Insta-lately

 I've been trying to post on Instagram daily.  I post a lot more of my outfits that never make it to the blog for whatever reason, some random shots with my family, and photos out and about.  That last picture is of my August Ipsy bag.  I'm planning a post in a few days to let you know what I think about those products.

 

  

If you want to keep up with my daily adventures on Instagram, you can follow me HERE.

Happy Birthday Paige!

Today is my daughter's 2nd birthday!  I can't believe how fast time has gone!  People always said that it feels like when you blink they grow up and I never believed them, but now my baby is a toddler!  I don't know how long it will take me to get used to that.  She'll always be my little baby.

Dear Paige,

I wanted to write this letter to thank you.  You have shown me how to view the world through your eyes and see the beauty and wonder that I lost in my adult  years.  You have also shown me how to love more deeply than I ever thought possible.  I thought when I feel in love with your daddy that I already knew the greatest love in the world...and then you came and showed me an all new kind of love.  Every time you smile, I can feel it all the way to my soul.  And when you laugh it could shake all of the doubt and sadness out of my body.  

I also want to tell you how proud of you I am.  Every second of every day.  Whether you make a mistake or surprise me with a new skill or word that you learned.  It doesn't matter what you do, I will always be your biggest fan.  You've got this insatiable craving to know every little thing about everything, and I love it.  You just have to figure it out, and you won't rest until you do.

And last but not least thank you for helping me believe in myself.  You look at me with stars in your eyes and know that I will fix anything I can for you.  When you have a nightmare and call for me, I get to be your superhero and chase away the scary thoughts.  And when you get a booboo, you make me feel like with just a hug and kiss I can make all the hurt go away.  You make me feel like I can do anything!

Happy Birthday boopy doo!

I love you baby

<3 Mommy

You can read the very first letter I wrote to my daughter here.  

I am going to be taking the day off to spend every single second kissing and hugging my daughter like crazy....but I will be back tomorrow to catch up on all of your posts.  Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Merry Christmas!!!

I just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday!  I'm taking a little blog break for the day and spending time with my family.  I will catch up on all of your posts first thing in the morning.  I hope all of your Christmas wishes came true this year and you have a great day with family and friends.  Wish me luck I'm cooking my first Christmas dinner!  Eeek!

BLOGTOBER | Favorite photo posted on Instagram

Woohooooo!  It's the weekend!  Oh wait, I'm a stay-at-home mom.... hmmm.  Yayy, my husband is off so I have help!!!  haha!  Just kidding!  It's been a bit of a tough week.  Paige has decided that she no longer wants to take her super amazing 2 hour naps in the middle of the day anymore.  I could cry.  Maybe I'm delirious...?  Her nap time is usually when I accomplish things or just have some quiet "me" time.  I'm going to blame teething...just to make myself feel better and give myself a little hope that one day the amazing 2 hour nap will return.  Please?  I miss you...

Anyway,....  Today is day #4 of the Blogtober Challenge, and today's prompt is: What is your favorite photo you posted on Instagram?

I picked the first photo I ever got to take of my little girl, Paige.  I know, I know, I just spent the whole beginning of this post grumping about the whole no-nap situation, but I can't even begin to explain the feeling you get when they hand you your little one for the very first time.  I felt like I was watching it in the third person as everything was happening but as soon as they gave her to me, the most intense feeling of joy and pride overcame me.

She's already over a year and a half old and sometimes she can be a little terror. haha!  But other times just the way she looks at me makes my heart jump.  Love my crazy little kiddo <3

We made it to the zoo!!

If you remember earlier this Summer I posted a Summer bucket list and one of the things that I wanted to do was take Paige to the zoo!  We finally made it!  It's been hard with everything to find a day to go between events and rain, but we did it.  She LOVED it too!  I'm so happy we were able to go.

Paige loved the big Kee cats!  They were definitely her favorite!  I think she giggled for five minutes straight when she saw them.

The cheetah enclosure was SO CLOSE too!  There was just the metal fence, about 4 feet of space and then the wooden "rail" that Paige was leaned up against.  It was really cool to see them so close, but I won't lie.... It made me a little nervous being that close.  It really looked like he could have climbed the fence if he wanted to.

Paige really loved all of the monkeys too.  She kept pushing her face up against the glass because she wanted to get to them.

We all had such an amazing time.  Paige behaved herself the whole time even though she had to stay in the stroller or be held most of the time.  I was shocked!  She can't stand not being able to run around. LOL

We even bought her an ice cream sundae to celebrate!

We were a little disappointed that there were no bears when we went tho.  I guess they were fixing the enclosure.  The polar bears have a really cool area with a swimming pool and there is an underwater tunnel that you can walk through to see them swimming above you.  It's super neat and I would have liked to show Paige, but there's always next year!

Here's a photo from a few years ago with my hubby and I went.  Pretty neat, huh??

Did you get to go to the zoo this year??

18 months!

Today Paige is officially a year and a half old!  I can't believe how fast time flies!

You've learned how to:

* Point to your eyes, nose, mouth, hair, belly button, and toes.

* You know what sounds kitty cats, dogs, owls, and cows makes.

* You give high fives like nobody's business and you just learned the "fist bump"

* Climb onto the couch

* Throw and kick your ball

* Say around 30-40 words.  No real sentences yet but you are getting there!

Your favorite things are:

* Mickey Mouse

* Playing guitar with daddy

*Dancing

* Crayons

* You still love books

* Owls and kitty cats

* Climbing everything

You amaze me every day with the new things you learn.  Such a smart little girl already!  You make your mom and dad proud.

A letter to my daughter

Dear Paige,

Just because you are a girl doesn't mean that you aren't allowed to get dirty.  Jump in mud puddles.  Make mud pies.  Get that finger paint all over yourself.....but try to avoid mommy's carpet if you can.

Don't grow up too fast.  I know you won't be my little girl forever, but sometimes you just need to be a kid.

Work as hard as you can.  Your dad and I will do our best to give you everything that you NEED, but unfortunately we won't be able to give you every single thing you want.  Even if we hit the lottery, you need to learn to work hard to bring in your own money...because we won't always be around.

Learn from your mistakes.  You are going to make a few along the way but don't keep making the same ones and expect different results.  And whether you succeed or fail, you are loved.

Laugh like crazy every chance you get.  Life can be cruel sometimes so enjoy even the smallest moments.

Don't be a bully.  You will learn as you get older that some people are mean just to be mean.  Don't let it change the good person that I know you will be.  That being said, don't take anyone's crap either!  Protect yourself, always!  Don't throw the first punch, but make sure you defend yourself.

It's okay to cry sometimes, it does not make you weak or any less of a person.

Know that I am always going to be your best friend...but first and foremost I am your mother.  Sometimes I'm going to make you mad.  Just try to understand that I always have your best interests in mind.

Don't be afraid to be different.  Just be you.  I know there will be a lot of pressure to act and look a certain way but never lose sight of who you are. You are beautiful.

Never stop learning.  Right now you are like a sponge trying to soak in all the information you can and I love it but as you get older you are going to think that you know it all.  You don't.  You will learn something new every single day.

Be kind to animals.  Pets know nothing in this world but how to love you unconditionally.  Love them back.  You will never have a better friend in the world than your pet.

Choose your friends wisely. A good friend will treat you like family.  They will have your back, encourage you, support you, and love you.

There will be some people who have more than you but material things do not equal happiness.

Learn to say no.  Don't do things that make you uncomfortable

And ALWAYS know how much I love you <3

Love,
Mama xoxoxox

Paige's first time at the beach

 Late in July my husband and I took our little one to the beach for the very first time.  The whole week beforehand we were talking about how miserable this trip was going to be because we were SURE that she was going to absolutely hate the beach......We were wrong.

She LOVED it!  She was playing in the sand and splashing around in the water whenever it would come up and hit her feet.  She had so much fun!

Normally she is very sensitive to hot weather, hates dirt sticking to her hands, and she was terrified when we took her to a local water park.  But she was loving the sand, even though it was caked all over her body.  Every time a little wave would come up by her feet she would squeal with excitement and stomp her feet through it.

We did learn on the way there that swimmy diapers suck!   It was a 30 minute drive to the beach so we decided to throw the swimmy diaper on her before we left the hotel.  When we got to the beach she had soaked through the diaper and her clothes and also soaked the carseat....awesome.  So a big thumbs down to those swimmys. Boooo!

The second thing that we learned is that sand is the most difficult thing EVER to get off of a little one!  Especially when they don't have showers on the beach to wash it all off!  Yikes!  I ended up having to wipe her down under one of those "foot showers" outside of a hotel (don't judge!).  I was worried about getting it all off of her before her sensitive skin started getting chaffed.  I even bought her a new outfit on the boardwalk to change her into since the other one was "pee-soaked".

Hopefully next year we will be able to go to the beach for more than just one day.  Maybe next year she will even be big enough to ride the rides!

Packing for vacation with an 18 month old & a giveaway!!

via

Next week we are taking our first weekend vacation with our daughter who is a year and a half old.  We are going to my family reunion (which just so happens to be near the beach) for 4 days and 3 nights.  I like to be over-prepared so I've been working on this list for a couple months just to make sure I have everything we need.  

I'm not really sure how well the 7 hour car ride is going to go with our VERY active little one, but my guess is that she will be screaming like crazy after the first hour... I hope I'm wrong.  We bought her a couple new toys to give her throughout the car ride just to keep her busy.

MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS:

* Money/Debit Card
* Photo I.D.
* Cell Phones and chargers
* Camera and accessories
* Hotel reservation info
* Prescription medicines

BABY STUFF:

* Small toys and/or books
* Sippy cups
* Diaper and baby wipes
* Pack n Play - for bedtime
* Favorite toy- her stuffed owl
* Travel stroller
* 2 bathing suits
* 6 outfits (just in case)
* 3 sets of pajamas
* 2 pairs of shoes/sandals
* Blanket
* Swim diapers
* Diaper cream
* Diaper bag

FIRST AID AND PERSONAL CARE:

* Sunblock- (for adults and baby)
* Tylenol/Aleve (for adults and baby)
* Bug spray
* Benedryl
* Travel size dish soap (for washing slobbery sippy cups)
* Toothbrushes and toothpaste
* Deodorant
* Shampoo/Conditioner and body wash
* Razor and shaving cream
* Hand sanitizer
* Face/Body lotion
* Snacks- lots of 'em!
* Hairbrush
* Insect repellent
* Daily Vitamin
* 3 Beach towels
* Plastic bags (for soiled or wet clothing)

FOR MYSELF:

*Beach bag/purse
* 2 pairs of sandals
* 1 closed-toe pair of shoes (just in case we go to an amusement park)
* 1 beach cover-up dress
* 2 bathing suits
* 3 tank tops
* 2 shorts
* 3 night clothes
* Undergarments
* Makeup
* Jacket (for when the sun goes down)
* Sunglasses

We are also bringing a small cooler with drinks and fruit.

I can't really include a list of my hubby's things he packed because he is the typical male.  He goes into the bedroom, grabs random stuff, and he's good to go. haha!  Men!

Did I leave anything out??  What would you bring on a trip with a little one?

I am also co-hosting a giveaway over at So Much Sunshine for an $80 gift card to Target! Who doesn't love Target....besides my bank account.  To enter use the rafflecopter below:

Taylor - TMPhotography //Julie - JM Artwork // Erin - South to Southwest // Kasi - Birch Juice Blog

Anne -Love The Here and Now // Sarah Christine - Sarah Christine Style // Brittany - Blissfully Britt // Erica - So Much Sunshine

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Three Rivers Arts Festival

I've lived in Pennsylvania for a very long time and I am obviously a HUGE lover of the arts, so it may come as a surprise to you that I have never gotten my butt out to the Pittsburgh Arts Festival!  The festival showcases over 300+ artists from all over the country!  They also have live bands, a bunch of different food booths, and a craft section for younger children.

This year the festival ran from June 6th-13th.  We went last Sunday and had a lot of fun!  Little miss Paige got a little cranky because she was hot and she wanted to run free but other than that it was great.  She loved the fountain.

I've decided that I am going to try to be a showcasing artist next year at the festival.  I have to wait until open submission time at the end of this year to try to get accepted, but fingers crossed I will get to try it out next summer!

Having a momma moment

I'm sorry if I haven't been getting back to all of your comments and your new posts as fast as I normally do.  I've been snuggling with this little bug and I haven't been able to pull myself away.  I can't get enough of her cute little face.  

I was looking through pictures over the weekend and actually had myself a good cry looking at all of her pictures and watching her grow.  I can't believe she's almost a year and a half old!!  Yeeessh! She will be 1 year and 4 months in a few days..

She is such a sweetheart and does the nicest things...  I had a migraine and was laying on the couch and she went and got her "Whoo whoo" (owl) that she sleeps with every night and she handed him to me and gave me a kiss on the forehead and pushed the hair out of my face...just like we do with her every night and at nap time.  It's the little things!  I hope she always keeps her kind heart. 

Paige's hair is finally long enough for pig tails!!  I am way too excited about that!

Being a stay at home mom is the best "job" I've ever had <3

My Summer Bucket List

Last year Paige was still too young to do a lot of things so I spent most of my summer indoors. This year now that she is a little older (15 months) and able to move around, I am really excited to go out and do a bunch of things.  I've started a list of things that I want to do while the weather is nice.

1. Drive in movie- Because, why not?!  I think it would be a lot of fun, and it's something I haven't done since I was a little girl.  Last movie I saw at the drive-in was Jurassic Park...yeah, it's been that long!
2. Trip to the zoo -  I think it would be really fun to see the look on my daughter's face when she sees all of the big "kee cats".  She LOVES animals.
3. Hiking-  I'm a very big outdoorsy girl, so I love hiking trails...or making our own.  My husband and I hike near the state park and go rock climbing.
4. Watch fireworks-  I missed them last year because Paige was still so young and needed to go to bed.  This year it will be past her bedtime but maybe if we are out with people she won't be terrible.  Wishful thinking maybe??  She loves lights so I think she will enjoy seeing them.
5. Hang out by the pool- So, last year I was only in a pool once....for 10 minutes.  Yeah...I reeeally need to find a pool. Paige loves bathtime so she should like that too!
6. Go to a food festival- I LOVE to eat!  I should seriously be 300lbs.  I like the food festivals because they set up stands with food from all around the world so you get to try all kinds of new things.  But who am I kidding, I always go for the pierogies, halushki, and bourbon chicken. Mmmmm!!
7. Go to an amusement park-  I haven't been to the local amusement park (Kennywood) in 3 years!  That's craziness!  I want to ride some roller coasters and feel the wind in my hair and scream until I lose my voice.  Okay maybe not the second part...
8. Be a beach bum-  I also haven't been to the beach in a couple years.  I used to go every year of my life, but sometimes life just gets in the way.  BUT this year I already have a hotel booked!  We are going for a long weekend at the end of July, since I have to be out that way for a family reunion anyway.  This will be Paige's first time at the beach.  She may hate it because she hates when things stick to your hands and thats all sand does...All. Day. Long.
9. Have a bon fire-  Nothing says summer like roasting up some marshmallows and keeping warm by the fire.  And of course SMORES!  I like to make Sm-oreos.  A roasted marshmallow between an oreo...so sweet!
10. Play in the sprinkler-  Because every once and a while you have to act like an 8 year old.  Also,  I have a kid so I can use her as an excuse. haha!!

Ohiopyle State Park, PA

My husband had a long weekend off so we decided we wanted to go somewhere fun....but affordable.  Money is a little tight right now, so we stayed local.  I'm actually really glad we did!

Ohiopyle is so beautiful!  There are waterfalls, rapids, and lots of trails for bike riding or walking.  People were even in bathing suits swimming at the bottom of the waterfall.

 The weather was perfect!  Not too hot and there was a nice breeze.  Being out there made me just wish I could stay forever.  It's so beautiful.  Check out this view from the walking bridge!!

Of course we had to stop for a little snack too! She was a little trooper!  She walked with us on the trail so good (obviously we held her near the waterfall and the rocks).  She was so happy just to be able to run free.

My hubby and I are trying to make plans to white water rafting later this summer...It's kind of expensive so FINGERS CROSSED!!