Savannah’s Third Birthday

HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY SAVANNAH MARIE! I cannot believe it has been three whole years since you were born. It feels like yesterday I was pregnant with you. You have grown into a beautiful, sassy, sometimes shy, little girl who likes to do everything her sister does. You have a temper when you're mad, but when you're happy you are sweeter than pie. You are obsessed with everything Toy Story so it was only fitting that it was your birthday theme. 

I ordered this dress and the Buzz and Woody bows off of Etsy. They were perfect for your party! 

Your cookies were the biggest hit at the party and everyone raved about them. If you live in the Buffalo area, you need to check out @Barbiebakesbuffalo. She makes the most incredible cookies right from her kitchen! My favorite cookies were the etch a sketch ones with her name! I mean come on! How stinkin' cute are those? How can I even pick a favorite?

I found all of the characters on your cake at Marshalls. They were part of a Toy Story book set. I took them out of the set, took them to the bakery and had them use figures as toppers. Your cake was a hit too! 

Everyone got to make their own Forky at the party. The little kids loved it. I was able to get most of the supplies at the dollar tree! 

This cake....a dream Toy Story cake!

We had chips, sub trays, pasta salad, a fruit platter, cake, and cookies. My best friend made the balloon garland and it turned out so cute! It tied all of the decorations together perfectly. 

All of the kiddos went home with a goodie bag filled with Toy Story treats and toys. 

When it came time to sing happy birthday, all eyes were on you! You made a wish, blue out your candles and opened up all the gifts 

You played on the slides until it was time to leave. 

You had the time of your life with all of your friends and family. Sweet Charlotte's in Clarence hosted the party and I highly recommend using their space if you want to have your child's birthday party at a fun space where there is lots of room. 

A few days later we celebrated your real birthday. I had you wake up to an entire birthday set up in the dining room with donuts of course. That night we went to Chuck E Cheese and had a low key night with family. 

Your third birthday was a big success. You were surrounded by family and friends who love and adore you, and you got everything you wanted. We love you, Savannah Marie. We wish we could slow down time just a little!

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My Back to School Essentials

School is around the corner and that means I have to get everything the girls need and everything I need for my classroom! Below I linked my classroom must-haves for this school year, and some back to school essentials for the girls! 

Classroom Ready

Be Kind T-Shirt
Schedule Pocket Chart
Sharpies (24 pack)
Multi-color Caddy
ABC Banner & Felt Ball Garland
Laminator
Wooden ABC Sign
Teacher Bag
Bulletin Board Borders
No. 1 Teacher Mug
Rainbow Drawers
Scotch Thermal Laminating Sheets

First Day of School Ready

Dinosaur Backpack
Rainbow Backpack
Toddler Mary Janes
Girls Saddle Shoes

Dinosaur Lunchbox
Rainbow Lunchbox
Bentgo Box
Apple Print Bow
Ice/Freezer Pack
Pencil Case
Red Back to School Dress
Caterpillar Back to School Dress
Water Bottle

Back to School Books

Here are some great back to school books for kids of all ages!
I found all of these on Amazon!

Here are more!

If you have kiddo starting Kindergarten this year like we do, here are some other great books to read before school starts! 

Amazon Prime Favorites

I know Amazon Prime day came and went but these are a few of my favorite Amazon items that are always on Prime! 

1. 

My kitchen shelves. They come in a set of two for around $30 and are super fun to decorate.

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This romper is one of my summer-must-haves. I ordered it and plan on wearing it when we go to Virginia!

3. 

I have wanted to get my hands on a straw cross-body bag for a while now. I found this one on Prime day for under $8! It was a steal!

4. 

These BOB Book sets are perfect for beginner readers. I ordered the first set for Shannon because we are working on learning how to read.

5.

I got this mini waffle maker for my birthday from my sister-in-law because she knows I love making creative breakfasts for the girls. This is under $10 on Amazon!

6. 

Every color Sharpie.... for all of my fellow teacher friends, these are a classroom must have!

7.

This is the laminator I have and I use it all the time. It is super easy to use and I have never had any problems with it. It even has a rotary cutter attached. 

8. 

Thermal laminating pouches for when you run out! This pack of 100 is around $10!

9. 

I bought this cookbook on Prime day because I have a new found love for making platters and cheese boards. This one was a little over $10!

10. 

This is a mug rack but I have seen a few ladies on Instagram hang it in their living room or hallway and decorate it with home decor!

11. 

This brand (Victor Allen) of K-cups is our favorite and they always have deals going on!

12. 

I could not wait to get my hands on this fun set of sandwich cutters! Shannon starts Kindergarten in the fall meaning she is in school all day and I have to start packing a lunch for her. I cannot wait to make her lunches super fun with this kit!

13. 

Hubby got me this dress for my birthday in a different floral print and it was so comfortable I had to go back and order the sunflower print. 

14. 

We are going away in a few weeks and the girls do not have a suitcase. This set is originally $80 on sale for $36.58 right now! 

15. 

Shannon recently lost her first tooth and I was not prepared to make everything cute and glittery! This tooth fairy set is $14 and comes with a tooth pillow, white glitter, and tooth receipts!

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Lastly, another platters and boards book because this one is gorgeous and has great entertaining ideas!

Favorite Summer Pajamas and Swimsuits

Here are some of my favorite Summer pajamas for the girls!

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And some of my favorite bathing suits I found this year!

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Fourth of July 2019

Happy Fourth of July weekend!

We had an absolute blast this weekend with family and friends and did so many festive things! 

On July 3rd, we went to the Buffalo Bison's game to see the game, the Buffalo Philharmonic perform, and fireworks. We got there around the third inning and the girls sat through the entire thing surprisingly well. 

Of course sweets, hot dogs, candy, and Dip n Dots kept them entertained.

Savannah is wearing the dress Shannon wore when she was three! I was able to find a coordinating dress at Walmart this year for Shannon. It was a really great night and the perfect way to start our Fourth of July! 

The next day I threw the girls swimsuits on and we went to my moms house to swim and play yard games!

I brought over trail mix and festive cupcakes that the girls helped me make. I ordered the sparkle star toppers from Amazon.

The trail mix was a huge hit! My dad filled two jars worth and brought them home. It was super easy to make too. I got pretzel snaps, honey Chex cereal, yogurt raisins, vanilla granola, raw almonds, and caramel red, white, and blue m&m's. You can portion all of the ingredients out how ever you would like!

Of course we had to take our annual Bomb Pop photo and this year I got to style my new bar cart for the Fourth! 

This was the first year I bought a "family pack" of fireworks. In the previous years, we never wanted to get them because hubby and I were too nervous to use them around the girls. But this year we gave it a whirl and oh my goodness we will be buying them every year from now on! They were super fun to set off at night in the backyard after getting home from fireworks on the Fourth. 

We went to U.B (University at Buffalo) for fireworks this year. It was a fantastic display as usual! 

This Fourth of July was one for the books! I hope you all had a great weekend!

Strawberry Picking in Pictures

Every June since Shannon was about to turn two, we have gone strawberry picking at Becker Farms. As soon as we arrive, we buy our U-pick tokens, catch the tractor, and get a ride to the field. 

We picked some gems!

They loved filling up their own baskets and they were so proud when they filled them to the top!

I put Savannah in the same outfit I put Shannon in when she was little. I saved both the strawberry dress and shoes and having two kids three years apart almost to the month means that all of Shannon's old clothes fit Savannah for every season. 

Shannon's red dress is from Primary. I got it earlier in the Summer.

Both of them looked as sweet as pie. 

It took us a little while to pick some "good" strawberries because we went a little bit later than we usually do. A lot of the bushes were already picked over so we really had to look hard and walk further out. 

And the big juicy ones we did find were immediately eaten by this little critter right here. I can't even get mad because that is what it is all about! Grabbing juicy strawberries that were sitting in the sun right off of the vine and taking a bite!

Overall, the day was a success and we came home with two pints. I think I am going to do what I did last year and make homemade jam and then make a giant homemade pop-tart with the girls.

Hope you are enjoying your Summer like we are!