Things My Three Year Old Said

I did a post like this almost a year ago exactly. My son is absolutely hilarious. He makes me belly laugh on a daily basis, sometimes until my stomach hurts. The words that come out of my child's mouth need to be documented, so in the moments he is acting like a threenager I can refer to them and breathe, laugh and remember he is only three.

| o n e | "Can we go play with my zombie (frisbee) outside?"

| t w o | "I neeeeed my pumpadozer!!" This is his made up word for some inflateable boxing gloves that he tosses around.

| t h r e e | "Papi (daddy) this (insert anything...food, money, toys...he has a big heart) is for your broworker (my husbands coworker)"

| f o u r | "Mom let's go take Papi a strawberry ferfresher (Refresher) to his work, he needs it!"

| f i v e | My favorite thing he has said recently....Last week when we where at a stoplight he glanced at his sister and asked me, " Where did we get this girl, where did we buy her?" 

I'm going to buy this book to write down his one liners! You can see where I'm linking up here.

Happy Friday :)

Recipes I'm Loving

Cooking with 2 littles can be a bit challenging. It seems when you disappear to the kitchen the kids get extra quiet and crazy things go down. I am notorious for trying to decide what to cook at 4:00 and end up eating the same few recipes. Preparation is key, and a crock pot is a moms cooking BFF. You can start dinner in the morning, go about your day and when dinner time rolls around BAM it's already done!

Dinner is not the only meal of the day where there is some chaos. I might just be the last person to try over night oats, this makes mornings so easy. Breakfast is already done you just have to warm it up.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes from Pinterest. If you don't know what to make for dinner tonight there is still time to cook up one of these and if you've got an extra few minutes you can make breakfast for tomorrow.

| o n e | Crockpot Shredded Chicken
This chicken is so yummy! I make a batch weekly and use it in burritos, chicken salad, mixed in rice and veggies. My toddler loves this recipe so much. He requests chicken for lunch almost daily.

| t w o | Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce 

BEST spaghetti sauce I've made thus far. I have shared this recipe with so many people, it's that good! 

| t h r e e | Cake Batter Overnight Oats

I pretty much love all things cake batter flavored. I am one of those people who tastes batter and cookie dough while baking. You really think your eating cake batter breakfast! Bonus, my toddler was all about this oatmeal. The sprinkles were a huge hit!

| f o u r | Brownie Batter Overnight Oatmeal

If you are a brownie lover, you must try this!! My toddler was not a fan, that's fine more for me :)

| f i v e | Crockpot Applesauce 

Speaking of toddlers, mine loves applesauce. If you are interested in serving a healthy, yummy and delicious snack that makes your house smell A M A Z I N G, this recipe is for you! 

Happy Friday! Let me know if you try one of these recipes out. Click here to see where I'm linking up.

Teething: Round 2, The Vintage Honey Shop Review

Teething is no fun, not for baby, not for mom and especially not for siblings! My son has a pretty high tolerance for his sisters tears but teething has proven to be where his patience tops off haha.

Thankfully my oldest is all done teething (hallelujah) but now my youngest is in the thick of getting her first tooth. We're talking low grade fevers, drool galore, lots of sleep followed by lots of broken sleep and cuddles (no complaints there!!). There is nothing worse than seeing your baby in pain, I know I'm not the only one who would rather trade places with them.

© The Vintage Honey Shop

Enter The Vintage Honey Shop. OH MY GOODNESS, if you haven't seen their gorgeous teething/nursing necklaces don't delay on checking them out. Wearing jewelry especially necklaces with an infant is well, not very practical. They LOVE to eat all the things especially pretty necklaces. I'm not comfortable letting my daughter chew on things not intended for a babies mouth, so I didn't wear a necklace for a while. That is until I received my necklace! She is also a super distracted nurser, if I'm wearing my necklace it keeps her focused when we are out so she can eat!

© The Vintage Honey Shop

Jennifer and Melissa are the hardworking mamas behind The Vintage Honey Shop. They take the time to create each necklace by hand. Each necklace is made up of stylish, feminine and beautiful cotton fabric that covers organic wood beads with an adjustable satin ribbon. I adore their packaging, random fact about me, I LOVE getting things in the mail and I am a sucker for pretty packaging!

© The Vintage Honey Shop

Lets be honest some days my shirt has spit up on it and I'm out in public, I'm making 3 (or more) day old hair work and running on coffee. This beautiful accessory truly make you feel pretty, and your baby is safe chewing away, win-win! I have received so many compliments on my necklace, a lot of people had no idea it's for teething. My mom sings the praises of my necklace whenever I wear it, she seriously tells anyone who is chatting with her while she holds my daughter how awesome it is that someone created a necklace for mom and baby.

© The Vintage Honey Shop

I highly recommend grabbing one (or more) of these necklaces, you won't be disappointed!

*I was graciously gifted the necklace above to review, all opinions are my own.

Things My Toddler Says

| o n e | I touched a goat! 

His "love" for goats is hilarious. He tells everyone about touching a goat in the petting zoo at our local zoo. Let pause for a moment and address everyone, when I say everyone I truly mean it. Cashiers at the grocery stores, our families, random people in the store who say hi, his friends, his friends moms...the list can go on. The funny thing is he is actually terrified of the goats, he talks about going to see them until we enter that area then he wants to be held and when he is ok being down and gets the courage to pet a goat it's with one finger and it's a one second ordeal. In his mind it was a huge accomplishment to share with the world.

| t w o | I tell me no!

This one gets me, he is just repeating what I say in his own way. I tell him" I said no" and in turn he tells me "I tell me no!" I refuse to argue with my two year old to stop him from saying this so I just accept he will repeat after me and (mostly) follow my instructions...oh tantrums! I'll leave my thoughts on these regular occurrences for another day. 

| t h r e e | Hold you mommy

His way of saying hold me. It's pretty sweet! I can't resist those hazel eyes and floppy arms at my belly asking to be held. 

| f o u r | I want cereal (pronounced SI-re-ALL)

We have a cereal obsession going on here. The boy requests cereal all the time, he eats it for breakfast daily (by choice) and has to have a cup of dry cereal to munch on while I get ready if we're leaving he house. When he wakes up from his nap he needs more cereal. On Saturday he had a full on tantrum because we ran out of cereal and were on our way out to buy some at Costco. He was so angry/heartbroken that we couldn't fill his snack cup with more and let us know about it toddler style. 

| f i v e | I do it/hold it...

Mr. Independent would like to do things on his own 95% of the time. It so bittersweet watching him become more independent, my baby is truly growing into a little boy. 

What phrases does your toddler say?

To see where I'm linking up, click here.

Homemade Playdough

I have a love hate relationship with playdough, I know that I'm not the only mother of a toddler who feels this way. You see sometimes there is more consuming of said dough than playing going on, which leads to a temporary playdough ban. My mom made a variation of this recipe for my brother and I when we were young, it is seriously the best recipe and lasts FOREVER if stored properly.

Lately I'm on the loving end of play dough watching M create things with his tiny little hands. Today he is going on 3 hours napping so I made a fresh batch to surprise him to play with when he gets up.

Here's what you need:

1 cup of flour
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of salt
1 tablespoon of oil (I've used canola, vegetable and coconut and they all work great)
2 teaspoons of cream of tartar
Food coloring

How you make it:

• Combine all ingredients in a pot 
• Add a few drops of desired food coloring, mix well
• Stir over medium heat until a ball is formed
• Remove play dough from pot and allow it to cool before playing with it

*Store in an airtight container*

See where I'm linking up here.

Let me know if you try this :)

The Reality of Motherhood

A few months ago I shared my thoughts on mom's at war. It baffles me how some moms eat away at each other and stand in constant judgment for every parenting choice that is made. Before becoming a mother I was guilty of making uninformed judgements, making blanket "I will never statements" and walking around totally naive to the reality that every mother faces. Being a mother constantly evolves as your child grows up. I've read so many posts lately about things I wish I knew before becoming mother and the "realities" of motherhood. I definitely could relate to many things said in those posts (which I didn't save and don't remember the exact titles) but there were also things I didn't relate with. All this got me thinking about what motherhood looks like to me.

Most days you will find me in jeans and a t-shirt or yoga pants playing with my son. We spend a lot of time outside and go to weekly playdates. My house is not always tidy and we don't eat home cooked meals every night. I love browsing the aisles of Target when we need to get out of the house, can anyone relate? My days aren't perfect, and by no means do things always go as planned. My son is turning 2 next month. He is unpredictable at times, full of energy and makes my heart so full of joy.  I'm 20 weeks pregnant with my second child and definitely feel more prepared this time around but, I'm not an expert in motherhood. In fact far from it, but I am an expert at caring for my son. I take each day one at a time, if things are terrible before nap I pray that things improve after nap.

I have come to realize in my 2 years of being a mom that motherhood is your own reality, you have your own trials and triumphs. What one excels at, another is totally failing at. What you rocked at doing Monday you may be scrambling to get by doing the same thing on Tuesday. Such as life that we all have strength and weaknesses in things. It makes you no better or worse of a mother because you are not as strong in one area. Chances are you'll be tested in that area often by your little one and guess what, you get better at things as time goes on.

An area I really struggled with and lets be honest still struggle with some days is the mundane daily routine and loneliness as a stay at home mom. It's true I'm never alone, my son is always around but he's 22 months. Social media is a blessing and curse because scrolling through my feed I wish I could be doing that sometimes. Please don't misunderstand me, I love being a stay at home mom and I wouldn't trade where I'm at in life. Like with any "job" (I hate to call it a "job" but for lack of a better word) some days the grass looks greener on the other side. I was a really social person before I had my son, I did a lot of things with friends. Unintentionally friendships got put on hold for quite some time after giving birth. All Most of my energy and attention was put into caring for a newborn and taking it easy so I could heal. I felt like I was in a fog for months and when I came out things were different. Peoples lives go on whether you are a part of them or not. That was HARD! I love the online mom community, we may not know each other in real life but we get to know each other through blog posts and social media.

I share my best moments on Instagram as I'm sure most do. I take time editing my photos before posting. Sometimes I take longer than necessary and I hear my toddler getting into things he knows he is not supposed to because I'm not paying attention. Taking a picture of giant pile of laundry ready to be folded off the side of your picture is generally not photo-worthy, oh wait I take that back, I send those to my husband haha. I so appreciate those real life shots though because they remind me that we don't always have to have it together. Some days I actually do have it all together, high five for those days, but you know those days are not my reality. A while ago I cut myself some slack in the cleaning department and found the right time to get things tidy, at the end of the night when tiny hands can't trail you making new messes. I can't go to bed with my house a mess, it's built into my nature. It bugs me to see clutter in my home. It literally clouds my thinking until it's clean. I'm not standing in judgement of those who don't do the same nightly, I'll be honest in the early weeks of my second pregnancy I turned my cheek to the toy clutter because I was far too exhausted and nauseous for all that.

Again I say motherhood is your own reality. There is no right or wrong way to do it. It is not always easy and not everything comes natural. You learn as you go along, and having a support system is important. Social media shouldn't be used to measure your abilities. If you want to make tons of crafts with your kids and post the pictures, go for it! If you make yummy food for your child and want to share, do it! If you love toddler fashion, post away! You are blessing a mama out there somewhere who loves your idea and picture. I know I love a great craft idea and toddler fashion. Instead of reading blog "reality" posts and seeing where I fit in, I accept where I am at and own it!

What does motherhood look like for you?

Chambray with eShakti

I am stepping out of my comfort zone today and sharing my first ever fashion post. Ever wanted to customize a piece of your clothing? If so eShakti is perfect for you! I saw a few review posts in my daily blogroll and then I got an email. To say I was excited was an understatement! They have such a huge selection of clothes with sizes available from 0-36W. The best part is you can customize your piece. Don't like the sleeve length? It can be altered to your desired length. Dress too long or short? You can choose the perfect length for you. Do you love pockets? They can be added!

I chose this chambray dress for a couple of reasons. One being I love the chambray look but didn't own any, and the versatility of this dress sold me. I have wore it with boots & booties, flats, leggings and it looks great styled each way.

When I saw this dress I fell in love and knew that I would be wearing it with a belt.

Again, I'm not a fashion blogger. It just so happens that the best pictures were with my sons play structure in the background. I'm a stay at home mom, even though I don't get dressed up to go to work daily it doesn't mean I have to stay in jeans and t-shirts all the time.

I loved working with eShakiti and would definitely recommend you give them a try. eShakti is kindly offering 10% off to my readers until 2/6/15 by entering the code illywho. Code can be used any number of times until the validity period. It can be clubbed with any other promotional offer, gift coupon or gift card in the same order unless explicitly specified otherwise in the offer conditions.This discount code is not applicable on clearance / sale, gift cards & overstock categories. Not applicable on previous purchases.

What is your favorite way to wear chambray?

Sleeping Through The Night

Exactly a year ago in December I was at the lowest point in motherhood. My son was 8 months old and not sleeping. When I say not sleeping I actually mean NOT sleeping; no naps and only at night for about 45 minute increments longer if I held him. It was insane and I felt like a complete failure. You can read about it here.

Sleep deprivation makes you a temporary crazy person. You become envious of friends bragging about kids being good sleepers from the start or those who have been sleeping through the night since they were 4 months old. It's not like when someone gets a new phone and you have phone envy as they show off their shiny new toy and the amazing quality of their pictures. I'm talking when your up in the middle of the night and you only have one eye and it won't cooperate, so you run into things walking to your babes room you wonder how it feel to sleep like said person. Then you realize it's the lack of sleep talking not you.

I hesistated writing this post for a while because, when you share about a sleep victory, somehow your child who can't read, mysteriously finds out about your celebration. They decide to change things up on you and all of a sudden put you in your place reminding you that they kind of control your sleep for while. So with that being said I can officially say M has been sleeping through the night for 10 months. This post is long overdue, it has ben sitting in my drafts for a while. This post is for me to look back on as to when he started sleeping through the night. This victory has made me whole again. 13 months of broken sleep is rough!

We did nothing magical, totally let him reach this milestone on his own with the help of some sleep training. You can read about our sleep battle here. I was so against sleep training, said I would never do it. Little something I learned, never say never in motherhood. How you think you feel at one moment about something, can completely change and you will eat your words. So we did modified sleep training and it worked for us.

I don't have an answer as to when your child will meet this milestone. If you aren't here yet, hang in there mama it's only a matter of time :)

Last Minute Halloween Decor

Halloween is not my favorite, never has been probably never will be. Christmas on the other hand, I'm pretty anxious to get into my decoration boxes, that topic is for another day or month haha. Earlier this week I went to the what I like to call the trifecta of craft stores (Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Jo-Ann's) bonus they are all super close to one another. Every store had Halloween items on clearance the best sale was in Jo-Ann's at 70% off. So I did what any non-loving Halloween person would do, I loaded up my cart and took it as a clear sign to get festive!

I found the most adorable Halloween banner letters for $3 and some fun paper to compliment and made a banner that says boo. Then I found some sparkly crows stick on crows for $2. Our matel looks pretty festive and M loves his Mickey pumpkin, which is a craft pumpkin $3 and and the Mickey kit is from Target. The large (craft) pumpkin was $8. The lantern is from Costco got it on sale for $7.50

I cannot carve pumpkins very well, I usually cut the wrong thing and end up with a gaping hole and have to use pins to keep my pumpkin together. So when I saw Kristi's post about decorating craft pumpkins I made it my mission to do just that!

I got 3 paper mache pumpkins for $15 (guys they were $11.99 each pre sale), I used up the last of my favorite craft paper from my wedding, as well as some leftover lace ribbon. I'm not going to lie and say that this was quick or easy to create. It is messy and time consuming but the end result is so worth it! I followed her instructions by paining sections of the pumpkin in Mod Podge then applying strips of paper followed by another coat of Mod Podge. Now here is where it gets messy, use gloves if you have any, smooth out the paper with your hands. It took me about 2.5 hours to make 3 pumpkins. They aren't perfect as you can see but I love them! I am planning on keeping them up through Thanksgiving since they match the decor in that room and switch out the Halloween banner for a Thanksgiving one.

Lastly M and I worked on our chalkboard and our house has a tiny sprinkle of Halloween for around $40. Nothing is perfect but much fun was had crafting! You should check out the craft stores in your area for there Halloween sales, you never know what you will find!

The Motherhood Battleground

When did the motherhood community become so ugly?

Before I was mother I assumed motherhood was a community where moms would encourage, support and offer help to fellow moms. A tight knit sisterhood where the love for our children joined us together. Lifetime friendships would be formed on the playground while our children had fun together.  Judging didn't exist, well because we all have our own way of doing things.

The harsh reality of it is motherhood is a journey often traveled alone. A journey where you are judged for your every parenting decision big or small. You are questioned while pregnant if you are going to breastfeed. Some peoples motives pure and are just curious, others are ready to shove there opinion down your throat why breast is best. So many facts and questions are thrown your way. Are you making or buying baby food? Are you going to cloth diaper? That carrier is bad for their hips. Sleep training is bad or you aren't sleep training?

When did it become ok to publicly bash a mom? To make judgmental memes and share them for the world to see? Judgments are made in the form of "helpful" comments on photos when a child is strapped incorrectly, so now you see disclaimers made from mothers that she knows he/she is strapped incorrectly for a photo to avoid scrutiny.

Social media is a blessing and a curse for a mothers emotions. On one hand you feel love, support and encouragement from the snippets of someones life. On your worst days seeing a happy smiling face gives you hope that tomorrow will be better. But on the other hand that snippet into someones life can make you feel guilt. You find yourself questioning why your days don't go this way, why your house is not spotless like hers, why you aren't able to enjoy a hot cup of coffee while your kids play quietly or why you aren't making that amazing meal for your babe. What you don't see is the space beyond the parameters of that Instagram shot, you have no idea what is going on behind that mom. Her day may be in shambles but there was a moment of joy and she needed to share it to boost her spirits. I know I've had that day, that picture.

Want to know a little secret from a mother of a 19 month old? Motherhood is HARD. The sleepless nights wear on you physically and emotionally coupled with constantly being needed and you feel exhausted more days than you are willing to admit. Admitting to that can make you feel weak, like you have failed or that you are a bad mom. I have put on that happy face, pretending like my life is blissful, that it's easy and all comes naturally. When we gave birth we weren't given a manual how to live our the days beyond the hospital walls.

Seeing things online just gets me so fired up! Why has motherhood turned into a battle ground? Why do we feel so much guilt for not doing things like her?

Mama you are beautiful, you are strong, you are worthy! You are doing an amazing job raising your baby! No one knows how to care for them like you do because you know them like no other. You are their safe place, their everything, you are their mother! There is no need to feel guilt or shame for asking for help. I love this post that Andrea wrote, it truly does take a village. Not all days are picturesque or easy. Some days you feel like your on top of the world, buy maybe the next you are scrambling to keep things together. You know what? That is OK and completely typical of the day in the life of a mom.

If you are reading this post then you know that there is a beautiful blogging community among moms. I cherish this community so very much. We aren't alone in motherhood, we don't have to be at war. So today when you see a mama smile at her, lets bring back a sense of community in our real lives too!

A Mommy App Review

I am so excited to share A Mommy App with you. I've had the opportunity to review this super cute and helpful app and I'm loving it. It can be used from pregnancy and beyond! Where was this when M was born?!

First off the app is really easy to use and has some great features to offer: 

| My Kids |

This is a fun way to keep track of milestones, appointments, and likes/dislikes with their own page. You can customize an avatar, set the scenery and add objects to make their page unique. There are add on packs if you want to change up the outfits. My favorite is the Batman outfit. 

| Mommy Quiz |

Test your mommy knowledge with a fun quiz. My score is nothing to brag about, I've got some studying to do haha. 

| My Pregnancy |

Choose an adorable baby bump to represent you to document your pregnancy. Keep track of doctors appointments, cravings favorite names and much more.

| Stress Relief |

Feeling stressed? Choose your escape to listen to 5 soothing sounds to put you at ease. Bonus: there are encouraging words too!

| 5 Minutes for Mommy |

Need a break? We all do, these 3 games are perfect for those times you need to occupy your babe. 

| Featured: Blogs, Shops and Instagrams |

Take a moment to browse through the featured section to meet some new mommy friends and find some amazing handmade items. 

Overall this app in a winner in my book! I am looking forward to using my pregnancy to keep track of future pregnancies. I highly encourage you to download this app, you are going to love it! It's only .99 and can purchased in the App Store AND the Play Store. 

Follow A Mommy App on: | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | 

#amommyapp #themommyglow

Blogtober 14 | Catch Up |

This weekend I missed my day to schedule all my posts, my husband took that day off YAY! Then I got sick, booooo. So I'm 5 days behind on posting and instead of writing 5 posts I am going to do a little catching up....

| Best Advice I've Been Given |

Advice is one of those things that you have to take with a grain of salt. I feel as though a lot of people enjoy sharing their best piece of advice, I am just as guilty as the next person with this. During my pregnancy I got a lot of advice from random strangers, very interesting! The best advice I've ever been given was from my parents, it's simple and I'm sure we've all been told this a time or two maybe a 1000...BE YOU! This wonderful advice has carried over in all areas of my life, at some points in my life I got caught up in a trend and felt so out of place and time and time again. There is no one else in this world like you, so be you!

| Favorite Fall Recipe |

Stay tuned for this one. I have the recipe ready but my pictures didn't turn out right.

| Funniest Memory from Childhood |

I had a serious obsession with wanting to wear glasses. My mom took a pair of her sunglasses and popped out the lenses, I wore those all the time with a pair of her heels. Which by way I was told I walked perfectly in from a very young age. I cannot find the picture that descries this perfectly by trust me it is hilarious!

| Favorite Quote |

via Pinterest

This is one of my favorite quotes. I love cooking, it hangs in my kitchen and makes me smile every time I read it.

| Fall Fashion |

I'm not a fashion blogger, and I never will be :) So my inspiration comes directly from Pinterest. I love everything about this outfit. That sweater is so cute, love it and brown riding boots are my favorite fall accessory!

via Pinterest

And now I'm all caught up!!

Blogtober14 | If I were President |

Todays prompt is one that I am going to skip, but not with out a few words.

I love watching Scandal and all the political drama it makes for great TV. Random fun fact about me, I was the school president in high school it was fun!

To be honest, I have no interest in politics and I don't follow politics.

I have to be true to myself therefore, I have nothing to say on this topic. I will be back tomorrow :)

Blogtober14 | I Never Thought Blogging Would... |

| One | Be so much fun! Call me crazy but I actually liked writing essays in school. Writing is fun and is the easiest way to express myself.

| Two | Allow me to make new friends. The blogging community is amazing. The idea of online friends seemed silly to me at one point, totally don't think that anymore. Being a SAHM keeps me pretty busy, but it can get lonely at times, I cherish the friends I have made through blogging.

| Three | Grow my interests. Photography and blog design to name a few. I always thought it would be fun to get into graphic design. With a little help from Google I figured out how to design my blog and truly enjoy it. I'm a bit of a perfectionist so it takes me a long time to settle on an idea.

| Four | Challenge me. Even though I really enjoy writing, sometimes you just don't know what to say.

| Five | Create new opportunities. Reviewing products is something I never saw self doing. Who knew it was so much fun! I have set some blogging goals for myself, looking forward to meeting them.

So I'm super late linking up today but better late than never :)

Happy Friday!!

Blogtober14 | TBT Halloween Memories |

I am not super into Halloween, I hate scary things and I haven't dressed up in a long time. As a child my mom made all our costumes and they were awesome. My favorite was when I was Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. I loved that movie so much I broke the VHS tape. I'm sure there were tears and I got another one. Last year we attempted to do a family themed costume and failed, M was the star of our Halloween for sure.

For as long as I can remember I have always helped my church put on a Halloween event for kids. It is a lot of fun and by no means scary! Now that I'm a mom Halloween is more important to me. My husband is really into Halloween so I'm working on getting into it as well. This year we are going for another family theme and I think we will pull it off :) I am looking forward to it!

Blogtober14 | A Letter to Myself in 10 Years |

Dear Ileana,

The past ten years went by incredibly fast. I'm sure you say that all the time. You are near the end of your 30's and slowly approaching 40. Please don't say you feel old, 40 is not old haha!

I know that you are still very happily married to Richard and have just recently celebrated 15 years of marriage. As a joke a while back you said new rings at 15. So, did you upgrade your ring??

Thankfully all the home projects that were left unfinished are finally complete. There was talk about possibly moving, did it happen? If not I'm sure the master bathroom was renovated and you finally have a shower larger than the ones on a cruise ship!

M is 11 now. So full of personality, he makes you laugh all the time. Definitely athletic, no surprise here as a toddler he was into basketball, soccer and baseball. Although I'm not sure right now which sport he chose to play, I know we are there as a family cheering you on.

M is a big bother! Do we have another little man or is there a little lady to even the numbers out in the house? Those two have so much fun together and make you and Richard so proud to be their parents.

Comgrats on opening the Montessori Preschool! I know it was a lot of planning and hard work to get it up and running but you did it!

I look forward to what the next 10 years holds for this family in the meantime enjoy every day, we know how quickly time passes!

Love,
Me

Blogtober14 | Best Vacation |

The best vacation I've ever had was our last trip before having my son. We went to Europe, it was something I really wanted to visit before starting a family. We took an Eastern European cruise and visited Italy, Turkey, Greece and Rome. We got to see the Coliseum, went to Ephesus and walked streets that Jesus walked, we went to Athens and the Vatican. I know we saw more but I cannot remember the details. I joke with my family all the time that when I had M I lost a part of my memory because I find myself forgetting things often. On that vacation we found is when I found out I was pregnant (on my birthday!!!), which was so exciting. Europe is so beautiful, I would love to go back but this time to Paris. Ok now for some pictures....

Blogtober 14 | 10 Things I'd Tell Myself When I First Started Blogging |

First off, it took me a really long time to make a blog. I wanted to make one for years and was really nervous then one night I figured out a name (which has changed) and I just went for it. I had no idea what I was doing, I am by no means an expert but I have learned a bit in my (almost) 2 years blogging.

| One | It doesn't matter if no one is reading your blog. Don't focus on page views or how many followers you have it will drive you crazy.

| Two | Not everyone is going to like your content. You may loose followers and that's ok, no need to feel bad.

| Three | Be honest. People want to relate to YOU, share the good and the bad moments.

| Four | Social media matters. I didn't start using Instagram for my blog until a couple of months ago, I wish I would have sooner!

| Five | Blogging is time consuming. Plan ahead, set aside time to sit down and write.

| Six | Sponsor a blog or swap buttons. You have to get your name out there.

| Seven | Join link-ups. I have met so many of my blogging friends through link-ups!

| Eight | Pictures/Graphics make your posts more appealing. Sure a nice camera is ideal but there isn't always time to get it out. If you are using your phone take good pictures. Make sure they are in focus, get creative with the composition take advantage of editing apps.

| Nine | Read and comment on other blogs. You will make relationships with other bloggers that can turn into friendships.

| Ten | No need to post if you have nothing to say. It is better to think a post through then to just post for the sake of posting. I've taken my fair share of breaks blogging!

What do you wish you would have told yourself when you first started blogging?

Blogtober 14 | Fall Bucket List |

Day 5 of #blogtober14 and I'm super late posting today. 

Time to make some fall plans!! I failed at making my own bucket list in time so I cannot take any credit for this cute fall bucket list I found on Pinterest, I like it a lot :) 

What are your Fall plans?

Blogtober 14 | Insta Favorite |

I really love Instagram, it is such a fun way to connect with other moms. If you aren't following me on Instagram you can do so here.

Now as far as my favorite picture I've shared....

I know you've seen this picture before, hence why it's my favorite! I have been wanting to decorate our room since we got married and it always got put to the side for another room. This year I made it a priority to work on our room and it is almost done. This picture makes me really happy, I love going in our room, makes me smile every time. I love seeing our wedding and engagement pictures up that were previously not on display, so sad! I am on the hunt for new bedding and have one wall and our close to finish. Then on to another room :)