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Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Memorial Day Fun!

I love long weekends.  Love them. So. Damn. Much.  We get an extra day with our special guy and we always make the most of it.  We had a jam packed Memorial Day weekend and it was so much fun!  The girls were off of their schedules all weekend, went to bed each night with sticky faces, and were victim to my over snapping of photos.  It was perfect, just perfect.

My best friend Alexi invited us to her families cabin on Mount Hood for the weekend... and when I say cabin, I really mean the most beautifully designed home in the woods.  It's such a beautiful home, you feel warm and welcome as soon as you walk through the oversized door.  Alexi's family has known Eric and I since we were teenagers, they're basically family and we love spending time with them.  We spent the weekend relaxing, laughing, and playing games.  Oh and eating.  We were happy and full the entire time, it was so nice to get away!



This travel crib is AMAZING!!! A full review coming soon!  Travel crib: c/o  Guava Family

We went on the most beautiful hike to Mirror Lake.  Why don't we hike more?  Because it was beautiful and such a great way to spend some time outside as a family.  Phayre slept almost the entire time and I'm positive Sloan has never been more hungry in her entire life.  She ate through all 327 snacks that I brought, but she was such a trooper!  Eric wore her on his back and we hiked well past lunch time and into nap time, but she hardly made a peep.  We definitely plan on doing more hikes this summer!




Since we were home on Monday, we decided to do some shopping in downtown Portland.  It was so sunny and beautiful, the perfect day to walk around downtown.  We lunched at Southland Whiskey Kitchen (Highly recommend!  Good food and kids are allowed) and then grabbed some dessert at Salt and Straw.  Since Phayre turned TEN months old on Monday, we let her have her first ice cream cone!  I would have NEVER let Sloan have ice cream at ten months old.  Hashtag second kid.  P took about ten licks and then dropped it on the ground and cried because she was cold.  But boy did she enjoy those ten licks!









It was such a full and fun long weekend!  I love making these memories with my little family!  I hope you guys had a great weekend too!

Xo

Marisa

Monday, May 30, 2016

Phayre // Ten Month Update


Well people, we've reached double digits.  My tiny bear is TEN months old.  The month of May flew by and this milestone seriously snuck up on me.  I swear she turned nine months old like three days ago.  All I can think about is the fact that her first birthday is in two months.  I'm just not ready!!  I want her to stay a baby forever.  She is seriously the sweetest baby, I wish I could make this time last for soooooo much longer.  Alright, I got all of my mama whining out of the way.  So now we can talk about what our sweet Phayre Bear is up to these days!

Phayre is still as happy and friendly as ever.  She rarely fusses (pretty much only when she's hungry) and has such an easy going demeanor.  She has the biggest smile (to match her giant cheeks) and big deep blue eyes.  The older she gets the more she's looking like Sloan.  She says Mama, Dada, and baba.  She also growls a lot :).  She still only has two teeth!  She's been teething off and on for weeks, but those damn things just won't pop through!  She weighs 19.5 pounds and I swear to you I could kiss and squeeze her little legs all days long.


Phayre is not crawling yet, but I can't say she isn't mobile.  She is actually quite good at crawling backwards and will scoot, pull, and roll to whatever she wants to get to.  Just in the last few days she's started getting frustrated when she can't crawl towards something.  I'm hoping the frustration will motivate her to crawl!

P is a total mamas girl.  She'll let anyone hold her, but before long she starts reaching for me.  She's so cuddly and affectionate and still loves being in the front pack or wrap.  Sloan is her idol and she laughs at everything Sloan does.  The girls' relationship continues to grow and amaze me.  I never knew sisters could be so amazing!


We heart our little PG so hard it hurts.  She is such a sweet girl and as much as I want her to stay little, I am having so much fun watching her grow.  If I were promised more Phayre babies, I would have at least five more.  She's that good!

Friday, May 27, 2016

Friday Favorites!

A part of me is like yay it's Friday and the other part of me is like how on earth has another week flown by?!  We had a busy week, but got to squeeze in lots of fun things like walks, muffin baking, and obviously a trip to Target (where Sloan twirled through the aisles).  I love Friday favorites and I'm really excited about what I have to share today!

So I have some amazing news.  Phayre will soon fit into size 12 month clothing.  Which means that she'll be able to wear toddler clothing.  Which means that there are endless matching options for the girls!  WOO HOO.  I picked up two sets of dresses (dress one, dress two) this week and I cannot wait for the girls to wear them.  This little gingham number is soooo good!


Speaking of gingham, I have been on the lookout for a new swimsuit for myself and fell in love with this one.  Lots of support (there's a removable strap), but still modest.  And bonus, it's under $25!


I have to mention these shoes because after holding them in my online shopping cart for several months, I finally bought them.  And I can't stop wearing them (like when I actually get dressed and don't wear yoga pants)!  They're so comfortable and look cute with so many different things.  These wedges are very similar and they're on sale!

Loving this  candle right now, and so glad I finally stepped out of my capri blue box!  The house has smelled amazing!


I tried this  chow mien recipe this week and it was delish, a new household favorite for sure (I added extra veggies and shredded chicken to ours)!

I saw this photo online this week and died laughing.  #momlife right!?


This post about what kind of mom you are at Target is hilarious.  I'm definitely #4, no toddler has EVER been as hungry as Sloan is at Target.

Who else can't wait to ditch their kids with their husbands to go see Bad Mom in theaters this summer?  My friend Liz and I are going to go together and I can't wait for our girlfriend date.  Watch the trailer here!

That's all I've got today!  I hope you guys have an awesome weekend!

Xo

Marisa

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Our Bedtime Routine // Tiny Moments with Aveeno Baby

I always love reading about other peoples days and routines.  Part of me is just curious (maybe nosey is better word?) and the other part of me likes to see what works for other people.  It gives me ideas and I like to try to integrate things that might make our days better.  After I had Phayre, our nightly routine became pretty chaotic.  It's true what they say you know, one kid is one kid.  But two kids, well you might as well have twenty!  Bedtime became a huge struggle and Sloan began really fighting bedtime.  It was exhausting and a really frustrating part of my day.


As Phayre has gotten older and we have fallen into a nice routine as a family of four, our nights have gotten so much more enjoyable (and easier!).  Consistence is key my friends, we kept doing the same thing for months and eventually our nights became more enjoyable!  I thought I'd share our nightly routine and what's been working for us lately.

Eric usually gets home around 6pm so I try to have dinner ready right when he gets home.  We sit at the table and eat as a family, which lasts until about 6:30.  Since Phayre is feeding herself, she usually ends up covered in food.  So I take the girls straight to the bath while Eric puts our dishes away and finishes tidying up the kitchen.  (We have a rule in our house: I cook, you clean).



Once the kitchen is clean, Eric comes upstairs and we bathe the girls together.  The girls LOVE bath time.  Like absolutely love it and sometimes cry when it's time to get out.  So we let them soak and play for quite awhile.  We blow bubbles, listen to the Disney Pandora station, and chat.  Our poor Phayre Bear got her daddy's skin and it is SO sensitive.  We've been using Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo and I absolutely love it.  It's so mild and has a really nice scent.  And of course it's tear free and totally safe for my precious babes!  I'm a big fan of products that I can trust and benefit my babes, Aveeno Baby fits the bill.  If your babe has sensitive skin, I highly recommend.


Once we pry the girls out of the bath, we lay them on our bed and lotion them up with Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion. The lotion makes their skin SO soft and doesn't bother Phayre's sensitive skin.  Confession, I always grab P and lotion her up because hello #babyrolls.  Since we've been using this lotion, she doesn't have any dry patches and I totally understand the phrase, "soft as a baby's bottom."  It rubs in really quickly and isn't greasy.  I really like that it's fragrance free and it makes her sweet skin so soft.  I love these tiny moments with her.  She giggles and says, "Mama" on repeat while I give her squeezes.  Next up, pajamas and a fresh diaper.




Sometimes we'll roll around in our bed, play in our room, or sneak out for a quick walk around the block.  Then we all head to Sloan's bed for story time.  Sloan picks two books every night and she demands that I read them while she holds the book and turns the pages.  As soon as books are over, Eric takes P to bed and I brush Sloan's teeth and give her goodnight kisses and hugs.  And I am honestly not sure how we managed it, but both our girls just go to bed.  Sloan doesn't get out of bed and Phayre doesn't usually fuss.  They just go to sleep.  Eric says it's because I exhaust them during the day... but I feel like they are the ones that exhaust me?!


The girls are out by 8:30 and then obvi Eric and I head downstairs for a glass of wine and some alone time!  And then guess what we do?  Talk about our girls!  About how much we love them and all of the tiny moments that we never want to forget.  The tiny moments are what I live for!


And a huge thank you to my very talented friend Lindsey of Lindsey Wiatt Photography for capturing tiny moments between my little Phayre Bear and I.

Xo

Marisa

Share your #tinymoments and @aveenous to show off your #aveenobaby.
I partnered with AVEENO® on this post. all opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

These Are The Days


Since becoming a mama, I tend to reflect much more than I used to.  Each night I sit and think about the day that we had.  I think about the fun things that we did, the new thing that Phayre did, or about the funny things that Sloan said.  Sometimes we have off days and I wonder if I was patient enough, was "in the moment" enough, or if I could have been better somehow?  I think most mothers do this, it's part of growing as a parent and soaking in moments with your children.

I read a statistic this week that said that 75% of the time we will spend with our children happens by the age of 12!  My heart sank when I read that.  Someday (and someday not all that far away) I won't get to spend my days with my two little besties.  They won't think I'm the coolest person ever.  They might not even want to match clothes with me!!! That might be the worst part ;).  These really are the days my friends.  The days where I get to spend all day hanging with my favorite ladies and they wouldn't want to be anywhere but with me.  The days where I can fix pretty much all of their problems and hoard their kisses.  It's such a beautiful time.

I have always wanted to be a mom and have always looked forward to having my own babies.  I love the baby stage.  Love it!  I love the neediness, the schedules, the headbands, the front pack naps.  All of it.  Wait did I say headbands?  Yep, I did and I meant it :).  As all mothers know, time is a thief.  Someone flips the fast forward switch the moment you become a mother.  This is why moms take so many photos and try to record as many moments as possible.  We're all terrified of time slipping away or missing even a single moment with our babies.

This morning we were hurrying out the door to drop Sloan off at preschool.  I was holding Phayre in one arm and the diaper bag, Sloan's lunch, and her backpack in my other arm.  I grabbed my toast off of the counter and Phayre started SCREAMING for a bite (don't mess with this girl and food).  I tried to let her take a bite on her own, but she couldn't because she only has two teeth.  I bit off a little piece and then realized I had too much stuff in my other arm to hand her the bite.  So I brought my mouth to her mouth and gave her the bite like a little bird.  I thought, "this is weird, I'm feeding you like a bird."  And then she got this huge smile on her face, bite of toast resting on her tongue, and I could totally tell she was thinking, "you are so weird mama, but thanks for the bite of toast."  It was this really ordinary moment, but it left me feeling so aware of how much she needs me.  Sometimes it's exhausting and thankless, but I really do love how much my girls need (and want) me.

Picking up Sloan from preschool is one of my favorite things to do.  Her face lights up when she see Phayre and I walk in.  She ran over to us and threw her arms around me when I got there today.  Then she planted a wet kiss on my lips and I immediately thought, "someday she'll be too cool to kiss me in front of her friends." I squeezed her so tight and made the moment last as long as it possibly could.  Like I said guys, these are the days.

Sometimes it's good to sit and reflect.  You may walk away thinking about just how blessed you really are.  I may have found a puff in my hair at the gym this morning, BUT I have the privilege of being Sloan and Phayre's mama.  I get to be their mama forever, they're all mine (and Eric's)!  

So cheers to us mamas, these are the days!

Xo

Marisa

Monday, May 23, 2016

Toddler Meal Ideas // Baby Led Weaning

As moms, we worry about our kids constantly.  Are they eating well?  Are they sleeping enough?  Do I read to them enough?  Did I let them watch too much TV?  Am I doing EVERYTHING right?  The list goes on and on.  While I'm far from the perfect mother, I do care a lot about what my girls eat.  So, I thought I'd share some tips and meal ideas today.  Sloan has been an incredibly picky eater (although she has gotten SO much better in the last year) so I've had to get creative at times.  Now that Phayre is eating solids, we are on the baby led weaning train (she refused purees) so you'll see some of that too.

Here are my general rules when it comes to their meals:

1. Breakfast is always served with fruit (and sometimes veggies too).
2. Lunch and dinner are always served with a fruit and vegetable and a main course (usually a protein).
3. Sloan only gets "kid food" when we eat out at restaurants (I don't make mac n' cheese when we're home).  I also always bring a little tupperware container with some fruits and veggies for Phayre.
4. The girls eat whatever we're eating for dinner.  If it's something I know Sloan isn't going to eat a ton of, I give her something extra to fill her up.  For example, if we're having steak with asparagus for dinner, I'll add a side of avocado because I know that's one of her favorite foods and it's still good for her.
5. When we're home, snacks usually have to come out of the fridge and be something fresh.  When we're out they can have packaged snacks (like crackers, mum mums, organic fruit snacks, etc.).  But I will add, I am not above giving Phayre a tray full of puffs so that I can just unload the dishwasher!
6. The girls both drink water with all of their meals.

A few tips that have worked for us and a very picky eater:

1. Smoothies.  I pack tons of fruits and veggies into smoothies and mask them with vanilla yogurt (which makes it super creamy).
2. Hide veggies in absolutely everything.  If Sloan asks for a quesadilla I cut up kale, zucchini, or chicken into really small pieces and melt it in the cheese (I do the same thing with grilled cheese sandwiches).  If she asks for noodles I add some peas and corn.
3. Put things on their plate even when you know they don't like it/won't eat it.  Sometimes after seeing something a hundred times, Sloan will actually try it!  Sloan HATES berries, like hates them.  But I still put a few berries on her plate almost everyday.  Someday she will like berries, I'm determined!!
4. Dip.  Sloan would probably eat bark if I let her dip it into ranch dressing.  So I buy they healthier greek yogurt ranch dressing and let her dip her grapes in it whenever she wants.
5. Use a divided plate.  Totally just a kid thing, Sloan flips if her food is touching.

Here are a few examples of the girls' meals:
Breakfast Ideas:
Omelet with kale or zucchini and vegetarian sausage with a side of fruit
Toast with yogurt and fruit
Pancakes or waffles with bacon and fruit
Oatmeal with fruit
Bear toast (see photo below!)



Lunch Ideas:
I always do a "main dish" with a fruit and a veggie.  Here are some main dish ideas:
Quesadilla or grilled cheese (sneak in some kale, spinach, zucchini, and/or meat)
Sandwich (usually Sloan asks for a ham and cheese, and every once in a while she gets a PB&J)
Cream cheese roll ups (I spread cream cheese on a tortilla and roll it up with lunch meat and cucumber)
Pasta with veggies and cheese
Avocado toast
Garden burger
Shredded meat (we usually make some shredded chicken or pulled pork every week.  Sometimes I add it into things, but the girls will also eat it plain)


The same rules apply for Sloan's preschool lunches and we love this Goodbyn container (it has a handle so she doesn't have to take a lunch bag).


Dinner:
Like I said, the girls usually eat what we're eating and sometimes I add in some extras that I know they'll like.


Snacks:
Yogurt
String cheese
Cut up fruit
Cucumber or carrots (dipped in ranch for Sloan or hummus for Phayre)
Applesauce
Raisins

As far as baby led weaning, Phayre is pretty much feeding herself little bites of whatever we're eating.  So far she isn't too picky and eats pretty much whatever I throw on her tray.  I do offer her more than one fruit and veggie at a meal usually.

Bottom right is a container I took to dinner with us.  Avocado, kiwi and blueberries to go with her meal and a mum mum just in case I needed to keep her entertained at the end of the meal!

Typical lunch for P: Roasted sweet potatoes, tomato, kiwi, and pear.

I hope that you gained some good ideas for your baby or toddlers meals.  If you have a picky eater, hang in there!  They do seem to get better with age... but you have to keep serving them healthy options!

Xo

Marisa

Friday, May 20, 2016

Mama & Mini Matching // Spring Edition

You guys know I have a love for obsession with matching.  I love matching the girls whenever I can and it's a major bonus if I can match too for some triplet action!  I recently found these super cute fringe boots and knew I had to have them.  Hello, they match the girls Gracious May fringe boots perfectly!


I know I can't be the only one who loves mama and mini matching so I thought I'd share some cute coordinating outfits!  These are all great spring and summer options, and would look darling on their own if matching isn't really your thing (these are really good basics).  And if it's not your thing, you're totally missing out.  Just my opinion :).  Oh and links for everything are below the photo!

Mama & Mini Matching

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Our California Vacation // Disneyland Fun

We are still recovering from a very fun (and exhausting) vacation over here.  Holy laundry is all I have to say.  I've realized that right before and right after a vacation really sucks for the mom.  So much packing and organizing before you leave and then so much laundry when you get home!  But totally worth it because we had an absolute BLAST!

Eric and I both have family in southern California so we spent the first part of our trip visiting relatives.  We stayed at my grandparents house which the girls loved because they have a big pool.  If you follow us on Instagram you probably saw Phayre in her flamingo floatie.  I kind of died it was so cute :).  We spent our days swimming, going on treasure hunts (walks around the block), and blowing bubbles on the back patio.  Oh and mimosas, so many mimosas!

For the last half of our trip, we headed to Disneyland!  Let me start by saying it was so. much. fun.  And totally magical watching the girls experience it, but it was also so so so exhausting.  Our mornings started around 6:30am and ended around 9pm after the fireworks show.  Good thing it's the happiest place on earth or lack of sleep may have made us pretty cranky.  I've come to the conclusion that Disneyland is very much like Vegas.  You can stay for about three days maximum and then you're pretty much too tired (or hungover) to function.  But you have SO much fun that it's totally worth it!

While in Disneyland we celebrated my birthday and we got to meet two of my favorite Instagram friends, Erin from @helloerinv and Karissa from @baby_jules_boutique!  They are both girl moms times two so I pretty much loved them before I ever met them.  But I am telling you... they are even better in person!!

We went to dinner at Ariel's Grotto and got to meet lots of princesses, caught as many parades as we could, and watched the fireworks each night.  Pure magic to a little almost three year old.  I'm working on a post with some Disneyland tips, but for now I thought I'd just share some photos from our vacation!

Airplane fun!











You can see how much Sloan wanted her picture taken on the trip...


















Disneyland kicked their bums.

I hope you enjoyed some photos from our trip!  We had such a blast, we're already planning our trip for next year!  

Xo

Marisa