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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Shopping Guide For Her


One of my most read posts each year is my Christmas List. Just yesterday, I overheard two teachers in the hall struggling with what to get their wives for Christmas. While, I didn't volunteer any ideas at the time, I am more than willing to share them with you. Ladies, if you see something you like here--don't shy away from posting the link to this post on your husband's Facebook wall. Being subtle has gotten us all less appealing gifts in the past. Afterall, your husband really wants to make you happy and doesn't really want to waste money on something that will go unused. TRUST ME!

1. Boots!
I love getting boots for Christmas because I wear the crap out of them all winter long, and am always in need of a new pair by the next year. A good pair of brown riding boots like these...they would never be a disappointment.

2. Alex and Ani Bangles
If you know me, then you know I love these bangles. They are a great way to give a personlized gift without having to go through Etsy. Which is good because husbands do tend to procrastinate! I have a bangle with a P for my daughter's name. I also have one with her birthstone. Now, each time we go to a new place I get a bangle for that destination as well as a souvenir. Last year I added a Las Vegas, and a Disney 2016 bangle to my arm. This is a great way to show that you care and put thought into the gift. I am eyeing this particular bangle which is the zodiac sign for my daughter. I also like this one and this one for my husband and myself.

3. Old Navy Rockstar Colored Jeans
I love these jeans because I can get away with wearing them to work. They are stretchy and comfortable and I love them so so much. I want them in each and every color! They are the cutest way to add a pop of color to your wardrobe.

4. Mia Fit Cleansing Gift Set
The newest trend in skincare is the facial cleansing brush. I have yet to dive into this because they are pretty pricey. For that reason I think that it would be an awesome gift. I traditionally would not spend this much on myself in any one sitting, but I would get a ton of use out of it if I were to have it in my bathroom.

5. Sigma Brush Set
I am a girly girl who loves makeup. One thing I have learned through becoming a makeup artist is that makeup brushes make a big difference. You need quality stuff. I love this Sigma eye set because it is not too pricey, yet it is packed with useful tools. Sigma has a 2 year guarantee on all of their brushes. They are some the best quality out there, and therefore a great gift for any fashionista.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

The Three Year Old Christmas List

My-Oh-My! Little P will be turning three in a little over two months! Time has certainly flown by this past year, and she has become an actual child. She has definitely developed an imagination and a passion for play. I am so looking forward to the holiday season this year with P. I can't wait to watch her Oooo and Ahhh over all of her gifts.  After some research and some investigation these are my recommendations for safe bets for the two year olds on your Christmas list.

1. A Doll House
Even boys develop a nurturing side as this age. I've seen some great tree house doll houses for boys too. But my girl loves princesses and Peppa Pig. So we will focus on girls for this part of the post. Piper is getting this Peppa doll house from a family member this christmas, but I am tempted to get her the whole set. There is a school house, a train, and a car and mat set that looked like hours of playtime for my imaginative girl! Check them out here!


2. Puzzles and flashcards to help with letter and number development
P has been hard at work learning all of her letters. She is doing so well, but still struggles with retaining the information from day to day. She has most of the letters of her name down now! I want to continue to work on this, so any puzzle with letters or numbers or even flash cards is a good gift in my book. Piper is getting a talking Melissa and Doug Puzzle in both ABCs and numbers from Santa this year!

3. Doctor Kit
Last year I bought P a cheap doctor kit from Wal-Mart on a whim and she loved it. But I am thinking she would love this Doc McStuffins interactive set even more. It's got a sick Lamb that talks and interacts as you use the doctor tools to make him feel better. I think P would love this toy for sure! She is constantly doctoring me at home!
4. Play-Doh
My 3 year old loves to play play-doh. We have tons and tons of colors already. What we don't have a ton of is fun toys and shapes for the play-doh. So a play-doh set is always a crowd pleaser. I found this Minnie Play-doh set that P will be getting from her parents this year. 
5. Dress up Clothes
My little girl's imagination is through the roof these days. She loves to dress up and act out. Therefore, dress up dresses, shoes, tiaras, or play jewelry is always a good option for a gift for my three year old. I went out and bought an Ariel dress and headband set after Halloween for relatively inexpensive. My girl is going to love it! I am hoping to create a whole dress up corner in het play room after Christmas if she gets a few more outfits to cycle through.
6. Books and DVDs
Lastly, but certainly not least my little P loves to sit and go through books. We have so many that we probably need a more proper bookshelf to house them all. I am thinking that when she gets her "big bead" this summer, then we will buy a bookshelf for one wall, but until then we will just have to find a place for them all.
Lately, P has gotten to the point where she will set and watch an entire movie. Hallelujah! The time has come. Since we also go on lots of long car trips throughout the year--DVDs are an awesome present for P. We are slowly trying to build her library. Right now she has, Frozen. Dumbo, 101 Dalmations, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin. We are always looking to expand this library!

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

When Best Friends Have Babies

Last weekend I threw a baby shower for one of my oldest and closest friends. It was a multitude of emotions for me for many reasons. I am simply thrilled to death that there will finally be another baby in my crew, but I would be untrue to myself if I didn't say that it stirs up many other feelings inside me.

I would be totally lying if I said that celebrating baby A didn't make me wish that there would one day be another baby for me. As I made the diaper cake I might have been spotted holding a few to my nose to breathe in that familiar scent of the Pamper Swaddler. If you are a mom you know what I am talking about. Each diaper has a slightly different scent and the Swaddler was my favorite. It reminds me of that newborn smell. It is like putting in an expressway to my ovaries. Then I think about how I had to fight with P last night to apologize to me after hitting me with a block (on purpose, that B****) and I doubt seriously the reason why I felt led to do all of this the first time. I am NOT a toddler person. Give me a newborn over a two year old any day. Whoever told you that these were the days was wrong. Give me my squishy, needy, hungry, sleepy, newborn back! You can take this french-braided tyrant in Elsa panties with you because she is wearing on my last nerve lately. Of course I am kidding, but I would be lying if I didn't feel that way sometimes.

Everyone who knows me knows that I am a sappy person. I can cry at the drop of a hat. A good commercial can make me weep. It doesn't take much. So on Sunday--as I helped my friend unwrap and organize her gifts and read her cards, I kept getting choked up. I  know what is coming for her in the months to come, and I know that it will change her heart in so many important ways. It will change her relationships; some for the good, and maybe some will fade away. Is is totally natural. Most all I am so excited to have a friend that has known me through all of the seasons of my life finally understand what it is like to be in my shoes. I look forward to the sharing of advice (which has already started) and the celebrating of those little milestones that come with parenting. I laugh softly to myself because I know that she has no clue what she has gotten herself into. I mean that in the best possible way--Kels. I know that she will understand all the craziness that I have been spouting over the last almost 3 years. She's one of my people, and I feel like with this new transition in her life we will get closer. Hopefully physically closer--as she lives in another state right now.

In my life friendships with other women have been a struggle. I don't make friends quickly, and I have lost some quality friends along the way. Some that I miss, and some that I don't. For the most part, I have a close group of a few girls, and I was the first one to procreate. That made me feel a bit out of place at times. I guess you could say I felt like I was in a different stage of my life than they were. I think it was hard for me to relate to their lives and vice versa. It isn't either of our faults really. Nevertheless, I feel hopeful that this is starting to change. I look forward to the next few months and years of raising our daughters together (maybe from close distances and maybe from afar).

Hopefully we will one day be older and slightly grayer celebrating the successes of our daughters. Doesn't that sound crazy, but so good all at the same time.

Congrats My Friend.