Ari's First Halloween!

I had so much fun today spending it with my family and celebrating Ari's first Halloween. We spent the day at my uncle's eating chili, (with fritos!) yummy cupcakes, and of course lots of candy. We watched all of the cuties come to the door and loved seeing what costumes would show up! I think my favorite of the entire night was a mini Avatar! He was a little bad-ass.

Ari didn't get to go trick or treating but she was passed around like a hot potato with my big family. They just couldn't resist the cutest cupcake ever. After that I came home & made some cookies with Halloween cookie cutters which was an epic fail. But they did taste good. What was left of the witch's face & all. We watched Hocus Pocus & had our Pumpkin Spice candle lit. Such a good night!

Memories made.

(My mom & Ari!)

 I think I inhaled 8 of these.

I think next year will be 10x more fun.. She will be walking, talking, and actually be able to eat some candy! I'm already planning her next costume.

I hope all of you had a Boooo-tiful Halloween with your little ones. Or big ones.

My Munchkin

Ari has been tyring to go from a crawling to sitting position for the past few days, well it finally happened. And she can't stop doing it! She's fascinated. She doesn't fall over anymore... Strong little girl! 6 months and she's beast mode.

(Halloween onesie & tutu/pants from Carter's. Headband from Cracker Barrel.)

 (Minnie onesie from the Disney Store. Hello Kitty hat from Hello Kitty store in NY.)

I hope you all have an awesome Halloween tomorrow. Mine will consist of pizza, family, candy, Hocus Pocus on ABC Family, and picture taking! Can't wait to post some!

Weather is crazy here thanks to hurricane Sandy. We're getting tons of wind & rain. Not minding the cold weather one bit! Those of you being affected by this terrible storm are in my prayers.

A Green Christmas

Halloween is only a few days away...

And I cannot wait to post pictures of Ari's first trick or treat experience. Dressed as the cutest cupcake in town. :)

But once Halloween hits, in my mind it means, Hello Christmas. & oh yeah, Thanksgiving. But in terms of decorating, CHRISTMAS! Holiday drinks from Starbucks, strolling through neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights, Decorating my big white tree, (& now Ari's room) ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas Marathon, SHOPPING FOR ARI, holiday scents, family, damn good food, a million other things, & just that childhood fuzzy feeling I get inside.

I want to give gift bags to the special ladies in my life. I'll divide them into colors. Because that's how I roll. Silver/gold, green, and red.

This year I am LOVIN' green like it's nobody's business. Except yours of course. Still trying to decide if Ari should wear mainly green on Christmas day or red. But more than likely I'll probably go with a red sparkly dress for little miss. You have no idea how fun holidays really are until you have a kid. Also, pinterest makes it that much MORE exciting. Waaaaah. I live for this stuff!

A cute gift bag idea:

I mean really, I want this stuff in my gift bag. 

Organix Teatree Mint Shampoo- I use this stuff regularly. It smells like peppermint, it's green, and it's sulfate free! Your special lady will love this! Plus it's super hydrating, this stuff is awesome. I would suggest buying the bigger bottle if you have long hair & go thru shampoo like crazy like myself. I would buy the bigger bottle but can't find it anywhere in my town. (I should order online) I feel like I'm constantly at Walmart searching for this bright green bottle.

The Fresh Frog of Bel-Air Nail Polish- Green sparkle, how is this not festive? :)

Cozy Spa Holiday Socks- These just look so comfy. I'm already picturing myself cuddling on the sofa in these watching Elf. I know Buffy the Elf would be proud of this post.

Green Ice Cream Cone Ornament- My favorite ice cream flavor - mint chocolate..... or mint oreo. Cutest little ornament for your tree.

Philosophy Christmas Cookie Body Wash- I don't think hubby or anyone else will be able to get me out of the shower. They will literally have to drag me out. Yum!

MAC Eyeshadow in "Lucky Green"- This color will look so beautiful this holiday season, especially if you have some green eyes! :)

A green chevron coffee sleeve. Oh Santa, baby....

Big Girl Room

I can't wait to one day design Ari's big girl room. Probably around the age 2 or 3 I'll do it. Maybe sooner. I love re-decorating. And I've found endless ideas on Pinterest that I want to do. I have so many colors I want to try... ideas running in my head are endless :)

Here are some visions that are running through my head!

Grey, peach, and soft colors. IN LOVE with the bed sheets & the little gnome night light :)

 Gold, Orange, Yellow, Peach.. Loves it. A bunny night light, polka dot walls, polka dot bed sheets, oh baby.

 "The Rainbow Theme" I've been REALLY considering doing her room in all sorts of colors with hints of black! BAM! I think of Confetti. SO I'll probably call it the confetti room if I choose this. Check out the cute Owl Night Light. Oh yeah, and the CHALKBOARD TABLE! How cute would that be for arts & crafts time? Or a homework station?

Living Room Decor

I've been wanting to update this living room ever since we moved in last April.. a WEEK before Ari was born! Now that life is SORTA slowing down (yeah right) I think I might be able to squeeze in a little time focusing on it. Day by day. I'm so excited! I really love whites & greys, with only a little pop of color. It makes me feel more relaxed that way. But that's just me. Right now we're living in a 900 sq. feet apartment. Not too small, not huge either. The walls are an off white (bleh) Not much we can do about that though. The carpet is indeed grey :) All of our accessories are black or grey. Pretty simple. I do like it, but I think ever since I've had a baby, and things are constantly changing, I feel like my home needs a little change as well!

So with this design, I want greys and a lot of white, in this picture I've added purple flowers. I love grey & purple together, But I WILL admit, I'm not sure on the color I want to add for the accessories. I'm kind of stuck between yellow, purple, or peach/orange. Tell me what color you think I should pick!

(All of this is at Z Gallerie.. other than the Tissue Garland.)

Purple Floral Accessory- I'm not that big into fake flowers. Most of the time I think they're extremely tacky... but these are unmistakeably beautiful. And it doesn't hurt that they're HUGE. (notice the price...haha)

Cloud Modular Sectional- I love the name. I love everything about this damn sofa. The first time I walked into Z Gallerie and saw this sofa, I basically fainted. Jaime literally said, "ya okay?" This is the BIG DADDY of all sofas. I'm telling you. You can't tell from the picture, but when you see it in person, you can literally fit 15 people on it, probably more. I am in love. Deeeeeeply in love. But obviously no shoes allowed! (I am still iffy about purchasing this, especially when Ari starts pulling up and walking, oh and the whole crayon thing, yeah.)

Boot Umbrella Stand- Not only is this probably the cutest/most creative idea ever, I will actually USE this for my umbrella... instead of throwing it in my car or in my closet. How convenient! Maybe I'll buy a fancy shamncy umbrella, silver sparkle? Just to spice up my living room, and look sassy while in the rain. (pfft)

Tuxedo New Years Eve Tissue Garland- I love all the colors she offers.. So adorable. I plan on ordering some for my living room & Ari's room! :)

Casablanca Dhurrie Rug - Fog- Simply love it. I love the pattern more than anything.

Snowfall Trees- My favorite accessory on this whole list! I will use these year-round. Probably because I am obsessed with the holidays but also because I think they can work for any time of the year. White treeeees. Oh honey, please...

Royce Mirror- You gotta add a little bling! And why not when you're looking at that beautiful face of yours?!

White Owl Bookends- Owwwwl, baby!!! Obsessed with them. The end.

Timber End Table- I love the rustic look. Beautiful without trying. That sorta thing. And I love the mix of white & grey in this piece. 

Tell me whatcha think folks. :)

Ari's 6 Months & Fall Time

Taking strolls through the park have been a usual lately! Kentucky is it's most beautiful during fall time.. trying to enjoy it while we can ;) Ari absolutely loves staring at the trees and she loved the leaves falling on her. It was home-video worthy :)

(notice she HAD to have her candy corn toy laying beside her)

 

And look at this lovely little lady on her 6 MONTHS :)

 

My Little Cupcake.

I think I've been obsessed with cupcakes as soon as one hit my tongue, at about the age, ooooh I'd say, 8 months?! (I was a chubby baby)

So you know I have to dress Ari in cupcakes and have cupcake accessories. Not to mention, that is her Halloween costume.

Cupcake Blanket & Bib Pack- These will be adorable to keep little missy warm this winter :)

Cupcake Bean Bag- I just have to have this in her nursery. I just have to.

Cupcake Bibs! Eating in style.

Mommy's Little Cupcake oufit- She is my little cupcake, and my cupcake she will always be.

Sweet Treats Cupcake Rattle- ADORABLE. She will LOVE this!

Cupcake Sleep n' Play- Pink stripes, grey, and cupcake. I'm in love.

Happy Baby!

Ari decided to eat her high chair instead of peas... Definetely not her favorite.

We have a new favorite game, I made her laugh by playing peek-a-boo!

It is 1:05 AM here, and I can't sleep from being so overly-emotional because Ari is officially six months old. Happy Half-Year baby girl! Mama loves you!

Can't wait to take her 6 month pictures.

xo

My Monkey Butt.

This nickname has been in my fam since I was a baby! "You little Monkey Butt!" Weird I know, but it's cute, you gotta admit. So when I saw this adorable sleeper with a monkey on the butt, I had to get it! (And it's teal!)

(Butterfly hat from Baby Gap)

My Big Girl.

Hubby & I took a nice stroll to look at some nice Fall scenery... We tried out Ari's new stroller. It's ah-maaaaaay-zing! She loves it, and it's super comfy. I wish I could get pushed around in it.

(Uppababy G-luxe Stroller in the color Jake.)

 It's probably my dream stroller. It's black, white, and silver. It's so lightweight, (only 11 pounds) and it glides so easily. We took her on some curvy roads, and it was smooth sailing! Your baby can use it from 3 months - 50 pounds. They have other colors such as blue, red, or orange. But I didn't care for any of them. Black & white is always nice :)

ALSO, someone is trying to crawl! My life is officially over :)

She is now trying to eat everything. Time to babyproof this place up!

New Toy!

Jaime & I went shopping for Ari today... (shocker) She got a bunch of goodies... but of course her new favorite is her rainbow caterpillar we bought!

She hasn't let it go....and she whines if it isn't near her. What did we get ourselves into? We can't tote this EVERYWHERE. 

 (We purchased this at Cracker Barrel)

And some other goodies we bought :)

 

Minnie Mouse Teether- Well, Ari & I watch Minnie Mouse & Mickey's Clubhouse every morning, so I had to get her this.. I am a sucker for Minnie Mouse. I still have my Minnie Mouse blanket from when I was a baby! :)

Zebra Leggings- Obsessed. Period.

Polka Dot Pants- Soooooo in love. She has a one piece in this pattern too.

Crane Drop Humidifier- I bought this because it's already getting pretty cold here in Kentucky.. and I want Ari to have a clear nose this winter! :)

Owl One Piece- So adorable. Ari basically lives in one pieces now.

Teal Monkey One Piece- I love the one pieces or pants with the animals on the butt! I die.

Out & about today. Love this dude ;)

Ari's Favorite Toys: 5 Months

As this month is flying by, and Ari is well over 5 1/2 months.. (her HALF year is coming up.. tear) I wanted to share her favorite toys. I could literally lay Ari on a blanket for hours & let her play with her toys. She has such a good time! I'm picky about the toys I buy her. But I will say, give a kid a water bottle or a pack of wipes & they will be easily amused from the A) noise or B) shininess.

I'll take any toy if it's a gift. But I am so specific about her toys when I'm buying them, because I know exactly what she likes. She likes stuff that makes a noise, sings, or lights up. And she also likes stuff that has rings on it for her to hold easily. I've noticed her constantly staring at my florescent colored socks lately. Or my nail polish, (she tries to grab my toes) So this girl loves bright colors as well!

Chicco Cow Teething Blanket: They say this is for teething, but Ari likes the crinkling noise it makes more than anything. And she hits the floor with it. I do think she loves the feeling of it as well. Super soft :)

Garanimals Activity Cube: This little thing is awesome! Each side has something to look at. One has a bullseye, one has a mirror, one has a frog with rings to hold onto, and one has a monkey! It really is adorable and Ari smiles at it...literally.

Carters Pink Musical Giraffe: She has had this since before she was born. It was in her crib the whole time. Finally when she got to her crib, she took notice of it... She stared at it for a good five minutes & fell in love! It winds up to a cute little lullaby tune. It puts her in sleepytown in no time!

Vtech Light Up Bear: This was the first toy that made her reach for things. It lights up & sings "I'm a bear, a happy bear, a happy bear, a sleepy bear, I'm a bear, a friendly bear, won't you play with me?" YES..I remember that song. I don't particularly care for it, but she loves it to this day!

Winnie The Pooh Soft Book: It makes that crinkle noise that she adores! it's also freaking adorable. She loves when I read it to her.. And as soon as I'm done reading she grabs the ring & slings it up & down!

VTech Nighty Nite Nature Light: Another great item from Vtech.. This can go on your baby's crib at night but Ari doesn't need soothing or any sound to fall asleep, just her thumb :) Instead she plays with this on the floor. She loves the bright colors, lights, and the NUMEROUS ending songs it plays. It also has an overhead picture of little bears on the ceiling if you DO put it in your child's room! So stinking cute.

My Long List of Children's Books.

This post could literally go on forever, but I'll try to make it as short & sweet as possible. I am a huge reader, and now that I have a daughter, I want her to enjoy reading as well. When I was a little girl, the highlight of my days in elementary was STORY TIME! (what's up?!) We would all gather around in a circle on the "special rug" and lean in! I think I was one of the few that was actually excited about it. I had a huge imagination when I was younger & it put me in the happiest mood.

I have been starting Ari's library since the day I found out I was preggers. I want her to read & experience all of the awesome books I got to read as a child. Sadly I don't have any of my childhood books, but thanks to Amazon & gently used books that are up for sale, I can find them!

 So obviously I've been on an online shopping spree.

-If You Give A Mouse A Cookie is by far one of my favorite books from childhood. It reminds me of school.. we got to pick a book during library time & I swear I picked this book .every.single.day.

-If You Give A Mouse A Muffin is pure cuteness. You can't go wrong with one of Laura Joffe Numeroff's books! Seriously.

- No, David is a good laugh. I remember cracking up hearing the teacher read this book.

-The Very Hungry Caterpillar .. I remember my teacher "Ms. Hikey" read this book to us all the time... classic!

-Chicka Chicka Boom Boom ...OMG. Same as above, Thank you Ms. Hikey for introducing these books to me! Another great classic.

The Berenstain Bears & TOO MUCH JUNK FOOD. I watch this show with Ari a lot, she giggles when she watches it, so she loves the book too!

- Goodnight, Moon ... Oh the sweetness! I read this to Ari every night! Just saying! & she adores it.

-Rainbow Fish is probably the sweetest children's book ever. It teaches them about sharing, it shows that each of us are different, but not one person is better than another. Plus, it's sparkly, come on.

-My Working Mom... Okay, let me just tell you, This WAS & IS my favorite childhood book. My teacher read this to us at school & that day when I got home I BEGGED my mom to go out & buy it for me because I loved it so much. She read it to me every day. We still talk about it til this day how much fun we had reading it together! (Plus it's perfect for Halloween, I need to buy this for Ari!)

-Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now?! You can't go wrong with Dr. Suess. Point.Blank.Period.

-Amelia Bedila is a book I read during lunch time at school. Oh the memories.

-The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck ....epic CLASSIC! I also love The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

-Winne The Pooh .. Do I really need to say anything?! My heart melts!

-The Giving Tree.. Teaches you a darn good lesson. 

I could list so many more... but I don't want this to be TOO long... :)

Oh the memories are sinking in! I love that I get to relive them with my daughter!

Happy Tales.

Breast Cancer Awareness.

It is Breast Cancer Awareness month & Ari and I have been rocking pink for the past couple of weeks! This subject is dear to my heart. I've read so many stories about survivors and my own aunt is a survivor of 3 years! So let's support each other, ladies! You can do it in the simplest of ways or even join in on a Breast Cancer walk in your town! Here are some PINK ways you can show your support:

Sinful Color Nail Polish in "24/7" - This color is BRIGHT neon pink. I love it. You won't be unnoticed when you have this color on!

Pink Yankee Candle in "Pink Blush" - This smells heavenly. Like fresh flowers! & all of the proceeds go to the Breast Cancer foundation!

Neon Pink Hunters! - Oh the joy I get when I see these!! What better time to wear these? Not only is it getting cold & rainy outside, but they're the perfect color for this month... time to rock the pink ladies!

Ari insisted I add some pictures of her in this post...
 So that I will do :)

(Big girl sitting up all by herself at 5 months! Thank you, Bumbo seat!)

(headband from Rowan and Ari Headbands)

Flowers With Love.

I wish I had a dollar for every bouquet my hubby has bought me. I also wish I had a picture of all of them. I'm in love with flowers... My favorite are sunflowers. Here are some of my favorites over the years!

And I got these beautiful Fall flowers today:

It's the little things honestly.