Our Christmas Break

Happy New Year everyone! I hope all of you had a wonderful and magical holiday! I can't believe how quickly this past month, year, and holidays went! Wasn't it just the start of December?

Our Christmas break was so fun and memorable. It was one of the best Christmases I've had! Matt and I both have had the last ten days off work and I've loved being home together. Our vacation had a good mix of both busy and fun. We baked, watched Christmas movies, stuffed our bellies, crafted, and relaxed. Here's a quick recap of our break!

Our Washington State Trip Recap Part 2

Hello! Welcome back to the second part of our vacation recap, did you miss the first part yesterday? Check it out if you want to see all of our Seattle activities.

To pick up right where we left off (after Pike Place Market) The next day we did a bit of laundry, packed our bags, went outlet shopping, and swimming. It was a nice relaxing day before we headed out on our drive to Spokane. For the drive, we picked up Matt’s Dad who flew in early to spend time with his sister. We made a few stops for pictures, Honeycrisp apples, lunch and enjoyed the scenery. Once we got to Matt’s other aunt (his Mom’s sister) we unpacked, freshened up, and headed out to the rehearsal dinner at a nearby restaurant. The rest of his family trickled in on different flights, and everyone was there by midnight. Friday morning started bright and early with a homemade breakfast, a Costco run, some small errands and then we headed to the park to celebrate a cousin’s birthday with a big family soccer game. It was so fun to watch everyone play on the field, kids of all ages and parents all got in on the fun. I loved watching Matt on the field, he scored two goals! After the game we headed back to his aunt’s for a BBQ and to hang around the fire pit.

Our Washington State Trip Recap Part 1

Wow! This past week has been a whirlwind coming home from vacation. We were gone a total of nine days, coming home past midnight Monday and heading straight to work on Tuesday. Never again I tell ya! I’ll be sure to plan some time before returning home and work next time. Work has not slowed down for either of us and we had to get right back into the swing of things right away which was pretty tough! The girls adjusted really well, but I have been struggling all week long.

Have you ever been to Washington? It is one of the most beautiful states I’ve ever seen! Everywhere is so green, the sky is extra blue, and the clouds look painted on. We’ve been planning this trip for years, and finally had the chance and opportunity to go. Matt and I both have family up there and when we first planned on heading up there we bought our house and when I transferred positions I wasn’t able to get the same vacation week I had before so we put it off for the next year. When the next year came about I was pregnant and Emma would be born right around the time we would want to visit so we put it off again. Then, Matt’s cousin got engaged and planned her wedding for this September and boom, we were going!

Vegas: What I'm Packing

This weekend marks our 5th wedding anniversary and to celebrate, Matt and I are headed to Vegas! I'm so excited to get away and some time to ourselves. We rarely get any time for ourselves and when we do, it's always with an agenda. We have no plans and no schedule for the weekend and I can't wait! All we have on our to-do list is eat, sleep, and lounge by the pool. It's supposed to be cooler temps with possible rain so I'm not sure if we'll get too much time at the pool, but I'll be ready!

For the last week, I've been planning my outfits and what to pack and I finally had a chance to lay everything out to see how it would look together and make sure I don't forget anything. It's not a new concept by any means, but I like to lay everything out and see how I can make the most of what I want to pack. Can I mix and match them? Is there something I can leave home to keep a lighter bag? I always pack a few extra outfits or pieces like jeans or a cardigan and there's still one outfit I need to try on to see how they look together in real life, but I think I'm all set otherwise!

Sweater (old, similar here) // Soft Shorts // Sandals (love these too!) // Purse // Necklace

I've tried these shorts on so many times at Target and I've always loved them because they're so soft, but just never bought them. They're on sale for $15 and I thought they'd be perfect for walking the strip or driving home. My SIL gifted me this gorgeous blue handbag from my Spring Wishlist for my birthday and I can't wait to use it this weekend! There's a ton of pockets and the color is perfection!

Tank // Shorts (Old Navy last year, similar here) // Purse // Necklace

I'll probably wear this outfit on the way there. This peplum tank has been on repeat a lot lately (I have it in white too), it's so easy to just throw on and head out the door. I bought these shorts last year when I was pregnant and they're so comfortable. They have pockets too! I wish I bought every pair last year, luckily a lot of shops have similar styles in this year so I can add some more to my closet.

Hat (Old, similar here) // Cover up // Suit (Victoria Secret- in store only, similar here)

Sunnies // Kimono (Forever 21 last year, similar here) // Top // Bottom

I'm really hoping and praying that there's good weather this weekend, because all I want to do is lounge around the pool and the hotel's lazy river. What's a vacation without a pool day?

Pants // Top (similar here) // Necklace

If you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen this outfit- I wore it on Sunday to celebrate my birthday with a family BBQ. I'm obsessed with these pants and necklace! Palazzo pants are so cozy and soft to wear and they're great in the summer since they're so lightweight. The necklace is amazing, I won it from Brittany's IG giveaway and I love it! It pairs so perfect with the pants and my blue crossbody above, I always get so many compliments on it! It's a great statement piece for sure.

Top // Shorts // Sandals (love these too!) // Lipstick (Coral Crush)

I'm still loving this outfit! It's definitely a go-to for me. I plan on wearing this for walking the strip and shopping during the day. I picked up this fun bright coral and haven't really had the chance to wear it, but I hope to bust it out this weekend.

Top (similar here) // Jeans // Purse // Lipstick (Long Legged & Fabulous) // Shoes

I've been saving this look for a date night (see it on in this post) and we plan on doing a nice dinner one night and this is what I'm gonna wear. I LOVE the lace detailing on this top and flutter sleeves. It's so feminine and chic. I ordered a dress too last week and if it arrives in time, I'm going to pack that too as an alternative or second nice meal outfit.

Only three more sleeps until our trip! Can you tell I'm excited? I haven't been to Vegas in so long and I used to go all the time to party back in college. It's definitely going to be a different trip this time and I've never gone just Matt and I. I'm really looking forward for us to reconnect and get some adult time and recharge together.

What are your favorite Vegas shows and restaurants? He wanted to surprise me with Britney tickets, but she just had her last show last weekend! We want to check out a show while we're there, what do you suggest?

Hot Dog! Our Disneyland Trip

Last week we took Ellie to Disneyland for a belated birthday celebration. Matt had some vacation days and we took advantage of being able to go during the week when it's a bit slower. We had so much fun and I can't wait to take her again. It was a really relaxing day and we thoroughly enjoyed all the magic!

We didn't get to see every sight or ride every ride or park hop, we just focused on what Ellie wanted to do and the wait times for each ride. She did really good in line, I was pretty surprised and happy! The longest wait was to see Minnie Mouse and we were able to keep her distracted pretty well before entering her home and letting Ellie explore. Minnie and Mickey were the only characters we visited and took pictures with, she's pretty shy sometimes, but liked Minnie. She gave Mickey the evil eye and wouldn't even get near him or give him a high five. Yet, when we were doing our souveneir shopping, all she wanted was a Micky Mouse stuffed doll which she's slept with every night since. Go figure.

She loved the rides - the carousel, It's A Small World, Jungle Cruise, Dumbo, the train, and the Fantasmic Show, I'm not sure which was her favorite though. We were there for only a few hours and left around bedtime, but she had so much fun.We took a million pictures, but I won't bore you with all of them, just like 10 (unedited because I'm pregnant and lazy right now).

We loved watching her face and seeing the magic through her eyes. She absolutely lit up and laughed so much throughout the day. It was a wonderful time and a day I'll never forget! I'm so thankful we were able to on such a beautiful day and spend some extra time with her doing something special before baby sister arrives.

Blueberry Picking

Dress (wearing a Medium Tall) // Sunnies 

Last week during our vacation, we went blueberry picking at a local farm in Temecula. It was so much fun and a great experience! We plan on going a few more times during the season. The farm is called the Temecula Berry Co, so if you leave near by the area, I would definitely suggest on making a trip! Each person gets a bucket to collect your goods and they have a giant field for you to pick the best berries from. they also have two small pigs named Bacon and Eggs and coop full of chickens for the kids to check out. They also have a tractor and small seat set ups for great picture taking. The berries are all natural and they don't use any pesticides, you just have to be wary of trying them straight from the vine because of bird droppings. They're seriously the best blueberries I've ever had in my life, so juicy and sweet! We've been putting them in our lemonade, on top of french toast, and eating them by the handfuls.

Hope you're all having a fantastic Monday! Thank you for reading!

How We Spent Our Vacation

This past week I was on vacation and will have to return back to the grind today. It was so nice to have a few days off together. We originally planned to travel up north to Washington to see family, but Matt and I both still had to work a few days during the week. I had a few meetings to attend, so I couldn't really go anywhere too far. We're hoping to travel up there next year and visit some family and visit the tourist spots. This week went by so quickly, we kept busy every day, but I still feel like we didn't get enough in. I had a long list of things I wanted to do and we didn't even knock off half of them! I guess I know what we'll be doing on future weekends!

Our first order of vacation was a night away camping with Nana and Papa. Ellie loves being outside and we always visit the same camping spot which has a lot of activities and keeps us busy. We also get to relax and unwind at night around the fire and under the stars.

Then it was off to the zoo! Our niece stayed the night with us the night before, and watching the two of them play was heart melting. It was Ellie's first sleepover and she probably could have stayed up all night playing and giggling. It was hilarious watching them run around and chase each other, play with toys, have tea parties, and play peekaboo. We woke up bright and early to get a head start on the day. The girls loved looking at all of the animals and Ellie insisted on holding hands with her cousin and I. Matt and I bought passes so we'll be going often with our little ray of sunshine. I can't wait to visit the safari park!

The next day we ran errands and visited a park near our home. The park is huge and had a lake with ducks to feed, but Ellie kept eating the bread we had brought instead of the ducks! It was hilarious and adorable. We played in the grass, at the park in the swings, and ran all over the place.

Matt and I were able to sneak away for a little date. We went out for sushi and relaxed around the house. It was so weird to be home without Ellie- the house was so quiet! We spent all of our days at home getting stuff done, relaxing, and cuddling with Ellie. She had some shots this week and four molars are coming in, so she's had a tough few days, so it's been awesome to spend extra time with her.

We ended the week with my cousin's beautiful wedding. It was gorgeous! He was dressed to the nines and his bride was stunning. It was such a fun night dancing and celebrating their union.

Have a great week, happy Monday!