Spring Favorites

Happy weekend! I hope you are all having a wonderful Spring! Life has been so busy and we have been going outside as much as we can. Walks, parks, more walks, more parks, everything. We are so happy to hang up our sweaters and break out our t shirts, skirts, shorts, and Summer dresses.

I am so excited to share some of my Spring favorites with all of you! I’ll start off with some adorable Spring books. I decided to do a garden/grow/planting theme for the girls bookshelf this month. I ordered a couple from Shannon’s Scholastic flyers and the rest on Amazon.  

These books make me so happy because it means the snow is finally gone, the nice weather is here to stay and we can finally garden! 

Over the past few weeks, I have found my Spring and early Summer must haves: 

1. Chic Pipsqueak Bow Subscription - At the beginning of every month we get our pretty pink package from Chic Pipsqueak and we are never disappointed. I signed up for two nylon two clip, but recently changed our bows to have all clips. I think it is wonderful she gives you that option. If you are a subscriber, there is even a page on her website just for monthly subscribers where you can pick 'add ons.' Go check her out!

2. Opalhouse Kitchen Towels - I literally laughed out loud when I stumbled upon these in Target. Cutest little prints, puns, details! 

3. Alice and Ames Summer Dresses - Every year (around now) I buy the girls one or two dresses from Alice and Ames for Summer. The twirl dresses are our personal favorite and the color options this year are perfection. 

4. Opalhouse Pom Garland - This pom garland has beautiful summer colors and in my opinion, you can never have too many garlands to hang around your house. Its boho look sold me immediately. 

5. Opalhouse Stemless Wine Glasses  - I thought I lost it when I saw the Opalhouse kitchen towels, but when I saw stemless wine glasses with the same cute puns, they became just one of those things I never knew I needed until that moment.  

6. Hen & Co Summer Tops and Tanks - I follow her on Instagram and she is one of my favorite follows. How she raises four kid and  runs her own business is beyond me. Total mom goals! Her Etsy shop is releasing the CUTEST summer tees and tanks. Take all my money!

7. Hunter Ankle Rain Boots - Pink Hunter rain boots...need I say more? They are basically a Spring staple in my front hall. 

8. Melon Ball Sprinkler - I was torn between this one and the giant unicorn sprinkler but it ultimately came down to which one is more reasonable for the yard.  I cannot wait to break this thing out for the girls!

9. Butterfly Garden Habitat with Caterpillars - I have been wanting to do this with Shannon and Savannah last Spring but never got around to ordering it. This year I had to order it! I got the deluxe version that comes with the caterpillars and the habitat. All under $30!

Lastly, on my instagram story highlights under “shopping,” I shared my Hannah Andersson haul for Spring/early Summer. I’ll probably go back and grab some summer stuff too! I know everyone is obsessed with their pajamas but I am obsessed with their dresses and swimwear! The girls are going to look adorbs in these.....especially with their little preschool / toddler belly’s, and chubby legs hanging out!

I hope you are all having a nice Spring! Summer is just around the corner!

Life as of Late

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are enjoying the week thus far. We have been so busy doing all things Spring, and putting away our winter clothes. It seems like the nice weather is finally here to stay! 

What is new? 

• First off, I’m so excited to announce that we got a NEW CAR! We decided to go back to leasing (I mean who doesn’t like getting a new car every three years?) and we did it because it just made the most sense for us. We got a 2018 black RAV4, with some super amazing features. I feel like a badass when I drive it, and a super cool mom in the pick up/drop off line at preschool. 

The trunk space is just one of my favorite things. Night and day compared to a car trunk! 

• Second, our hallway renovations are finally almost finished. I am on the hunt for a new cute hall light. I actually think I’m in love with this one. As soon as I finish the details I will post hall way makeover pictures. Painting, fixing, and all the things that come with fixing up a house is hard work!

• The only other thing that’s new this moment is the beautiful weather! Finally we are getting out there and getting some vitamin D and taking our indoorsy hats OFF for good! 

 Chris and I make it a point to  take the girls outside for a walk almost everyday. Whether it’s to the nearby playground, or for a run in the park, or around the block, fresh air and sun is our savior!  The other day we decided to walk over to the park down the street from our house. It still amazes me that we live around the block from this place. 

Savannah is becoming more and more of a little girl and less of my baby by the second. She wants to do everything and I mean everything her sister does. Even if her sister falls nd gets a boo boo...she has to fall and get a boo boo because she did....

They had a blast. It’s more than a blessing watching my own kids take in all of the outdoor beauty.

• Lastly, Cinco de Mayo came and went! I got the girls dressed all cute and we headed to a party my mom was having. Strawberry margaritas, enchiladas and loaded nachos were on the menu so we came home that night more than full.  

They KILL me with their cuteness. Their relationship is the best. 

I did not take  pictures of the drinks, guac, salsa, and enchiladas because we all just dove in! When it comes to Mexican food we do not mess around! 

Walks, parties, drives to new places...we are finally just starting to enjoy being outside and the nice weather!

How cute are these dresses? We are obsessed with Hanna Andersson clothes! 

I hope you’re all having a wonderful week! 

Dad’s Retirement Party in Pictures

Happy Monday! I hope your week is going well. My dad’s retirement party was a huge success and he was so surprised. The days leading up to the party he thought that we were just going to take him out to dinner. He had no idea that we were going to throw him something a little bit on the bigger side. 

We called The Eagle House in Williamsville to make reservations and they told us since we were going to be X amount of people, we could have our own party room. So that is when the planning commenced. Pinterest and Amazon were quite the help when it came to finding cute retirement puns and getting creative. The sucker tree was definitely a guest favorite. I’m still finding suckers and wrappers throughout my house because the girls secretly hoarded a bunch of them out of the restaurant.  

I ordered the personalized  “Happy Trails” trail mix bags from Etsy, along with all of the stickers. The chalkboard signs I found for $3 in the Target dollar spot. Win win win win win!

The personalized “Retire-Mint” stickers that stuck over the Tic Tacs were personalized from Amazon too. When my Dad walked up to the dessert table and saw the whole set up you could just see it in his face how touched he was that we did all of this for him. 

Cutest pun ever. 

I spent the night before stenciling the chalkboards with a chalk pen and had my Dad take everything home to keep as a keepsake. The advice cards were my favorite. On the back of each card it said, “Don’t forget to.....” and you had to fill in the rest. Every guest had to fill in the card and drop it in the jar. People have both funny and touching advice. 

I googled retirement cakes and quickly fell in love with the personalized clock. The bakery put different hobbies and activities my dad loved at each hour. It was not too over the top, and perfect for him. 

He had nothing but pure joy on his face the entire time....

And I would not have been able to put all of the details of this party together if it wasn’t for the love and support of these guys above....I am one lucky mama! 

Living Room and Dining Room Uplift

Hello and happy Spring to all! We have been so busy and I have been torn about what to share first so I though I would start with our living room and dining room uplift. 

My dad, after forty years at his job, decided that he was ready to retire! I am so proud of him that he can finally start accomplishing more of the things on his bucket list. I do not know if you know my dad, but he absolutely loves “projects” around the house and making things in his garage. He has spent a lot of his extra time at our house repainting it and hanging his homemade wine racks and other pallet creations. As most of you follow me on Instagram, you have seen that our house is very old and has all the original woodwork from 1900 which is super cool, but can also be a pain when you’re trying to add more of a modern feel to your house. However, my dad came over a couple of months back and we picked a paint color for the dining room, living room, and hallway. Whenever he had time he would be over here painting. Before, our dining room was this boring, bland antiqued white and our living room was plain white. It worked for me for a little while, but I recently became aesthetically bored and needed a change. The walls, the decor, the lighting...it all had to change. 

I thought the lamps that we had originally looked old and did not match the look I was going for. I kept the lamp based and went to Target where I found these medium sized Threshold lampshades for $14.99 each. I love that they add more of a modern and clean feel. The embroidered floral stitching is the perfect amount of detail too. 

Over the past year I have been hoarding art and frames so for months now I have had this huge pile of what I have been meaning to hang on our corner dining room chair. After my dad finished painting, he was kind enough to hang all of my pictures for me! I still have a few more pictures to hang but I am waiting to get new Spring pictures of the girls in early May. 

I found this piece at Big Lots for a STEAL! $9! That store can have many hidden gems...

All of the wooden wine racks made out of pallets that you see were handcrafted by (you guessed it) my dad. Did I mention he loves making / fixing things already? 

These two prints are from Amazon. The bottom botanical print I just so happened to stumble upon while browsing wall prints (around $15), and the top is from Rifle Paper Co ($30)

Shall we move onto the living room? Basically if you ask my husband about my decorating habits, he will tell you that I get aesthetically bored in about .0004 seconds but I don’t think I’m (that) bad. We FINALLY have all of the girls toys moved into the playroom and some in their bedroom, so that meant I had a new free space to add some pizazz to (top left)! Before there was a giant Barbie Dreamhouse and every Barbie accessories imaginable in that corner, but now they are in a much better spot for the girls to play with them.The Opalhouse collection at Target has me swoon. The eclectic boho chic vibe is 100% me. Long story short, I wanted to buy 273 throw pillows, all of the accent furniture, and half of the kitchenware, but I was good and just came home with the pouf...and m a y b e some kitchen things. The plant was on clearance at Marshall’s for $65! It is not real because I can’t keep house plants alive for more than 3 days. 

The shelves were already hung and those just went back to their original spots once the paint dried. It’s always fun adding new chachkies and nick nacks to those. 

And last but not least my cameras. I have been struggling to find a spot in the house for these forever now because they are all different sizes. I found them at Pottery Barn two years ago and immediately snagged them. I told my dad to just “surprise me” with where he thought they should go and this was how he hung them. I like it but I feel like this wall needs more? Or maybe less is more! I’m still looking for a small 4x6 rug for the living room and an accent chair for the dining room but I am being super picky which is why I have not been quick to buy anything yet. 

I love the nuLOOM rugs on Amazon and their boho vibe. I’m thinking about going with one of those? These are my top two.

It was so nice to give our dining room and living room a fresh look. I am beyond grateful for all that my father did. 

I will show you our hallway makeover soon!  

Easter 2018 In Pictures

Happy Wednesday! I hope you all had a fabulous Easter weekend filled with family and friends, and a great start to the week! We are on Spring break in our house so Shannon does not have school all week and neither does Mommy! It's so nice being able to just relax when all of the excitement from a holiday is over. This year I felt a little bit rushed decorating because Easter was just two weeks after Saint Patrick's Day. I decorated bit by bit and made sure all of our shelves were filled with all of the festive banners, garlands, and bunnies.

I found the sweetest egg decorating kit for the girls at Target the morning before we were going to color eggs. Little gnomes and garden animals! They also had pirates, silly food, and mermaids but Shannon picked this one. Sadly I do not have one picture of our eggs or us coloring them. I was just enjoying the moment I guess!

On Shannon's last day of school before Spring break I made her little bunny treat bags to take into her class. Each kid got; an egg, bunny, or chick that could grow in water, a Dum Dum bunny lollipop, one Kit Kat, and a small bag of 'Bunny Bait' trail mix. 

I let her carry them to her classroom in a large basket. She was so excited for her Easter party.

Thursday was her first day off so I thought I would 'try' to be a cool mom and make her silly pancakes. Bunnies with banana bow ties was the best I could come up with. The breakfast I made her earlier in the week was a little more on the creative side. She loves when I turn her food into something fun with a face. She also eats everything on her plate when I make it fun so it's a win-win.

I saw the "bunny butt' pancakes on Instagram and I had to make them for Shannon. This was a little more on my creative side and the ones I made earlier in the week. Again, she ate the whole thing! As soon as the girls gobbled up their breakfast we headed to our local candy store to buy Easter candy for our family and friends. (I also had to sneak some things into my shopping basket that would be from the bunny.) I got them to smile here so easily because they are on a sugar high. One of the ladies who worked in the store was kind enough to give the girls a couple of small foil wrapped chocolate eggs. She is always so sweet to my girls whenever we are in the shop!

I was not, and I repeat NOT going to take the girls to see the bunny this year because of something Shannon said after she went to see the bunny last year. When we went to sit on the bunny's lap for a picture last year, Shannon saw a person through the mouth of the bunny suit and thought the bunny "ate somebody." I laughed to myself for days and days after this occurred last year but it made me a little bit surprised that she was so 'aware.' It really made her upset last year so I was adamant about the fact that I would not take her this year and I want to keep the magic inside of her heart alive as long as I possibly can.

However, my mom told me that the bunny at the Galleria mall was in fact in a more closed bunny suit and that she should be fine. I was a little skeptic but I went with it. We decided to surprise the girls and not tell them where we were going. As soon as we got to the mall and neared where the bunny was, Shannon's face was just priceless. She was so excited, which made me excited! Savannah, not so much. Our Savannah Marie is not a fan of large characters, the Easter bunny, or Santa Claus. She full blown panics as soon as you put her near them, but hey folks, aren't those always the best pictures?? #terriblemom 

Waiting in line was fine and Savannah enjoyed looking at the bunny from afar, but as soon it was our turn it turned into a scream fest. 

Shannon went up first and got to enjoy sitting wit the bunny by herself for a couple of minutes. Look at how precious she is with him! (Her?)

We had to get a little creative when it came to getting the picture. Whoever came up with this idea needs to put it out there to more malls and places where holiday characters are because it is sheer brilliance. We knew that if we just plopped Savannah on the bunny's lap, it would be a scream crying party. The photographer made the bunny hide behind the couch before we placed the girls on the couch. We had Savannah facing the other way so she would not see him. As soon as they were about to take the picture and both of the girls were smiling, they had the bunny pop up from behind the couch! Right?! How has this not been thought of before? In any case, God Bless the people behind us in line for waiting, and that bunny! I will always be going to the mall for our yearly bunny picture from now on.

This was the winner! I think this is the first time ever I do not have a bow in Savannah’s hair for a picture. So when I look at the picture I just try to keep my anxiety to a minimum and just say “it’s just a bow, it’s just a bow,” over and over again. AND she is smiling so I could not possibly ask for more than that!

The night before Easter I scrambled to fill the girls baskets because I do everything in my life at the last possible minute. I guess you can say I thrive on chaos? I think I did the 'perfect' amount this year. Some years I go overboard, other years I feel like I did not do enough, but this year I am super happy with what the bunny brought the girls. ;)

Easter morning was a success and the girls loved their baskets. I was not going to hide eggs but I decided at the last minute I would hide a few of them. I am so glad I did because as soon as Shannon woke up, she was more excited about finding eggs that the bunny hid than going through her basket. 

Easter morning was filled with a lot of chocolate filled with peanut butter, smiles, and excitement. The night before we left out water and three carrots for that silly bunny. He must have been hungry because he nibbled on them quite a bit! ;)

Easter morning we went to my dads for danish and coffee. The bunny left baskets for the girls their too and even hid some eggs! My dad is the sweetest. In the early afternoon we headed home to get ready for Easter dinner at my moms house. The day went so fast. It always does when you are going from one place to the next. I put the girls in their little Easter dresses, tights and shoes, did their hair, and we headed out the door for some pictures. 

These girls just absolutely love each other. I hope they are as close as they are now when they get older.

When we got to my moms house we had pierogi appetizers, ham and scalloped potatoes for dinner, rolls, asparagus, squash, smoked sausage, and fresh sausage. There was enough to feed an army and as usual, the food was delicious. We even took a big tray of food home to have the next evening for dinner again. For dessert, my mom made three ice cream pies, bobka, and lamb cakes. I do not know how she does it all! I do not think she sleeps, but she always makes every holiday as nice as it could be. 

I hope you all had a fabulous and happy Easter! Our Easter season was filled with so much fun!