Easter Basket Goodies

Since I was so off my game when putting together P's Valentine basket (read: day of) I have started prepping for her Easter basket now. None of that last minute shopping stuff! I actually always try and purchase things after a holiday for the following year because it's always 50% off so I do already have some things tucked away! That being said I always like to look for unique things to add to P's basket. Now if only I could get my hands on a real Kinder surprise egg!

What do you always put in your little one's basket? 


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Life Lately

Another weekend has come and gone and I am slowly unwinding on the couch mentally trying to prepare myself for another rainy work week. I started watching the new HBO show Big Little Lies and woah - some crazy story lines going on over there! I love watching shows that are set in towns I am familiar with (hello Parenthood!) and while I don't live in Monterey it is somewhere we go pretty often.

I am so excited that daylight saving is upon us. I am one of those people who loves daylight savings because it means light after work and it just feels like more time in a day. I know this is not a popular notion among most parents because it means kids wake up earlier. While I do have a child that hates going to bed - she also likes to sleep in. So bring on the sun!

Some pics we snapped throughout the week! Including the first image that Pottery Barn Kids regrammed <3

 dress // vanity 

 dress // jacket (similar) // boots (similar)

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Motherhood

I start all my mornings off exactly the same way. My alarm goes off, I subsequently hit snooze four to five times and then when I finally rouse from my slumber - I hug my dog. Same pattern every morning. Snooze, rise, hug. I contort my body in various angles all through the night ensuring his comfort - his 70 pound frame taking up a large portion of our Cal King bed. I glance at the monitor to check on P while I tiptoe to the bathroom.

These days my computer sports various tabs open, each on a different preschool, already in over my head wondering just how this moment is already here. I think about my strong willed little baby girl and sometimes I just stop and stare at everything surrounding me. How quickly her crib turned into a bed. Her rattles and swaddles long packed away, swapped out with princess toys and no shortage of sass. Having to worry about what programs to enroll her in while simultaneously never wanting to correct her when she whimpers "hold you mama" with arms outstretched. My new favorite color is "Gweem".

Often parenthood feels like a constant push and pull between wanting her so badly to stay little forever. Yet also the overwhelming joy in watching her grow and learn new skills.  I catch glimpses of myself sometimes reveling in the moment and soaking up and the here and now. Other times waxing and waning internally about the future. Questioning everyday choices I make, choices we make to ensure that she has the most wonderful life. The type of childhood we were both so lucky to have. I know that every now and again we will flub. We will stumble. We will head into some great unknown. Sometimes met with great success other times met with "let's try again tomorrow" attitudes.

Parenting is not for the faint of heart. It will humble you, build you up, break you down, make you laugh, cry and scream. It will challenge your patience while concurrently feeling your heart swell with pride. It's a constant roller coaster - one that I hope to never get off. Last night I held my sweet girl in my arms and said into the freshly bathed nape of her neck "you are my dream come true".

She was quick to tell me -

"I am not a dream mama, I am a girl!"

That you are my girl, that you are.





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Scenes from Tahoe

We had so much fun taking P to experience snow for the first time. We stayed in South Lake with friends at their family cabin and had so much fun with them and their littles. Despite garnering an extra day in the snow due to mudslides closing our route home we weren't complaining too much and took a new way home that was absolutely gorgeous.

I hope that we make a few more trips up to the snow before it melts away - which doesn't look like it will be anytime soon! Got to make the most out of all those snow gear purchases!


















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Is this thing on?

You guys rolling back into the swing of things this week has been so hard. We banked an extra day in Lake Tahoe due to mudslides making it impossible to leave. While it was nice to have that extra day in the snow I missed P's preschool walk through on Monday evening which is slightly stressing me. She will start in September and I basically need to get her on a wait list now to make sure she has a spot. How on earth I already am having to worry about this is beyond me.

I am excited to share some pictures from our trip but first wanted to share some things with you guys that have caught my eye lately. Due to our extra snow day (and me not having my ish together) I didn't go shopping for P's valentines until the day of, while I was on my lunch break at work. However I bought something so awesome - she sat and played with it, by herself, for over an hour. That is worth every.single.dollar.

Disney Princess Snap Toys (I got these at Target but paid nearly double!) They have really tiny snap on snap off pieces so not good for kids who still put things in their mouth. P loves to dress and undress them over and over again (occasionally yanking of their head too). I think this Cinderella one or Frozen one is going to wind up in her Easter basket.

We recently surprised P with a power wheels that I snagged off Craigslist for $20 (I mean how could I resist!?) It does need a new battery but I am so excited to see her and her little friends cruise around in it. It even has a working radio! I always wanted one as a kid so it was cool to be able to get her one for so inexpensive. Because no way is this mama shelling out $300+.

Speaking of expensive...I really want to get P a playhouse for our backyard like this one and paint it all white. I found this exact one on Craigslist too by happenstance for not too much but it's kinda far from us and I am not sure how I could get it to our house. But dang it it's perfect!

We are gearing up for the "paci fairy" to come to our house (send help!) and we keep talking to her about it saying the fairy comes to take all the paci's to give to other babies and in turn leaves the big girl a present. So we are brainstorming what would be a good "big girl" gift. Significant enough to point to it as a reminder when she starts crying for the paci.

Some other things I am loving lately for little girls

Peek Love Shirt

Tucker & Tate Two Piece Rashguard
Gap Terry Leggings

As you can see I am clearly still on a rainbow kick.

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Loving Lately | Rainbows


elephant sleep set //  high low dress (coming back in March!) // rainbow block

I am having a major moment with rainbows right now and I want them everywhere! Sometimes I think it's the 90s Lisa Frank fan girl in me coming out. I've rounded up some sweet rainbow themed items (can those bed sheets miraculously show up at our house?) but easily could have picked out a lot more! 

The rainbow book is a favorite at our house because a string pulls through all the pages to create a rainbow. P has just started "reading" to me and it is the cutest thing ever. My favorite line of hers is "gweem makes a wainbow".

We've been having so much rain lately that I am hoping a big rainbow will make an appearance soon!

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Scenes from the weekend

I finally had a weekend that involved zero plans and it was so nice. I woke up knowing that if I wanted to stay in my pajamas all weekend long I could and I haven't been able to do that in forever. David had a golf tournament on Saturday so that meant P and I had a girls day. Which I wish had been a little more fun than cleaning the house but we made the most of a dreary day.

I was thinking about taking her to see Sing for her first movie experience but when she wouldn't sit through Trolls I quickly ditched that notion. Maybe when she is three. We did however squeeze in lot of picture taking, par for course around here.

While it's a bummer that Monday has once again reappeared it's short week for us since we are Tahoe bound this weekend. So hopefully these next four days go by rather quick! Sharing some snaps from our weekend below.















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Because I am here too

Vanessa Lentine Photography

Because you're still so little

Because you say "gweem" instead of green

Because if it doesn't twirl it may as well be donated - skirt size matters

Because your ringlets may disappear with your first haircut

Because your best idea is always, always, always a purple Popsicle

Because you lean your head to the side and place your hands together when you're being sweet or tying to get your way

Because we can convince you to eat chicken if we clap really hard and yell out "YAY!" after every bite

Because you still let me rock you like a baby, even if only for a minute, after a bath

Because you have an odd fascination with "scary spiders"

Because every night we say "I love you", "I love you more", "I love you most!" (even though it's what Rapunzel's evil mom says in Tangled)

Because dancing around to bibbity-bobbity-boo is your absolute favorite

Because when daddy leaves it's always traumatic - even if it's just to take out the garbage

Because one day you will grow up

Because I am your mama, and I was there too.

This year I am forcing myself to get in front of the lens more. For P's memories and for my own. I don't want to look back at her whole childhood and not have myself in more photos. It's my 2017 challenge to myself and I encourage you to do the same.

Because you are here too and one day she will want to look back and remember. She won't notice you don't have makeup on or the number on the inside of your pants. She will just see her mama that she loves so very much.







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