Allison's First Trip to the Beach

I love the beach. Charles does not. Translation: Allison is almost two before she got to experience the beach. I'm not going to lie, it was perfect to wait to take her. She had so much fun and was able to talk with me about the different things she saw! Have I mentioned how much I love this age? Her personality is really starting to bloom and she is starting to  be able to carry on conversations with Charles and I.  

We woke up yesterday and as much as I wanted to lounge around and do nothing, I was itching to get some fun one-on-one time with my love. Plus the weather was decent and I realized we finally live close enough to the ocean to just hop in the car and go, so why the heck not? 

The best part about going to the beach before 10AM, no one else is there! It was so relaxing and fun to chase each other around without having to weave in and out of people or worry about our stuff getting stolen. 

Allison was a little super nervous about the actual water. Towards the end she finally let me hold her, basically upside down, so that she could "wash" her hands, but she wouldn't stand in it or even go near it unless I was holding her. She loved when I held her and kicked the water every where...my legs are still sore. 

Drawing in the sand with her fingers turned out to be her favorite thing. ever. oh and building sand castles! She kept telling me "Sofi" (Sofia the First) and patting her castle! The sea gulls also took up a good chunk of our conversations...the "e-gulls" were pretty fascinating. 

We hope you all had an excellent weekend and an even better week! 

Happy Monday!

DIY|| Jammie Make Over

So I HATE that Allison out grows her clothes so incredibly fast or that the seasons change and the clothes she has still fit her great (with room to grow) but they are just not right for the weather. So I decided to start out by "summer-fying" all of her jammies! This is a super easy project. It took less than 5 minutes and now I don't have to buy new jammies when these already fit! First you're going to start out with your winter jammies. 

Then you're going to fold the sleeves to get an idea of where you're going to cut.

Then CUT! Now you have a short sleeve version of your winter jammies without spending a CENT! 

Next are the pants! Just like the shirt sleeves, fold your pants to the length you want the shorts to be. 

Then cut, and now you've got shorts! 

Ta-da! All done and super easy! I plan on hemming these shirts & shorts but the best thing about knit is you absolutely don't have too! :) Have you ever made over your kiddos clothing to make them last a little longer? 

Small Business Saturday|| Nate & Jake Co.

Today's Small Business Saturday feature is on of one of my favorite small shops, Nate & Jake Co!
For as long as April can remember her mom, Rosalba, has been a seamstress and would even make her clothes when she was little! How cool is that? When April's son was born, she worked with her mom to design and sew items for his nursery and from there they started making clothes for her boys.

Penguin Top

Before long her youngest son out grew her oldest and she had a really hard time finding clothes that fit him properly. Luckily, April's mom was able to adjust his clothes to fit. When April realized she couldn't be the only one with this problem, together with her mom, Nate & Jake Co. was born! Every single piece is designed with her kiddos in mind. April and her mom pick "fabrics that are soft and comfy for everyday wear" because well "kids are always on the move"!

Tribal Trouser

April's biggest piece of advice for those who are interested about starting a small business but don't know where to start is to:
1. Research as much as possible
2. Don't compare yourself to someone else's success, and
3. Stay true to yourself and your values.

Blue & Gold Romper

The next big step for Nate & Jake Co. is to add more items in their shop for boys and to eventually carry husky sizes for toddlers. I have no doubt in my mind that Nate & Jake Co. will one day have customers all over the word and be recognized as a top children's clothing line handcrafted in the USA!

We have purchased three different items from April & her mom and EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. is beautifully made. In honor of our partnership, Nate & Jake Co. is offering one lucky winner a pair of their ADORABLE Tribal Trousers. Seriously guys, these are the cutest, most soft pants I have ever seen! I'm still trying to convince April that she needs to make them in adult sizes. ;) So make sure you enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post is sponsored in part by Nate & Jake Co. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you all for supporting the small businesses that make this blog possible!  

You Know You're a Mom When...

You know you're a mom when... 

1. you find squished crackers and granola bar in every nook and cranny of your purse.

2. you forgot what the word privacy means.

3. you've become immune to the 3 P's: poop, pee, & puke.

4. you've mapped out all of the best hiding spots in the house so you can eat a cookie without having to share. 

5. you can belt out the entire Sofia the First theme song!

6. you realize the phrase shouldn't be "sound like a broken record" but instead "sound like a mom". 

7. you Web MD your chest pain symptoms because you're pretty sure this latest bedtime battle has stressed you into heart failure. 

8. you find random stuff (sippy cups, bras, remotes, crayons, etc) in the kitchen drawers.

9. you have to hide the plunger & toilet brush because your toddler decided she needs to carry them around the house like wands. *barf*

10. you think driving by yourself for 15 minutes is a vacation.


How do you know you're a mom?

Small Business Saturday|| Kate & James

Do you know what I love about Instagram? You start looking at a picture of your friend's kid and then next thing you know you've stumbled upon the most adorable little shop and you spend the next 20 minutes browsing their fun and playful designs. You know NOT doing the dishes.

Katie Clark and Jayme Gibbs are the masterminds behind the adorable kids clothing shop, Kate & jAMES. Over the past 20 years Katie and Jayme have shared a love of fashion, design and kids. So when the opportunity presented itself in January 2014 to start a kids clothing line, they jumped right in.  Kate & jAMES officially launched in June 2014 and is based on the combined inspiration of "fun, creativity, adventure, and independence". Because they both love kids (Jayme has two kiddos, Lola and Wyatt, and Katie is currently expecting) they wanted their designs to be playful and fun for kids, but also appealing to adults. They hit the nail on the head with that one! 

Both Katie and Jayme believe their success so far has been largely due to the fact that they took their time creating their own designs and staying true to themselves. With so many small businesses nowadays, it's important to distinguish yourself and they have done that with flying colors. And can we talk about the "Kate & jAMES" logo that is printed on the shoulder area of all of their shirts? I've never seen it before but its extremely creative, and well I LOVE it!

Eight months in and Katie & Jayme are already looking to the future! They have a few fun ideas are in the works for their summer line and I'm SOO excited! I mean how adorable is Allison's "Lemons make Lemonade" tee? I can't wait to see what they come up with next!  

Their ultimate goal is to make every day fun, "we love what we do and we hope to continue to have the support of everyone who loves and wears Kate & jAMES tees!" From my interactions with Katie & Jayme, I can feel the love and passion they have for their company and giving their customers the best experience and products possible. That ladies and gentlemen is what I LOVE about shopping small. Kate & jAMES is offering each of you a 15% discount off of your order! Just use HERITAGE15 at checkout!

"Lemons make Lemonade" shirt is courtesy of Kate & jAMES. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you all for supporting the small businesses that make this blog possible! 

Surviving Mommy Wars

For those of you who have children, I'm sure you've heard the term "Mommy Wars". For those of you who haven't, in a nut shell, it's moms making each other feel bad about their parenting choices. I'm going on record to say, IT IS NOT OK! I recently had someone approach me about how "appalling" it is that I have formula, Johnson & Johnson's, and Gerber baby food on my monthly favorites list. 

While I do believe breast is best, mom's need to remember that not everyone is blessed with the same privileges and that what works for one might not work for another. Because my parenting choices have been attacked I feel it necessary to share with the world a little something about myself. 

When I was 15 years old I was diagnosed with OCD  (scroll down to Violent Intrusive Thoughts). I know people joke about being "OCD" all the time but, it's a serious mental disorder that affects millions of people around the world. Over the years I've gotten to a place where I am able to control it very well with little intervention. I do take medicine though, and did throughout my pregnancy...*GASP*...I also see a psychiatrist once a year. Most times it's like I don't even have it. Modern medicine is a wonderful thing!

As you probably know, postpartum depression is a very real part of life after baby and having a mental disorder on top of that, well let's just say I couldn't handle breastfeeding. I NEEDED the formula so that Charles and my Mom could help me. So yea it's on MY favorite list. I tried pumping exclusively for a week since Allison was having trouble latching, but I was exhausted. Exhaustion exasperates my OCD. I didn't want anything to do with Allison because I was terrified I was going to hurt her. Even though I can distinguish the types of  thoughts I'm having and can control them, the feelings, the fear, and the anxiety, they are all REAL. It sucks. I honestly didn't enjoy the first month of Allison's life, I was miserable and felt like a horrible mother because I didn't feel that overwhelming love that everyone talks about. 

It's been two years and I don't regret my decision not to breastfeed. After about six weeks I was back to 'my normal' and I was enjoying what I had always wanted, being a mom. Allison is such a blessing and I'm so thankful I was chosen to be her mama. Seriously, this kid is the life of my party! :) Life doesn't always go the way we plan or expect but luckily I have an incredible husband and family that has stood by me through it all. Sure I wish that I didn't have OCD so that I could have hopefully missed out on the postpartum depression and breastfed longer AND enjoyed the first few weeks of being a mom, but that's not the hand I was dealt.  

The point is, you have no idea what goes on behind someone else's four walls, so don't you dare criticize or judge their decisions. It's theirs NOT yours. Stop the mommy wars. Please. They are insulting and degrading. Parenting is already hard enough without the condemnation of other moms and dads. 

With that being said, while formula was one of our favorites, please do your research and make the best informed decision for your family. Just because it worked for us, doesn't mean it will work for you. Whether it be formula or breast milk, cloth or disposable, circumcised or not, vaccinated or not, it's YOUR DECISION!

Small Business Saturday || Tiny Tribe Apparel

There’s something to be said for those willing to take on the inevitable hardships and joys that come with owning a small business, and Amanda Pennington of Tiny Tribe Apparel  is no exception. I knew that after I re-branded our family lifestyle blog that I wanted to pay tribute to the men and women who are the heart and soul of what being an American is all about, free enterprise. I first met Amanda through Instagram where I immediately fell in love with her adorable hand drawn t-shirt designs. (2 AM Instagram shopping at its finest people.)

Tiny Tribe Apparel was born when Amanda was inspired by the idea of being free.  She wants people who wear her designs to “feel trendy and true to themselves”. Although she’s only been in business for a little over a month, the planning that has gone into making Tiny Tribe Apparel a reality has been in the works for over a year!

For those of you who have toyed with the idea of starting a small business, Amanda’s biggest piece of advice is to “plan, plan, plan!” Use social media to connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs and find out what they did to get to where they are today. It takes a village to own and run a company, and having a solid support system is essential to taking your dreams from the planning  stages to reality.

Amanda has big plans in-store for Tiny Tribe Apparel.  One day she wants to have her own domain name and an office that’s not in her living room! OH, and SPOILER ALERT, she has plans in the works to design more than just tee’s! Not to mention a few new tee designs that recently dropped in her shop! 

It’s hard finding quality items that are affordable, AND stylish. Not to mention the fact that I get to MATCH my little mini….I’ll take twenty please! ;) Allison and I are so thankful to have had the opportunity to partner with this sweet lady and her ‘Tiny Tribe’ to share her passion with all of you! To celebrate, Amanda is offering all of you a 10% discount off of your purchase! Just enter HERITAGE10 at checkout. The discount code ends at midnight on Sunday.

Well. What are you waiting for? Head on over to Tiny Tribe Apparel and use that discount.

The post is sponsored in part by Tiny Tribe Apparel, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you all for supporting the small businesses that make this blog possible! 

The Joys of Motherhood || "Kids Say/Do the Darndest Things" Edition

Motherhood is full of joy and lots of wine but I wouldn't change any of it for a second (OK maybe a second, but I want it back :) ) This post is inspired by Allison and the many shenanigans and oh-so-funny things that she says. I wish I would have started documenting these things sooner, but better late than never!

"kkkyy": What Allison says when the sun is in her eyes and she refuses to put her sunglasses on.

"Leett Gooo!": When Charles or I have something Allison wants and we won't give it to her! She's a girl on a mission and knows what she wants!

"I Love Lou": Simple but effective. *swoon*

"Get Up!": Every morning Allison will come into our room and grab mine or Charles' face and tell us to 'get up!'. There's no time for sleeping apparently.

"Sit, Sit": Whether it be the recliner, bed, chair, or floor, when Allison wants you to sit by her, you sit.

"Nack": This is becoming one of my least favorite words she says. She says it ALL THE TIME. I swear she never stops eating. From the time her eyes open to the time her eyes close, she is constantly asking for a "nack" (snack). I promise we feed her!

"Patti!": I don't know why she does this, but she started calling me by my first name. I blame daddy.

"Penpens": Allison LOVES the Madagascar Penguins! I'm so thankful that Amazon Prime has actual episodes instead of the holiday shorts. I'm pretty sure I would have gone insane if I had to watch 'Madagascar Penguins Christmas Caper" one more time.

The other day when I was cooking dinner I gave Allison some yogurt to tide her over,  little did I know that her little toddler brain had other plans in mind for her 'nack'. It should have clicked in my head that when she kept getting off of the chair and walking around with her yogurt cup and spoon she was up to something. Next thing I know, she's in the corner feeding the cat yogurt like a baby. Sound effects and all.

Speaking of the cat, a few days ago Charlotte would NOT.STOP.MEOWING. It was driving me bonkers because I couldn't figure out what her issue was. She had food, water, and I had just cleaned her littler box out, but she kept incessantly meowing! So I go check her food, water, and litter box one more time...before I go any further I have to tell you a little about Allison and Charlotte's relationships. It's so sweet, Charlotte will scratch the dogs eyes out but will let Allison lay all over her and basically squish her eyeballs out. So how does Allison repay Charlotte for her incredible generosity? By shoving five pairs of Charles' boxers in her litter box so she can't use it. Source of incessant meowing found.

I absolutely love being a mom and even though her antics sometimes drive me crazy, I cherish each and every one!

Happy Tuesday!!

Oh Hey, Friday || Spring Favorites

I have to admit, I love having a little girl! It's so fun to see what each season brings in terms of fashion. No, Allison is NOT the most fashion forward little princess but I do love to 'window' shop. Right now these are some of my favorites! Coral is definitely in for the spring summer and I'm so excited, because well let's face it, it's SO pretty. What outfits are your favorites for the summer?

ONE//TWO//THREE//FOUR//FIVE

 

Cloth Diaper Journey: Part One

      Before Allison was born, I played with the idea of cloth diapering her but ultimately decided against it and chose to use disposables. Until recently. I know, I know, it sounds kind of silly to start cloth diapering when your baby is almost two, but Charles and I knew that we were (Lord willing) going to have another kiddo, and since Allison is nowhere near ready to potty train, we decided we might as well give it a shot. Let me tell ya, I'm so mad we didn't start sooner!! Sure I gagged the first time she had a poppy diaper and thought 'what the hell am I doing?', but I haven't looked back since.

     There are a million reasons people choose to cloth diaper, ours was purely economical. We were spending approximately $35 on disposable diapers A MONTH. I didn't really think anything of it until I was talking with a co-worker about how her daughter didn't have any interest until the age of 3.5 (despite her bribing & prodding) to use the 'big girl potty'. I quickly did the math on how much we were going to potentially spend between now and 3.5 and the number made me sick to my stomach ($630 if you were wondering). I get even sicker thinking about how much we have spent on disposables from birth to 20 months.

     I started really researching and reaching out to some of my friends I knew who cloth diapered and asked for tips, tricks, and suggestions. I was overwhelmed with all of the information out there and began narrowing down what I thought would work best for our family! Before I overwhelm you with the multitude of different options there are regarding cloth diapering (Part Two), I will tell you what we decided on.

     We chose to use pocket diapers because they are very similar to disposables in the way you put them on and I can add additional absorbency layers if I need to. Once I knew that I wanted to use pocket diapers, I started looking at brands. The most popular brands (the Mercedes of cloth diapers if you will) are Bumgenius, Grovia, and Blueberry. Diapers from those brands typically run between $18 & $30 a PIECE. I could NOT justify that in anyway so I looked into different brands and fell in love with Alva's. AlvaBaby is a company based out of China and although the diapers come in at a whopping $4 a piece they are so incredibly well made that I can't for the life of me figure out why more people don't use them! Sure they don't have as cute of prints or colors as Bumgenius or Grovia but for something that is just going to be pooped & peed in, I don't really care.

      I ended up spending a grand total of about $200 to build our "stash". For that I got 20 pocket diapers, 4 travel wet bags (this is where the dirty cloth diapers go when you're out and about), a large wet bag and  pail (to store dirty diapers in at home), and a couple of different kinds of laundry soaps. So for $200 we will finish diapering Allison until she is potty trained and diaper the next baby until he or she is also potty trained! Um...WINNING!!! Can you see now why I'm so mad we didn't start sooner? 

The part about cloth diapers that scared me the absolute most was the washing routine, it seemed so incredibly complicated! But like most things, it takes practice and trial and error to find the perfect wash routine that is going to get your diapers smelling clean and fresh every time. I used the website Fluff Love University, to learn what kinds of detergent to use, and to get my washing routine down. Now that I know what I'm doing, I wash once every 3 or 4 days and from start to finish it takes about an hour and  half to two hours! Not to shabby. Also, our water bill and electricity bill hasn't gone up even a cent! 

Added benefit: this adorable little fluff butt! Seriously, isn't she the cutest!? 

If you have any questions about cloth diapering or the process please don't hesitate to ask! 

DIY: Coffee Tray & Coffee Storage

For those of you who don't know, my husband is a coffee fanatic, snob, connoisseur, or whatever word you want to call an over obsessive, coffee lovin' fella. Since his coffee making stuff is literally in every cabinet, drawer, and on every inch of counter space in our kitchen, I decided I would make him a nifty little tray to try and contain some of the madness. I got the idea originally from Pinterest after seeing people use trays for different storage and decorating solutions and thought it would be a great DIY project.

For this project you will need: 

Sand Paper 

Wood Stain or Paint

Wood Glue

Measuring Tape

Straight Edge

Pen or Pencil

Nail Gun/Hammer & Nails 

Saw

2- Door Pulls 

2- 1x6 

1-1x12

And the most important.....a cute little assistant. 

After you've cut and assembled all sides, go ahead and stain! Once it's dry mark your holes and drill for the handles. 

For the coffee storage, I wanted to have a way to relabel them every time Charles roasted a new "flavor"! Naturally, chalk is perfect for this!!

I hope you enjoyed this DIY! Let me see your versions!!

Veggie Pizza

Charles and I could eat pizza for literally every meal but our pants would rather us not! So I finally decided that it was time to branch out and try some healthier alternatives to our favorite foods. This idea is obviously not new but I thought I'd share our version! 

Ingredients 

Whole Wheat Pita Bread or Flat Bread

Pizza Sauce, we love Classico Fire Roasted Pizza Sauce

Mozzarella Cheese

Toppings of your choice (we went with red bell peppers, olives, & jalapenos!) 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400°F. While preheating, start assembling your personal pizza!The possibilities are endless.  This is a great activity for those exuberant little sous chefs I know you all have! ;) Once you've loaded your pizza it's time to put it in the oven. I used our round pizza stone but you can use a regular baking sheet or even place them right on the oven racks. Set your timer for 10 minutes and wah-lah! A quick and yummy favorite the whole family can enjoy! 

I'll admit it's still not as healthy as a salad, but it's better than all the bacon, sausage, and pepperoni I usually load mine up with. *drool* 

We're Back!!

Many of you probably know that Charles and I made the difficult but exciting decision to sell our beautiful new home and move to the big city of Houston this past year; for those of you who don't, we moved. I am so happy to say that we are finally settled enough for me to start blogging again. It has been waaaay to long! I have some really exciting posts planned and can't wait to get back into the swing of things! 

First things first, let me tell you all about our almost TWO year old! I can hardly believe it!

Allison is exhausting, stubborn, beautiful, and extraordinary. I thank God every single day for blessing me with such an incredible little girl. 

She is talking in small sentences, knows all of the basic colors and shapes, and she can bust a move. Uptown Funk is played on loop in our house. 

We are pumped and ready to go! I hope you all have a spectacular week!