Our Holiday & Weekend Recap

The holiday came and went so fast! I had planned on writing a big post filled with pictures and stories, but then we took like 2 pics that day. We charged up our DSLR camera, took it to Nana’s and didn’t get a single picture of anyone! It was such a fun Christmas and Ellie loved opening all her gifts, she wanted to play with each one that she opened until she opened the next one. She was absolutely spoiled this year by the family; dolls, strollers, books, Little People sets, and Frozen everything. We have to keep a few toys in their box for her to open and play with later (we usually keep a few put away and bring them out little by little over a few months) and I have a ton of cleaning and organizing to do in our playroom.

We didn’t get her a “big” gift this year because we couldn’t decide between a kids table (we’re looking at this one) and a kitchen set (we like this one and this one). I know she would enjoy both, but I didn’t want to get her too much so we decided we would get her some toys that would work for both and decide in the new year which she would enjoy most now and get the other item for her 2nd birthday. We gave her a ton of art supplies- Crayola Triangle Crayons, Gem Crayons, Paint Dabbers, Color Magic Markers & Notepad for her to use at a table and then Santa brought her some Sprouts Food Baskets (ours are from Costco and comes with a breakfast, lunch, and dinner basket) for a kitchen set. We figured we would see which she would get the most use of at this time to buy first. She uses a kitchen during free play at pre-school, but never uses the one at her Nana and Papa’s house, so I wanted to wait on it. She uses a table at both pre-school and her grandparents and I know that would always be good to have, but I have no idea where we would keep it and I have a place for the kitchen set in mind. So we’re waiting to see which we should get first.

Our only family pic from the day. Toddler life is not for the weak.

We’ve been playing and playing with all of her Christmas gifts and I had to work both Friday and Saturday so we took the rest of the weekend easy. Saturday night Matt and I rented Maleficent and filled up our bellies with holiday treats and pork rinds (a rare indulgence for us). Sunday, Ellie and I were both kind of tuckered out so we mostly napped and watched a Tinkerbell movie on Netflix. We did make it out of the house for a quick Target run, which forced us to get dressed for the day (only to come home and get back into jammies). Ellie insisted on buckling her baby in the cart to keep her safe too. It was the cutest thing!

I’m very excited for New Year’s Eve this year, last year and the year before that I was sick. This year we’re having a few people over for dinner and dessert. We’re excited to have plans this year! Hope you all have a great week!

Our Christmas Card

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
I hope tonight and tomorrow is filled with love, joy, and magic this holiday season.

Our Weekend (kind of)

Although the post is titled "Our Weekend", it's more like the last few days that led up to the weekend. We've been so busy getting ready for the holiday, my Dad flew in on Saturday night to stay for a week, my sister and her fiance are going to spend time with us, so I took advantage of some days off to get all my shopping done.

Must not buy one of each, must not buy one of each

I really should have bought more candy for the house. I thought I'd be good and only buy a pound of nuts and chews for Matt and I and they're almost gone! Why did I choose a week full of visitors to be healthy? Terrible life choice. Even though our visitors are family, I find it so stressful to have people stay with us. I always want to make sure they're comfortable and we have everything they need. Anyone in that boat?

I was able to get my hair done for the holidays, it's a bit darker than before (I think, but maybe it just faded?) and I really love the color. I planned on trimming it and giving it more of an angle, but the day before my appointment I had an awesome hair day. Doesn't that seem to always happen? I think I'll start growing it out and trimming it every other time.Here's a pic of my hair, not shown is Ellie playing in the mirror at her 18 month check up.

Plaid Shirt 

Ellie made for a great shopping partner after our scream filled visit to see Santa. It really made for a great pic though!

Shirt // Bow

Since this past week has been rainy and cold and we couldn't really play outside, an indoor craft would have to do. Ellie made all her grandparents some ornaments. I was afraid that this would turn into a huge mess, but it was really easy to clean up! If only it lasted longer than 10-15 minutes.

I used a dollar store table cloth to cover our table and an old sleep shirt of mine that I tied in the back to use as a smock. After the ornaments dried, I sprayed some sealant on them to help them last a lifetime. I bought high gloss, but it really just kept paint at the same original gloss they already had. I was hoping it would add some more shine. We also wrote cute message on the back in gold marker. I can't wait for the grandparents to open them on Christmas morning!

Paints // Ornaments (Hobby Lobby) // Acrylic Sealer 

Ellie and I were able to meet up with one of my closest friends and chat over dinner at Pieology. It was our first time there and it was so fun! You can make your own pizza to be made or choose one of their signature pies. It was delicious! Ellie was making friends with everyone around us, it was so cute.

We both chose a margherita style pizza with their cinnamon sugar pie for dessert.

Matt and I braved the stores before the weekend started to stock up on groceries. We planned out our dinners and what we needed in general and got it all so we wouldn't have to go back while we had visitors. Although, I'm sure we'll have to get one or two things that will pop up.

Jeans //  Sandals // Sweater (super old) // Purse (old, similar)

Yes, it's the week of Christmas and we're still wearing sandals over here. No shorts though, we're too sissy in this "cold".

Hope you're all having a great time leading up to Christmas! Travel safe and drink lots of cocoa!

Ellie's Christmas Wishlist

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year (just like everyone else in the world) and it’s so much better now that I have a child to share it with. All of the holidays are better with children. Seeing the magic through their eyes, the wonder, it fills the season with more joy. We’ll be heading off to see Santa this week and here are some items on her wishlist:

Frozen Toddler Anna & Elsa Dolls // Frozen Slippers // Etch a Sketch // Disney Dolls // Gumball Machine // Housekeeping Set // Color Wonder Markers and Pages // Chunky Puzzles

Last year we had a great visit with Santa, she just stared at him and was so curious. This year I think it’s going to be a scream and run type of stranger danger situation. Wish us luck! What’s on your little one’s list this year? 

House to Home: Master Bedroom Reveal

There are certain times in your life that you truly feel like an adult. A real adult and not just a kid pretending to be grown up. Experiences like buying your first car, getting kitchen items (Mixing bowls that are dishwasher safe and stack well? Yes!), buying home goods (we need more throw pillows!), or getting furniture. The real kind. The kind that costs real money and lasts for decades.

Two weeks ago, I had that “Whoa, I’m thirty and buying legitimate furniture” moment. I’ve talked before about master bedroom inspirations and we talked about getting some in the new year. Since I was in the third grade, I’ve been using furniture that was handed down to me from my Great Grandmother. I love the furniture, they have a great shape with big deep drawers, and if Matt and I were using matching chests I would just refinish them and keep using them. I’m sick of our room and have been dreaming of giving it a makeover since we moved.

At first we were planning on just painting the room a soft white and we picked up some paint sample cards to narrow down our options. I had them taped up and after looking at them for almost a week we settled on three different shades that we would buy samples of and planned to paint in the next week. That little job would keep me happy until we were able to find furniture we liked.

Well…We had spent the night at Matt’s parents’ home and decided to go with them to look for a new couch for their home and ending up getting a whole new bedroom set and mattress! We went with the intention of helping them look at furniture and thought we’d look around to see what options are available and get an idea of what we liked. When we saw the set we had chosen, we just knew right away that it was perfect for what we were looking for! We didn’t have to debate about it or mull it over before we decided to make the set our own.

I’m glad we didn’t paint yet, because now we can choose a color based off our new furniture. I’m sure that any of the neutral colors we were looking at would still work, but I like being able to see how it will look against the furniture and lighting. There’s still lots to do and get before it will be “complete”, but I’m happy with our progress so far.

Bedroom Furniture // Large Mirrored Frame // Small Mirrored Frame // Silver Frame // Crystal Ring Holder // 3 Mirror Set (from Kohls, unavailable online similar here and here) // Sheets // Bedding

Here's a close up of the colors we're leaning towards. We're gonna pick up some samples and see how they look over the existing paint color and in the different lights of day.

Here are some items I’m still looking to get:

- Something to put above our headboard
I’m thinking a large mirror, but that might be too much with the mirror items above the dresser. My cousin gave me a vintage window pane I thought about putting above, but it’s much larger than I had anticipated and I’m going to put it downstairs instead now. Right now I’m just on the hunt for something and I have an idea that I’ll know it when I see it. Until then, any suggestions?

- An area rug
I love the look of a rug coming from under the bed, it really opens up the room and adds some color. I'll have to test it out because I don't want it to be distracting or too busy.

- Lamps
I’m torn between long skinny silver lamps or clear lamps. I like the look of both and I keep switching between which kind I prefer. I also love the look of mercury glass too. There’s so many choices! I love this, this, and this one.

- Bench
There are so many cute options available for benches at great prices. I think it would be nice to find one that doubles as a storage for extra sheets/bedding. I love this tufted one and this storage one.

- TV Mount
We’re ordering a mount right now so I can’t wait to get that puppy up on the wall. It’s going to look so good.

- Drapes
Here another item I’m kind of dreading buying. When we bought the soft blue ones for the living room, we had bought a few different ones before we found the right ones. I think it would be nice to go with a white, gray, or a pattern. I have no idea and I haven’t even started looking at any yet.They're definitely a priority, but I'm procrastinating in getting it started.

There's our room for now! I love our new furniture and am so happy with our purchase. There's so much more space and I love the look of the furniture. The color and style are exactly what I wanted. One of my favorite details is the jewelry drawer with a tray on the top. It's already getting lots of use and I love having somewhere lined to keep them.

Any suggestions, please leave them below! We have a lot to do before the room is "finished".

Our Thanksgiving Weekend

Our holiday weekend was so much fun and went by so quickly. On Wednesday, my sister and her fiancé came by for the night and we had a great time catching up, eating Chinese food, and talking about their wedding planning. On Thanksgiving, Matt, Ellie, and I woke up bright and early and started our holiday baking. We were in charge of bringing a dessert and two dishes of green bean casserole. It was nice to get them out of the way and enjoy the late morning relaxing and getting ready. We were able to have some hot chocolate and watch TV without having to rush out the door.

Thanksgiving was so much fun and I loved seeing all of our family there together. The food was delicious and Ellie and I finally busted out our Mama + Me matching outfits. I just need to snag a fur vest now….

After we were stuffed to the max we headed to Matt’s parents house to put Ellie down and I went out with my girlfriend for some Black Friday shopping. This is our third year going again and it was another successful trip for the books! I’m really disappointed that so many stores were open so early (or even all day) on the Holiday. Part of the magic and fun of Black Friday is staying up late or waking up early to stand in line. We were always prepared for the line with chairs, blankets, hot drinks, snacks and games. It’s kind of like the drive to Vegas for us- fun filled with excitement! We waited until our usual time to go out (9pm) and we were able to still snag everything on our lists! We took it easy this year and just went to Kohls, Ulta, and Target. I had planned to head over to Old Navy and Toys R Us too, but I didn’t need to after the 3rd stop. What was so great at Target is that there wasn’t a single person in line to check out! Fantastic!

After coming home and sleeping a few hours, my family and I went out with my sister to try on some wedding dresses! We have some more appointments for her in the upcoming weeks, but it was exciting to be there to share in the special moment. She’s going to have such a hard time finding a dress because they all looked beautiful on her. She’s going to make such a gorgeous bride!

This past weekend, my sister also asked me to be her Matron of Honor! We promised each other when we were children that we would be each other’s Maid/Matrons of Honor and it’s sweet that the promise is being kept. She gave each of us bridesmaids (she has 2 more to ask) a Christmas ornament as a keepsake of the special occasion. It’s been so fun to call/text each other with fun wedding ideas and add pins to her Pinterest board. I already have some ideas for her shower and bachelorette, as soon as the new year comes I’ll be on it!

Saturday I had to go in to work for a few hours and Matt and Ellie were supposed to meet up with his family for a short camping trip, but Ellie came down with the flu. It was the first time she’s ever thrown up and I felt so bad for her. All she did was want to cuddle all day and watch Frozen, so that’s exactly what we did! Thankfully she was over the bug by Sunday and was back to her usual silly self.

 

Sunday, we were so productive! I love those days when you get up and start tackling your day. We cleaned out our garage, I donated 5 garbage bags of clothing (some new with tags even) and a box full of blankets and purses to Goodwill for a local high school fundraiser. I had thought about selling the items or taking them in for cash somewhere, but it wasn’t worth the work and I know that people in need could put it to better use. We also hung up some items on the walls, did our laundry, did some cleaning, and then relaxed the rest of the night. The day went at a great pace, I felt like we were done by so much before 11 so it was nice to spend some quality time with the family.

I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving and holiday weekend! Happy December!