Oh, hey - it's me!

So, if you're a regular around here, you may have noticed we've been kinda MIA lately. I guess you could say I took a little hiatus... I'll admit, I wasn't blogging on a regular basis, I was kinda slackin' on social media, and I was really concentrating on my other gig - Bloomology Boutique. So, ummmm, hello again! We're officially back now! :)

I'm so excited to be back and this time I'm putting things in perspective. Making florals for my friends and nurturing Bloomology will still be a huge priority for me, don't get me wrong... but I'm also taking the time to share more here again. After all, blogging is truly my passion.

You'll notice some changes coming soon, hopefully you'll think they're all awesome. I'm going to be sharing some tutorials on how I managed to become a blogger. I have aspirations to share posts on my photography style, so keep an eye out for those! I plan on sharing lots more useful parenting tips and toddler-related activities. I can't wait to share more DIY inspo and real life advice. I look forward to sharing more of what we both love and I hope you'll enjoy my efforts.

With that said, what's one thing you hope I'll share more of on the blog? I'd love to hear your thoughts below!

Improve The Future For Your Children While Enjoying Your Morning Coffee!

This post is sponsored by the Florida Prepaid College Board, through my role as a Believer Blogger. All thoughts are my own.

Every single day is BUSY for us lately. With changing up our lifestyle to be a tad bit healthier and trying to squeeze in time for the blog, my blooms, and my babes, I feel like I never have enough time to do... well, anything.

If you're in the same boat as me... well, more like "treading water" like me. You may not have much time to do much of anything, especially something as time consuming as planning for the future.

So, I took a break from our hectic schedules to compile 4 ways you can improve the future for your children over your morning coffee:

1. Proper Nourishment - Step one in changing the future for your children is making sure you provide their body's with the best possible food selections you can. Choose organic, offer tons of fruits and veggies, and provide plenty of variety. Being properly fed will ensure your child's health is always optimal.

2. College Tuition - With Student Loan debt reaching $1 Trillion among Americans this year, it's a no brainer to start your kiddo's college fun now. Whether your little wild child is 16 months or 16 years old, NOW is the time to start planning for their college years.

It's tough to imagine now, but I know I'm going to blink and it'll be time to take Delainey off to college. I don't want to saddle her with debt for years to come or have to stress about paying for tuition as one lump sum, so I'm trying to do everything I can to plan ahead and help her succeed!

With a Florida Prepaid Plan you (and others in your family) can start to gather funds to help provide a college education for your child, at a reasonable rate per month. Interested in signing up, check out all the Florida Prepaid Plans available here and be sure to use the code LAUREN1718 to save $25 off your application fee... but go ahead & fill it out now, open enrollment ends in

You can literally fill this baby out in minutes while sipping your coffee and then you'll have things sorted out for your baby's college years. Trust me, this is the easiest way to make sure your kiddo can get the college education they deserve! Learn more about Florida Prepaid and how it'll work for your family.

3. Recycle - The next way I think every single family should plan for the future is recycling! Making sure your kiddo has a healthy, happy world to live in means keeping unnecessary trash out of landfills! Take a second and sort your recycling, reuse materials and do you part in keeping our planet clean! In many counties you can find public recycling bins or have your recycling picked up on the curb... and the best part is, you can teach your kiddos about recycling so they continue the tradition.

4. Smile - The last way you can ensure your child has a happy future is probably the easiest, you just need to smile more. Whether it's forced through some frustration or a genuine smile, sometimes you just gotta grin to show your kiddo that everything is okay.

Instead of stressing about all that needs to be done, take a deep breath, listen to your kiddo tell you about their Barbie's and smile.

So tell me, are you prepared for the future? If not, don't stress... Today is the day to start planning and you can get the college funds thing sorted out now - just click here & be sure to use our code - Lauren1718 to save some cash!

Help Your Dog Lead a Better Life in 2018

2017 was a crazy year for us and our dogs... We said goodbye to our sweet poodle love unexpectedly and then later in the year our little mix, Miley, had to have surgery. So, let's just say we hope for a better year this year for our canine companion.

With that said, we're not just hoping for a better year for Miley, we all want to have a better year... so we're all doing things to achieve that. From taking more time for things we love, to filling our bodies with the nurtients we need - we all are ringing in the new year the right way with a new, improved routine.

And by all, I truly mean all of us... even this crazy, cute little love bug mutt! She's already on top of her game and doing great the past few weeks, so I can't imagine how she'll feel once this new lifestyle is truly just routine to her!

Are you wondering how your dog can lead a better, more fulfilling life in 2018... well, here ya go:

1. Start with the vitamins - I'll be honest, until this year Miley had never taken a vitamin. I honestly had never thought to give her one. But after our scare with her last year, it was a must that we do everything we can to ensure health... including supplying her body with nutrients it needs. Thank goodness for Milk-Bone Good Morning Daily vitamins, now we know she's getting what she needs and she loves it because it tastes like a treat!

2. Don't forget those pearly whites - I've heard other dog owners talk about doggy breath issues, but luckily Miley doesn't have that problem... maybe it's because we've always been big on providing her with teething items like bones. I will say, as she's gotten older, you can definitely see her age in her teeth - but that's just how aging works. So when I heard about Milk-Bone Brushing Chews Dental Treats, I knew this would be the perfect way to ensure that her teeth remain healthy and fresh!

Delainey is a total animal lover and although she's a tiny tot, she already knows how important it is to keep her dog (and ALL dogs) healthy! So when we run into Target, which we do often, she's always sure to point out her friend Bullseye and remind mama to grab Miley's treats, each and every time! And... well, I think she's a pretty big fan of getting to hang out with a big, happy pup after doing a little shopping!

3. These paws are made for walkin' - Speaking of hanging out with dogs... getting fresh air and staying active and healthy is probably the whole family's favorite part of our new routine in the new year. Miley LOVES getting to go explore the neighborhood on walks and roaming around our backyard and I'm pretty sure Delainey enjoys it just as much. They both will just stand in the yard and bask in the sunlight... and well, it's pretty much the most adorable thing ever.

4. Keep things safe - Another thing I'm really trying to emphasize in the new year is Miley's cage being used as her safety haven. It's always been one of her favorite spots to nap so when Delainey came into the picture, I knew it would be a good place for her to seek shelter from the storm of having a toddler running around and I was totally right, she loves hiding out and getting some shut eye in there while Lainey is running around reeking havoc. With that said, I'm teaching Lainey that Miley's cage is ONLY for Miley and allowing Miley a truly safe space away from poking toddler hands and grabby little digits. LOL. I think she appreciates it; after all... she is the age of a grandmother in dog years, so I think she needs to rest a little more than her toddler sister.

With that said, I better go corral my troops and get them ready for a little bit of outside time - I think we all could use some fresh air. So, tell me, what will you do to ensure your family and your dog have a better year this year? If you're thinking about incorporating Milk-Bone Daily Vitamins or Brushing Chews into your routine, you'll definitely want to check out this Cartwheel offer for 10% off!

The Winning Game Plan for Game Day - 3 Easy & Delicious Dishes!

This post is sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

In our house, Game Day is a BIG DEAL. We get pretty into it.

I mean, let's get real, though...  it's only partially because of the game. I'm not even joking when I tell you, we're all about the snack-y goodness in our house and game days just give us the chance to share & enjoy our favorite dishes with our family and friends!

Speaking of which, we had a busy day watching the game, playing around, and snacking with our buddies recently. From playing football with my favorite little gal to quickly throwing together some of our foodie MVPs, the day was perfect.

Interested in our "game plan" and the snacks we served up... here's the low down:

We had delicious little Buffalo Wyng & ranch sliders, tasty Hillshire Farm®  Salami & mozzarella antipasticks, & sweet n' savory bacon-wrapped Lit'l Weenies! Each super simple to make and so amazing your friends will be begging for your recipe... so don't forgot to pin this tasty goodness and tell them to as well!

As far as the recipes go, I've made this easy... below you'll find a photo for each recipe, with the ingredients listed - just below each photo I've included simple step by step directions to make each dish!

To make these delicious Tyson Boneless Buffalo Wing & Ranch Sliders, you'll simply follow the directions on the Any'tizers packaging, drizzle a little bit of ranch across the bottom of a slider bun, place 2 pieces of the cooked chicken wyngz and top with some Mozzarella, place the top of the bun... and enjoy!

This simple treat is the perfect mixture of savory and sweet! You can whip this up quickly and let these yummy treats bake while you work on something else for a second. All you need to do is preheat the oven to 400 degrees, cut your bacon into thirds, and wrap the bacon around weenies. Secure with a tooth pick and drizzles Brown Sugar across it all, to add the perfect sweet little touch.

Another recipe that is bound to be your MVP is this Antipastick deliciousness. To make these sticks of goodness, you'll simply chop your grapeseed tomatoes in half and place a toothpick in them. Next you'll top with folded pieces of Hillshire Farms Hard Salami, a tiny chunk of avocado, and a little mozzarella ball.

Now it's time to enjoy!

Are you planning your own game day extravaganza? Don't fret, you can get all the goodies for these recipes at Walmart! Oh, and before I forget, be sure to click here to find out how you can buy, collect, and score with the Walmart Winning Lineup Rewards Program... because who doesn't want to score on game day?!

Our Bedtime Routine at 16 Months Old

This post is sponsored by Gerber, regardless all opinions expressed below are completely my own.

Did you see us? We're what I call "officially official"! While I'm super shy and awkward in front of a video camera, we did it...  my cute little chunk and I made our debut on Facebook LIVE and if you caught it, you'll know one of the few tips I'm going to share today already!

With that said, today I'm dishing out all the details on how we get Delainey into sleep mode each night. As I mentioned in our live, she sadly isn't a through-the-night sleeper yet... But we've mastered the technique of getting her to sleep so I thought I'd share for other mamas that are going crazy trying to get their tiny tots to sleep.

We'll start with the bit I mentioned in our video, socks! We want to always provide comfort so we choose Gerber socks, since they are the softest... and of course, the coordinating Gerber PJ sets, mittens, towels, etc. from Walmart are also super soft and among our favorites.

We choose Gerber because it's a brand we can trust and I mean, how cute does she look in this?

The next thing we do is a bath! My former bath-hater suddenly did a 180 and now pleads to take a bath all day long. Post dinner seems to be the best time for us and it just so happens it's become part of her night time routine now. I love getting to watch her splash and enjoy the water... and it probably comes as no surprise that both her washcloth and her towel are from the Gerber Childrenswear line we adore so much.

Speaking of adoration, my favorite part of our night time routine is getting some cuddles in - We always sit down and read books before we officially say night night and we both love this time..

Find the right bed - While we planned for Delainey to sleep in her crib every night... it just doesn't always happen. She loves her Dockatot though. It's been a real life saver and actually has helped us all sleep better. I know she's safe and she feels safe... it's a total must-have for us!

Lastly, make some noise! Well, I mean, don't start banging pots and pans, but don't walk on tippy toe all the time either. You'll want your baby to be able to sleep through some things. We use a sound machine with a beach sound to soothe her and it's truly been with us every night of her life. It's a must in my book.

Now, tell me, if you have a through the night sleeper or a little early riser like D, what's your bedtime routine look like?