 Easter egg hunts in the next 2 weeks & I wish I had thought about these invitations sooner!
 

I also love that they have seasonal thank you cards. These Easter thank you notes are adorable & I also saw lots of designs that Grayson would love! (I'll give you a hint: one set had TRUCKS!)

Tiny Prints has a huge selection of Easter cards & invitations. They are such a great company to work with & you just can't beat the quality. That's my favorite part! I hope y'all take the time to check out the Tiny Prints website...I know you'll find something that you love!

Things I Don't Know How I Survived Without The 1st Time Around

I did a few posts when G was a baby about some of my favorite essential items. That list has grown & changed. Some things I am not really sure how we survived without! Here is my new list of things I think every mama needs when they have a baby:

 

 A bottle warmer. I nursed for 6 1/2 months this time but Grayson was bottle fed for ELEVEN MONTHS. Why did we not have one of these?? We bought this Munchkin brand one for Griffin & it is so much easier than running the bottle under hot tap water for a few minutes! 

 

 Tommee Tippee bibs for easy feeding. HOLY COW. I am in love with these things. I bought some really cute plastic/fabric bibs for Grayson when he started eating & they took forever and a day to dry. I love these bibs. You can just wipe them off! Genius.

Twitter. You might think I am joking, but I am not. I have about 200 other mamas at my fingertips that I can now talk to about motherhood.  I really am not sure how I parented Grayson without the help of all my friends that live in the computer.

 A cheap, plastic booster seat. We had a pretty, wooden high chair for Grayson. We specifically registered for it because it would match our kitchen table. It looks nice but babies are MESSY eaters. Really messy eaters. At least mine are. There was always so much food stuck in all the little nooks that I could never get out. We switched to a booster seat when G was 1 and I'm not sure why we didn't do it sooner. Griffin was switched at 6 months and it is about 100 times easier to clean. Do yourself a favor 1st time mamas: register for one of these & not a high chair. Another plus? These are portable and are great for trips!

 

My beloved Keurig. Oh, man. I love this thing.  One thing you should know is that I suck at making coffee. I had an actual coffee maker when G was a baby but I could never get it right. I got this bad boy for Christmas when I was pregnant with Griffin and it has been life-changing. LIFE-CHANGING. Okay, I'm a little dramatic. BUT? It makes it so much easier to make my coffee with a clingy baby and it always tastes good. I'm not sure how I survived the sleep deprived months without one of these. 

That's all I've got. Have I forgotten anything major?! Is there a new product I still don't know about??

spring wants

Spring always has me itching for new things; fun clothes, springy nail polish, cute sandals. I'm not sure how cute my wardrobe will be this spring and summer, but here are a few things I have on my wish list!

Call me a bandwagon jumper, but I have heard SO many people rave about the Urban Decay Naked Palette. I've seen the Naked 2 palette but I think I would use these colors more. I'll take any excuse to explore Sephora & these are calling my name! 

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I'm not sure I can pull off a maxi skirt, but they sure do look comfy!

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Okay, these are not for me. These are for G...but HOW CUTE would they be with his seersucker shorts?! I mean, really.

Now, all I need is some money & warmer weather! 

my grown-up Christmas list

I don't need anything for Christmas this year, but it's fun to make a list of things that would be nice to have! It's funny how a Christmas list changes as you get older. Practical things become a lot more attractive! 

An immersion blender. Lots of soup recipes call for this & it would make my life easier instead of pouring things into my blender/food processor. Plus, I would feel kind of like an Iron Chef while using it. 

Le Creuset dutch oven. I registered for one of these when we got married & never got it. I still want one over 3 years later! 1. They cook evenly. 2. I've always heard great things about the quality & 3. They come on fun colors!

Some infinity scarves to add a little fun to my wardrobe. This one is from Old Navy and has sequins.

These Fossil leopard print flats. Because every girl needs some leopard in her life, right?

Some Organic Bloom picture frames. Have y'all seen these? I am OBSESSED with them & h ave been wanting some ever since I saw them on Pinterest last summer. They would make a great whimsical gallery wall in our bonus room!

I hope you guys have been taking advantage of the Cyber Monday deals today! My PayPal acctount needs to be frozen after all the Christmas shopping I did today. Happy shopping & wishlist making, friends!

What I'm loving right now

Let me start off by saying that it was supposed to be 55 and rainy today. I postponed a picnic with a friend because the weather was supposed to be nasty. Well, friends, let me just say...it is about 83 degrees and sunny right now. Way to go, Nashville weathermen, way to go. 

I've tried a few new things recently that I now love so I thought I would share them. Here is my current love list:

Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Body Wash

This is something I actually started using a few years ago. This stuff smells SO good. I've used the shampoo and conditioner too...but the body wash is always in my shower! It comes in a huge bottle and has a fabulous Trader Joe's price of around $5. Can't beat that!

GVP hair straightener {Sally's Beauty Supply generic brand}

I have used the same hair straightener for 6 years. It was finally starting to act up AND it was always bad about breaking my hair. I was told about this hair straightener on the twitterverse & decided to check it out. It is comparable to a Chi but only cost $60. I have loved it so far! I can control the heat so it doesn't feel like I'm scorching my hair like my old one did. AND it has an automatic shutoff after 60 minutes. Now I won't be paranoid about forgetting to unplug it! 

Brazilian Tech Keratin Leave-In Treatment

I also bought this stuff at Sally's. It's a lot cheaper than the other leave-in spray I was using..this stuff is only $8.29! It smells really good and makes my hair so soft and shiny. I will definitely be buying this stuff again! 

Starbuck Via Caramel Iced Coffee

I have a love/hate relationship with Starbucks right now. I love them because they sent me ONE sample of this in the mail. Y'all? It. was. so. good. I might become addicted. Plus, it is so much easier than brewing my coffee. I'm lazy. However, I hate them because I can't find this in any stores! Such a tease! All I have been able to find is the regular iced coffee. Don't get me wrong, it's good when you add some flavored creamer...but it's no caramel iced coffee! If you find this, I'm going to need you to email me & tell me where! I've had it on my brain since Friday. 

iPhone 4s -- in pretty white:)

Ben and I have had our old iPhones for over 2 years and were definitely due for an upgrade. You better believe we pre-ordered the 4s as soon as we could! I am so not that person that would camp out at the Apple store to get a new phone. Stupid. We got our phones on Friday and I love, love, love it! The camera on this phone is so much better than our old one & I'm excited I can now take videos. My new friend, Siri, is pretty cool too. I like to ask her random questions on a daily basis to see what her answer is. If you haven't asked her about her favorite color...do it now. I swear this phone is smarter than me. 

What are some things you're loving right now??

Baby Products I Heart: almost ONE edition.

Now that Grayson is almost 1 {that's plain crazy, btw.}I thought I would make another list of all the baby products we have been loving recently. I have done this twice before...when he was a newborn and when he was 6 months old. Go check them out if you are a newbie! 

The Sassy Dippin' Dinner plate set. I love these. I bought them in this 4 pack at Publix for $6ish and they come with 2 Lids. They have rubber on the bottom so it is harder for Grayson to slide it off his high chair. It also has the little dipping section for those kids (cough *GRAYSON* cough) who are obsessed with condiments. They have a variety of colors...you know how I love  my color!

Weet Woo! This is a really cool app for iPads and iPhones. It is basically a YouTube just for little kids.  Those are the categories they have (listed above) for all sorts of kid-friendly videos. We mostly use it for kid shows and music. Just to name a few of what they have: The Wiggles, Fraggle Rock (hello, 80s!),  Raffi, Caillou, Charlie and Lola, Clifford, Yo Gabba Gabba, Thomas the Train, etc. It is a life saver when we are waiting on the doctor!

Baby Gap 2 piece long sleeve/pants pajamas. This is now what Grayson sleeps in at night. They are soft, true to size, don't have annoying tags, and come in REALLY cute patterns. You can get them at the Gap Outlet for $10 and save a few bucks!

The 7 inch Sony portable DVD player. Grayson is not a fan of long car rides. Before we went to Oxford in July, we stopped by Target and bought this for the car. It's  my new best friend. It kept the little man entertained the whole way!

This goes with the portable DVD player. It is a portable DVD player case made by Case Logic also found at Target.  This little guy straps on the head rest in your car, secures the DVD player with a velcro strap, & let's you watch movies! It took us almost 8 hours to get home from Destin & Grayson didn't cry once. He was too busy watching Baby Beethoven in the back!

The Fisher Price Ride-On fire truck. Grayson got this from my parents last month and he uses it ALL the time. He pushes it around & loves lifting the seat up and putting small toys in the hidden compartment. He also loves to be pushed around! Pretty soon he will be tall enough to scoot around on it by himself. It plays music and makes lots of different sounds. It comes with a fire hat too:)

Disposable placements by Table Toppers. These are awesome. Now that Grayson is only eating regular table food, he eats with us at restaurants. However, I don't trust plates that he can break. I bought these at Publix for $6.  They stick on all four sides on the table so that little hands can't rip them off.  The thought of Grayson eating food straight off of a restaurant table makes me want to gag...these solve the problem! 

The Pocket Bibsters by Pampers. I love taking these when we go out to eat so I don't have to worry about a dirty bib going back in my back. These are inexpensive, velcro together, have a big pocket to catch food, and they easily fit in my diaper bag when we head out the door.

Are there any products that you think I am missing out on?

summer tv

Summer time television usually makes me sad. All of my favorite shows go on hiatus (aka: The Office, Bethenny, and Law & Order: SVU) until the fall. Hmph. However...do you know what starts next week?! The original Teen Mom girls!!!!! Contain your excitement. I can hardly wait to see Macy and Beeeeentley. oh, and of course Gary & Amber. What do you watch during the summer?
Are you guys watching this season of the New York Housewives? I miss Bethenny...so glad she has her own show. I can't decide who I actually like this season. They are all a little bit off their rocker. I think Kelly may pass for craziest...she's just odd. Whatever happened to LuAnn's blossoming (ha!) singing career? Money can't buy you class....

I am so over American Idol. Have been since the season of Carrie. But The Voice? It's awesome. I love the concept & I love who the judges picked to be on their teams. So much raw talent! The show has also given me 2 new celeb crushes: Blake Shelton and Adam Levine. Don't worry, I think Ben has a new crush too...and it's not Cee-Lo. :) I was so sad this week when Christina did not pick teeny little Raquel. That girl could belt it!

Holy hot mess!! I love all of the Housewives (minus DC--snoozefest!) but Jersey is probably my favorite. I can't deal with the drama. Do people actually live like that??!! The new girls have added a lot of family issues this season...but I like Melissa! The guys are so funny to look at. I find it humorous that these women think their husbands are so hot...ick. Too tan, too much gel, and way too much muscle. Don't hate if you are a guido-lover...it's just not my thing!

When you come to my house, chances are, the channel will be turned to Food Network. It's my favorite channel, hands down. Giada is my fave...her food is so pretty. Makes me want to become a food photographer. I always watch this show and then a disappointed when the winner is not seen much on the network. Right now I am loving Whitney, Orchid, and Jeff. Who do you think will win?