Halloween? Yeah... well, it's definitely on our list of favorites... but we all really, truly adore the cooler weather and all the fun activities there are to do.
From spending time outdoors to finding craft fairs and haunted houses galore, there's just more fun to be had during fall.
Yesterday we took this cool cat to enjoy the cooler weather at the zoo. They are gearing up for their annual Halloween festivities and we can't wait to see "The Creatures of The Night".
Looking for fun festive fall things to do in the Tampa Bay area? This little kitty and I think you should check these events out... we're hoping to make it to all of these events, they all look absolutely spook-tacular!
We'll start with the aforementioned Creatures of The Night at Lowry Park Zoo. This eerily fun event is running from October 6-28 and is sure to be a good time for everyone! Plus... if you're zoo members, you'll get in free!
Glazer Children's Museum is hosting a Halloween Spree on the night of Halloween. With an alternative to traditional trick-or-treating this super fun museum is a great way to keep the kids safe while still having a blast and showing off their glorious costumes!
Busch Gardens is known for their nightly Halloween fun but did you know during the days Sesame Street Safari of Funalso caters to kids and makes Halloween extra special! This year each weekend in October will be a special celebration! This weekend it'll be Monsters & Fairies, the following week is all about superheroes, etc. With all kinds of fun activities and trick or treating encouraged, I think we know where we'll be spending a little bit of time each weekend... and don't miss the dance parties happening each day of the event at 11am, 2pm, and 3pm!
Guppyween at The Floridia Aquarium is sure to be a howling good time! Kids will be able to trick or treat in a safe setting while also being able to view the exhibits and keep cool at the splash pad! It's only for one weekend, the 28th and 29th... but it'll be a blast!
Looking for something a little more calming to do? Check out this Kids Halloween Yoga Class at The Lotus Pond Yoga Studio!
Interested in finding even more fun things to do with your curious little kitten? Check out this list from 813area.com!
And her "costume" for the day... she was a cool cat! Easy, simple, and adorable! We put her in a cool toned little flowy set from Ricrac and Ruffles and added some kitty ears from Target... and she was ALL set for a day of fun at the zoo! She is most definitely the coolest cat I know so this costume fits her perfectly! LOL
Oh... and did I mention she rode her first "ride" at the Zoo? Yep! She officially is a train rider and she loved it, despite that scaredy-cat-eqsue look on her face.
This post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links.
As I mentioned yesterday, we're BIG fans of Halloween... what I didn't mention is we're also pretty big fans of books!
Whenever I was pregnant with D, we would seriously go book hunting at second hand stores, trying to find all the best books to stock up her library... and we also asked for books in place of cards at our baby shower, which rewarded us with quiet the collection!
What's awesome about our hoarding of books other than a plentiful library? Delainey already has a list of favored books and she will grab them and hand them to us, insisting we read them over and over again. I may be making assumptions here, but I think she already has a love for reading... and I'm hopeful it's because we encouraged story time from day one (and even read to her in the womb).
One of her favorite books for us to read to her is The Pout Pout Fish. So when I was brainstorming a list of Halloween costumes we could easily make DIY projects, of course her favorite little fishy friend was one I knew we would have to make come to life.
With that said, this costume is a little more involved than some of the others I'm going to share but definitely not difficult... I will say, the time I spent making this costume was under a couple of hours and the results are epic. So, here it is... I hope this DIY Pout Pout Fish costume spreads the cheery-cheeries around instead of the dreary-wearies, cause it's so cute I couldn't help but smooch, smooch, smoooooochhhhh this sweet little fishy!
To get this project started, you'll want to begin by cutting out the tail. I literally just used a pen to make a rough draft shape of his tail and ta-da. It worked out perfectly. Be careful cutting and be sure to try and keep your edges clean and the sides of his tail even.
Next you'll want to break out the paints. Go ahead and paint his tail, I used an overall coat of light blue, then some blue-green, then green, then a few lines of white, etc. Adding a little glitter at one point and then continuing to paint on top of that added the perfect shimmery effect I was looking to create.
After that, I used scrap pieces of cardboard from making the tail and painted eyes, two circles, with little half circles and tiny circles inside - super simple. Followed by little fins!
While all of this was drying, I took the time to cut out some circular spots from the purple fabric I just happened to have laying around - from an old dress of mine! I also cut out THE most important part of the costume - The Pout Pout fish's mouth!
Next I attached everything to our baby blue romper... and this is where I went wrong. I used tape because our Baby Bird Boutique items are coveted pieces of treasure to us - but I know this costume would have held up and been a lot tougher had I used hot glue or even velcro pieces. With that said, tape totally worked, it just also was tempting and way too easy for Delainey to peel off her Pout Pout eyes or spots!
Last but not least, I added a DDBB itty bitty bow to her head piece and secured it to a nylon headband for comfort!
Now my little Pout Pout Fish is ready to take on the sea and maybe get a few more smooches from her Daddy and me.
So tell me, do you and your kiddos have a favorite book to read together? Is there a book character you would love to see us create a costume of? I'd love to hear your input in the comments below!
I'm super excited to share that Delainey and I are now paid Brand Ambassador for Gerber Childrenswear! What does that mean exactly? It is just is a fancy way of saying this post is sponsored, as always all opinions expressed below are mine alone!
As you know, I have quiet the fashionista on my hands, she loves to dress up and one of her first words was "bow"... so it's safe to say she's a little diva.
WHO does she get that from? Don't look at me! HA.
While we're constantly loving on our favorite brands, Gerber is one that we just keep coming back to. Maybe it's the fact that it's a brand that's been around for generations, so there's a bit of nostalgia while I slip a bodysuit on her that's the same brand I wore when I was little?
Maybe we love Gerber Childrenswear so much because they offer all the basics we'll need, as well as fun coordinated sets like the new ones you can find at Walmart...?
I think it's safe to say, we both like Gerber apparel because these bodysuits make it easy to complete the inevitable diaper changes through out the day with higher-in-the-front snaps. Plus, the ability to slip these on and off her quickly is a huge bonus!
I just know I love that she's snug, safe, and comfortable in her Gerber bodysuits no matter what we're doing. Running errands, gardening in the backyard, or even if we are just having a cozy day around the house crafting... we throw her in a Gerber bodysuit with some matching accessories and she's all set and still perfectly stylish for a one year old.
We love our new set of Gerber Childrenswear bodysuits and socks so much, we dedicated our recent day of crafting to the adorable little elephant design on our favorite suit of the bunch.
Next time maybe we'll attempt her giraffe friend, but for now, here's the deets on how we made this adorable little ele-friend planter inspired by our Gerber bodysuits.
For this project you will need:
Newspaper
Scissors
1 Gallon Jug
Paints (and painting materials) - purple, white, and black for us
Ribbon (if you want to add bows)
Soil & An elephant ear seedling (or a seed of any type of plant will do)
You'll start this project by laying down newspaper, to protect your surface from a toddler with a paintbrush. Next, you'll want to cut the top portion of the jug off, leaving the handle of the jug to play as the trunk of the elephant.
Next you'll want to paint the entire jug one color, in a thin even coat - we used a light purple. Let this dry.
Then add on the details like the D on both sides of the "body" of the elephant to make the ears in a coordinating color, we used a darker purple to match our Gerber bodysuit.. and then add a little half circle for the eyes! Don't forget to scribble on a little tail too!
Next you'll glue two pieces of ribbon together, wrap a smaller piece around that, and glue the ribbon to the ears of the elephant.
Once it's all dry and ready, go ahead and plant your little seedling (or seed) and your little elephant planter is good to go!
It's that easy to get crafty with your toddler and you better believe they will have a blast... well, at least Delainey did!
Oh yeah... and once your done crafting up an elephant planter friend, just a reminder: you don't want to forget to check out Gerber's coordinated baby apparel collection at Walmart! Whether you're looking for your little one or an expectant mama in your life, I guarantee the comfortable, adorable and affordable items in their apparel collection are perfect for any occasion!
Now that I officially have a one year old, things are changing in our house! She is learning new things on the daily and with that we are implementing new rules. It's an exciting stage in all of our lives, especially hers... and I'll be completely honest, she's got the energy of a fire ball, the curiosity of a kitten, and the wit of a genius - I am definitely in trouble y'all.
While we may be in for it in the future, I need to acknowledge a huge milestone we just hit... it's official, we made it to our ultimate GOAL! We went one whole year with mama milk, but now we can officially start to wean and I'm seriously doing a little happy dance with all my free time ( on the other hand, I have to admit I may be crying a little too... my itty-bitty baby is so big now)!
This bittersweet moment is one that I looked forward to during all of our rough patches - you know, the newborn stage, the sleepless nights, the teething spells, all of it was tough. But I will say - nursing her (on demand) until one year old feels like it was the right thing to do for our family... and while I'll miss that bonding time, it also feels like now is the right time to start encouraging her to wean. While I want her to learn to be a little less focused on mama milk, she still needs another source of nourishment to help her grow... and that's where Munchkin's Grass Fed Toddler Milk Drink comes into the picture.
You may be asking yourself, why this Grass Fed toddler milk? What makes this one the right choice?
Here are SIX reasons we decided to make the switch... and if you're in the same "weaning off the breast" boat we are, I think you'll want to take notes and grab a can of this goodness for your babe!
My number one reason for choosing Munchkin Grass Fed Toddler Milk is in the name, it's grass fed! I became a huge fan once I learned it's made with 100% grass fed milk from New Zealand! You may be thinking... what exactly is the benefit of grass fed milk? It provides high levels of Vitamin A & E and a proper balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids. Meaning your baby's tummy will not only be full, but happy and healthy... The way every mama wants their baby to feel after a bottle!
The second reason I decided on Grass Fed Toddler milk is the amazing Lactoferrin, included in every bottle. It's the same immunity booster in breast milk.
Speaking of breast milk, the third reason I chose this milk over others is the fact that it's Lactose based, just like breast milk. While other toddler snacks and drinks tend to use syrup solids or corn syrup, I love that Grass Fed is lactose based providing D a more fulfilling milk just like her mamas!
My fourth reason is that the milk is free of GMO, rBGH, grain, and antibiotics! I'm a big fan of keeping all of those out of her system so I jumped on the chance to grab some of this delicious, healthy milk for her.
That's enough about the things this milk doesn't have in it... I'm excited to share the fifth reason we chose this milk is the fact it contains DHA & ARA to support her brain!
While this wasn't a reason for ME to make the switch, this giveaway is a FANTASTIC way to get brought over to the Grass Fed side of life! It's simple to enter and you could win a ONE YEAR SUPPLY of Munchkin Grass Fed Milk and $1,000 to stock up on all the toddler stuff your heart could desire! Click here to enter!
Disclaimer: Compensation was provided by Munchkin via MomTrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Munchkin or Momtrends.
So, as you've probably noticed around here - my life is totally different as a parent. I thought before I had D that I'd still write about all kinds of things lifestyle related, but you can pretty much tell as you scroll through... I spend all my time mom-ing now. Taking care of baby business and basically living the life of a toddler's snack chef is my 24/7 - I'm not complaining though, this is the life I've always dreamed of. Delainey truly is a blessing and I'm so thankful to get to spend all my time with her.
With that said, I've had to learn to make time for myself too. I'm learning to master the art of balance in my life, in more ways than one really. It's been a struggle over the past year or so, but now that D's nearly 13 months, I'm starting to get the hang of things... maybe? She's teaching me lessons at the same time I'm trying to teach her about life, it's a balancing act in itself and one that'll be a lifelong thing - that's what parenthood really is, after all.
Ultimately, finding "me" time and still making more than enough time for her is my goal. I've been trying to do more for me, without taking away from her... so I've been practicing yoga a little more with her as my partner, meditating as much as possible while embracing her wild and crazy noisy self, and contemplating ways we all can work on balancing our lives - hence today's post.
There's no coincidence I started this new balanced lifestyle in September either, it's National Yoga Month - which means I'm not just trying to balance my life, but I'm working on my "yoga-game" lately as well and trying to find more balance there. The thing is, yoga isn't just an awesome way to build physical balance, it's a great way to center your mind and find balance mentally as well. Are you wanting to find more balance in your life? Here's my list, inspired by my most recent Peace, Love, and Yoga Babbleboxx goodies:
1. Flow - While drinking plenty of water is one important way to maintain balance in your life, the way I'm addressing flow today is more in the manner of "going with the flow". While practicing yoga, listen to your body. When you're having a rough day, try not to sweat the small stuff. Let things roll off your back, instead of worrying about every detail, and you'll soon discover, life is much happier this way.
2. Hard Work - When we have a million voices screaming at us to quit, it's easy to give up... but the thing is - quitting won't get us anywhere.
Whether it's anxious thoughts overwhelming you while prepping for a gym session, the thought of needing to quit while in a tough yoga pose, or the overwhelming urgency of needing to eat making you desperate to break your diet, there's no need to "quit". Hard work always pays off, in your thoughts, in the gym, while practicing yoga, and even when you stick to a tough diet.
With that said, making sure you are getting enough protein as a momma on the go can be tough. Check out how you can ensure your body stays nourished with Ascent Protein — The Official Sponsor of Hard Work. Coming in flavors like chocolate, vanilla bean, and lemon sorbet, I'm always craving these and love being able to make sure my body is getting what it needs, easily in yummy shake form! Want to try this delicious "reward" for all your hard work? Use the code 'YOGA' for 10% off!
3. Escape - I know I'm not the only one that just needs an escape every once in a while. It's not even just limited to a "mom thing". So when I find a book I just love, I have to share. Plus this one is a #1 New York Times Best Seller & one of Oprah's Book Club Selections in 2016, so you know it's good. Love Warrior is a painfully honest book written by Glenn Doyle Melton, about life, about love, about trusting. We are all born to be warriors and this women's memoir is a reminder that we all are powerful, capable, and brave enough to fight for what we want. At the same time, it's super raw and open, about everything. If you're looking for a gripping book, you know, the type with little bits so well-phrased and interesting that you highlight the pages... this is it.
4. Energize - Kombucha is something I've loved since I tried it, not only because it's healthy... but it's actually super tasty! I love trying new foods and I'll try anything once, but the first time I sipped kombucha, I knew it was a life-long love type of thing.
With that said, KeVita Master Brew kombucha has me feeling the same way. Fermented with a kombucha tea culture, has live probiotics, organic acids, organic caffeine (hellllllooooooooo life source), and it's also verified non-alcoholic!
I try to limit myself on kombucha since D is nursing still but I can't wait to try all the invigorating flavors! With options ranging from pineapple peach to root beer, they have kombucha everyone will love.
5. Nourish - On the same yummy note, B.O.S.S. Bars are a new family favorite! With amazing flavor combinations and premium, all raw
ingredients. These are "treats" I don't have to hide from Delainey when
I'm snacking... but sometimes I sneak away for a second anyways, just
to savor the flavor and treat myself, without having to share! LOL.
Why
do I love these so much? With paleo flavors like Dazzle, Think, Move,
Smile, what's not to love? I think so far we have enjoyed the 'Smile'
bar the most, although they all are delicious gluten-free snacks. Which
flavor catches your interest the most? Grab a stash of these goodies here
and you can score free shipping on any 5-pack and/or case of 12 on
their website through October 15, 2017 w/code BABBLEBOSS (or you can
always score some on Amazon Prime)!
6. Sweeten - Some days, life just needs a little sweetness added to it. The most recent addition to the In the Raw sweeteners, NEW Organic Stevia In The Raw is the best way to add that bit of sweetness without worrying about GMOs. This natural sweetener is my favorite way to make sure my espresso tastes just right... and since it comes in tiny little packets, I take it everywhere with me.
7. Freshen - Let's be honest, some days we don't have time to take multiple showers... but chasing these babies around definitely makes us feel a little heated alllllll day long. Or is that just me? Either way, I sometimes feel the need to freshen up mid-day... and when I don't have the time to take an all out shower, I reach for Simply Summer's Eve Cleansing cloths. These little handy-dandy personal care wipes help balance your natural pH and wipe away unwanted, odor causing bacteria - the perfect way to make sure your lady bits stay fresh, no matter how active you are!
8. Switch Perspective - Life really is all about perspective,
trying to find the positive in every situation is really the best way to
look at things - in my eyes, anyways. Nopun intended. The thing is, that isn't always easy. When
things get rough, it's best to allow yourself to be upset for a moment.
Then push past it and find a way to look at it differently.
When baby is throwing a fit and all you want to do is cry with her, instead sit down, get on her eye level and start to play. I almost guarantee that little shift in your behavior will alter her behavior as well. Life really is all about how you look at it, so try and enjoy every moment and find the good in it all. Some days it's nice to take things in from an admiring 1 year old's stance, she definitely makes the mundane seem interesting and the boring seem bright... and what is there not to love about that?!
9. Embrace - On that note, learning to embrace the crazy, the long nights, the crying, and the tough moments has probably been my biggest struggle as a parent. Therefore, it's where I've had to work at balancing life the most since D's arrival. I can honestly say I'm still working on embracing it all, but I try and take it all in now. I find balance in embracing all parts of our daily life by trying to remind myself she's only little once, regardless of how tough she can be.
Even on my busiest of days, I love the moments she needs me. When I'm struggling to get things done, I still love when she just wants mama snuggles and nothing else will do.... and when she only laughs at me and nothing else can make her giggle, those are the moments I'll always cherish. I feel honored that she loves me so much, with this extravagant, over-the-top, adoring type of love... and the thing is, I somehow love her so much more than that.
So tell me, how do you embrace parenthood? How have you achieved balance in your life as a parent? ...or if you're still navigating through the first few years of parenthood (like me), be sure to leave me some input on how you're managing to balance your life right now! Also, be sure to check out all the goodies I shared today, for your chance to refresh, sweeten, and nourish your soul.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. Also, because of my partnership with Gerber, my little one is ineligible to win the Gerber Photo Search or a weekly prize, but you may be eligible so make sure you submit a photo of your baby and/or pet! #GigglesandWiggles #CollectiveBias
Well, I'm not going to sugar coat it, our days have been long for the last week or so. For many reasons, but mainly because we've been dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. We've all been hot, trying to cope with an alternative way of life without electric, and bouncing around between family and friend's houses. I'm not complaining, because it could have been SO much worse... but I will say, it's nice for life to feel a little more normal now.
I know two girls in my life that are loving the "normalcy". We've been able to make our normal Target runs and pick up our favorite snacks (which they are always super excited to munch on). We are loving spending time together doing crafts, snuggling, playing, and just easing back into our daily routine again.
Along with our routine comes drool, thanks to Miss Delainey. Instead of battling the drool spots on her clothes, I decided to get a little crafty... and of course, we couldn't leave Miley out. So I made the girls matching bib-danas and the results were MORE adorable than I ever could have imagined.
Interested in making your sweetie and your pup some cute new accessories like these? Good thing it's a super simple craft!
For these sweet scarf bib-danas you will need:
Fabric with a fun print (or a gorgeous solid would work as well)
Playful trim in a coordinating color
Scissors
Fabric Glue
Tape Measure
Optional: Snacks for your helpers!
You'll begin making these beauties by measuring your puppy's neck & your babe's neck. Then go ahead and cut out two evenly proportioned obtuse triangle shaped pieces from the fabric.
Next, you'll want to fold the longest part of the triangle over once or twice, depending on the size of your pup/babe. Secure this fold with little dots of glue so you know it'll stay in place.
Following that you'll want to measure, cut, place & glue the trim.
Let these beautiful creations dry & then it's time to wear them!
Now that your sweet babes have new bibs, maybe it's a good time to talk about some "eats" for them, as D would say!
Also, I'm loving that I'm able to grab both of their new favorites at Target when I take my weekly "me" time and go browse the aisles.
Probably because it's made with real chicken as the first ingredient and it's blended with other sources of protein to make the perfect combination for my little pooches belly. Plus the omega-6's help brighten her skin and make her coat shine and since she's aging I love that includes glucosamine to help support healthy joints... and it may make her photobombing skills a little better too, as seen below. Haha!
As far as Delainey is concerned, we are always surprising her - today's surprise snacks include Gerber® goodies!
Her new favorite? The Organic Gluten Free Honey Flavored Biscuits! They're made for babies over one, so this was her first time to get to sample these honey biscuits and it's safe to say she's a HUGE fan. I'm a fan because they're organic, gluten free, and filling - what more could a baby (or mama) ask for in a snack?
But I can't dismiss the other items we added to her snack collection recently! We both are big fans of the Gerber Graduates Yogurt Melts Freeze-Dried Yogurt & Fruit Snacks too. They are the perfect snack to munch on during dress up or while we're just scooting around the house and with no preservatives, healthy-for-the-belly live and active cultures, and vitamins A, C and E, I think it's obvious why I'm a fan of these snack time treats for Delainey.
Lastly, but certainly not last in Delainey's book: the Gerber Grabbers Fruit and Yogurt Squeezable Puree in Strawberry Banana. D is a puree-fanatic already, nevermind combining two of her favorite fruits. The best part? These pouches feature Gerber's smart flow technology, making for less mess and less "oops" during snack. I love letting her little tiny hands take control, it's so crazy that she's big enough to handle that responsibility... but it's also so exciting.
Speaking of Gerber & exciting responsibilities, I feel like I have to clue you in on one last thing... The Gerber baby photo contest is NOW underway and to mix things up & keep things as fresh as their food, Gerber is also hosting a Wiggles & Giggles pet & sweet Delainey and Miley and I just had to show off in honor of this.
Want to get in on the Gerber baby fun? It's easy to enter! Get your name in the mix by posting a photo of your sweet kiddo on Instagram (must be a public account) using the hashtag #GerberPhotoSearch2017. You can post up to 10 times and earn your baby $50,000 for capturing the most precious pic. Don't fret, though. The search will be going on through 10/27, so you have plenty of time to get the perfect photo.
Plus, if snapping the perfect photo of your pup (or kitty) & your tiny tot together sounds like an additional challenge you want to take on, you can share a pic of your pooch and your babe, with the hashtags #GerberPhotoSearch2017 and #GerberGigglesandWiggles and get your name in the pool to win one in six $500 cash prize pack, a 1 year supply of baby food, and a 1 year supply of Purina pet food!
Want more info on the contest, you can take a peek at the official rules here or here's a brief summary: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.) and Puerto Rico, who are 18 years of age or older, have a valid Instagram account and/or email address, and are parents of a child 48 months of age or younger and meet certain background check requirements. Enter search by: 11:59:59 pm ET on 10/27/17. For Official Rules, including eligibility and entry requirements, judging criteria and prize descriptions, visit www.Gerber.com/photosearch2017/rules. Void where prohibited.
So tell me, how do you plan to spoil your little wigglers and gigglers? We're pretty big fans of delicious snacks and fun crafts in this house... but I can't wait to hear from you! Also, don't forget to grab some Gerber & Purina goodies from Target and of course, enter the Gerber Baby & Giggle and Wiggles Instagram contests! I can't wait to scroll through the hashtags and see some of your cute babies!
