Kess' 2nd Birthday Party

Ok, first things first. How in the holy heck is my baby 2? 2?! I don't even know how it happened. Time seriously flies. I remember people telling me how quickly times passes when I first had Kess. I also remember thinking, "I wish time would go by fast! I miss sleeping. When does this thing sleep through the night?!" Well, she sleeps through the night now & I creep into her room just to smell her yummy, freshly washed hair & give her extra kisses... #momisweird 

I wanted her little birthday celebration to be low key, but ya know... walk into Zurchers Party Store &... I want to buy all the things. I kept it in check like a champ, but just couldn't leave without colored plates & matching M&M's because what kind of party would it be without those?! 

I made her cake in case you couldn't tell ;) I never said I was a cake decorator. I had never worked with fondant before, but I think it turned out pretty cute & it didn't cost me $40+ to have someone else make it. Kess even knew it was a "keeety", so there ya have it. Win win. We opted for a simple BBQ, salads and chips. I whipped up a few cupcakes last minute for those who love chocolate (me.) 

Kess wasn't so sure about everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to her, but she got over that in a hot second & loved it! She even blew out her own candle, which brought on the applause, which she didn't hate! ;) She didn't really care to open her presents, but has loved playing with them after everyone left! I think kid parties are so fun to throw. I really do try to keep them super simple, but put enough effort into them to make them special. (Hence that sweet homemade cake haha) 

Kess' little outfit was one of my favorite parts of the day. Granted, I knew that adorable white dress wouldn't stay clean for long, so we snagged pictures while it was semi-clean. I paired her cute little white dress (from Old Navy - in-store) with some sandals that I've been eyeing all summer & bought on sale (for $6) last week. And to top off her little outfit were these colorful baby tights from Lunaby Baby! They're made with thicker material, so that's super nice! Plus, the color is so vibrant & wild that I just couldn't help but add them to her birthday outfit! 

Thank you all for your sweet birthday wishes for our sweetest girl. Her actual birthday is Wednesday & we have some fun plans as a family of 3. We decided to just celebrate all week long! She's totally worth it! 

Have a wonderful week, my friends! XO

Fourth of July 2016

Matt took Thursday & Friday off for the 4th of July so we had an extra long weekend! It's so nice to have Matt around extra. He works so dang hard & tends to work some long hours, so we soaked him up all we could!! We spent the weekend furniture browsing, finalizing some plumbing fixtures for the house & finally getting to see the upstairs of our home! Framing is pretty much complete & it's so fun to see our plans come to life! We are loving all the progress at the house, but I think it's making me even more antsy so get moved it! We can't wait!! 

On Saturday we decided to go out riding with some of my family. We headed out to the Silver City area & hopped in the side by aides. We put Kess' car seat in the back & she was not having it! I finally convinced her to get in because I was sitting in the back with her. I thought she would totally love it, she only seemed slightly amused while riding. But, boy does that girl love the outdoors & the mountains! She was all about picking up sticks, rocks & cow poop (gag.) I don't know what it is, but everything tastes better in the mountains, too! Nothing beats a hot dog & some chips hahaha! After lunch we went out riding again & Kess finally fell asleep for a 25 minute cat nap. 

We pulled into town long enough to rinse off & head out for dinner. Kess was pretty restless so Matt & I took turns going on walks with her until our food came. We were all so dang hungry we inhaled our food & headed out. That's where Kess lost her cool ffr being a trooper all day long. We couldn't make it home for bed fast enough (you know, one of those types of tantrums.) 

Monday morning was spent out at the house. We were able to finalize a few things with some electrical outlets & plumbing rough-ins. It doesn't sound that exciting, but it really was for us! 

After Kess' nap we got into our patriotic gear & headed to my sisters for a BBQ! I am a sucker for holidays & family get-togethers! The food is always good & the company is awesome! 

Fun fact: my sister & I married brothers, so she's my sister & sister-in-law! ;) and the 4 of us showed up all sorts of matchy matchy! And my sister is just as cool as I am by wearing last years 4th of July shirt! ;) 

I hope you all had a wonderful & safe 4th! We are starting off this 4 day week with potty training! Wish us alllll the luck! ;)

Sunday Style with Amethyst & Opal

The #classicallymodest series is truly something that I look froward to working on and it's been a blast to have new shops join in and share their classically modest style with me & you! 

Amethyst & Opal is a shop that I have come across & have truly loved their style. It's, of course, trendy, cute & modest!

This olive embroidered insert dress is a dream. It's lightweight, airy & beautiful. The olive is currently sold out, but the black is available & I think it would be perfect in black, too! 

shoes (on sale)

I'm wearing a medium. It fits great & for helpful sizing... I'm 5'5" and 133 lbs. Hope that helps with your sizing questions!

A few of my other favorites from A&O are the Stonewash Jersey Skirt, Lavender Lace Cut Out Top, & the White Gauze Blouse (which is on SALE!)

Don't mind me telling Kess, "just a second, baby girl!" as she demands that I "Jump! Jump! Jump!" Haha

I hope you are able to find a little something that fits your style from Amethyst & Opal, the owner Kaley is a dream to work with & her customer service is great! Happy Shopping!

#BEtoddler Sensory Beads

This blog series has been swirling around in my mind for a while now, so I just decided to go for it. Over the last year & a half or so, as Kess' fine motor skills have developed, I have been thinking of little activities for her to do. Something she can do while I'm trying to cook dinner, or something quiet for her to do during church... all things to help her learn, grow or expand her find motor skills... or heck, just something to keep her entertained!

Today I'm going to share one of her favorite activities.
In fair warning, it's a messier activity. I grabbed these sensory beads from Amazon a while back & have loved them! They come in teeny tiny bead form.! You only use a teaspoon at a time so they last forever. You add water to the teaspoon of beads and let them soak for a few hours & voila... (tons of) slippery sensory beads. Kess loves to squish these, transfer them from one bowl to the other, run her little fingers through the beads. You name it. Now, they are bouncy little suckers & they most definitely get spilled, so once you're done, be sure to sweep up the beads because they make a bigger mess when you step on them! ;) 

I hope this inspires you to give your kiddos a little quiet play time & I hope you get to shower, cook dinner, clean or whatever the heck you need to get done while they play! Do you have a go to activity to keep your toddler busy? Share it with us! We would love to try it!

Neat Cheeks

I stumbled upon Neat Cheeks over 6 months ago & thought "That's genius!" I ordered a small bag & decided to give it a whirl. For the longest time Kess hated getting her little face cleaned after she ate. I used a damp paper towel & she was just not having it. I started telling her that we needed to make her face kissable. I would scrub her down super fast & ask, "Are you kissable?" She would show me her face, I would do a quick inspection & give her a smooch if she was all clean. 

This little game has continued to this day, but I'll tell you what... it's even easier & more fun now that we use Neat Cheeks. These wipes are stevia infused & they taste great!! I totally tried them myself! ;) The first few times Kess wasn't super happy about her face being wiped down so I wiped her little tongue quick so she could get a taste of the wipe. She looked up & said, "Mmmmm!!!" That also continues to this day! We have tried the "natural flavor" & the "just peach." I love the peach! It's so delicious! It doesn't taste artificial & the stevia is just something that can't be beat. For my local momma's - these are available at the Boise Nordstrom Rack or you can order them online! You can also find a location near you! 

These are a must have for us. We don't use them after ever meal, especially now that Kess is a little tidier eater, but you better believe that we have some in the car, in the diaper bag & some at home! I hope you all take the chance to try these! You won't regret it! Follow on Instagram for deals & promos!

Head on over to Instagram for a fun giveaway, too!

Summer Bucket List 2016

I decided to do a Bucket List with Kess last summer & we loved it! Matt joined in when he could, but while he was working Kess & I tried to cram in all the things we could do together without daddy. We did things like trying new parks, going to the zoo, getting snow cones, etc. We will probably try to do a few of those same things this year, but we added in some new fun stuff that Kess will enjoy now that she is a little older!

2016 Summer Bucket List -

-Go to Roaring Springs

-Go to the zoo

-Make homemade popsicles

-Ride bikes on the Greenbelt

-Go on a Nature Walk

-Go to Babby Farms

-Run through the spinklers (a lot)

-Do more backyard activities

-Play at new parks

...

What are some of the things that are on your summer bucket list? We want to add to ours! Give me all the details! 

The Black Tux

Have you guys heard about The Black Tux? If you haven't, it's a cryin' shame. This awesome company is "not your traditional online suit & tux company." They offer quality & convenience. A tux or suit shipped right to your door? How handy this would have been for our wedding 6 years ago!!

We decided to infuse in the Pantone 2016 Colors of the Year; Rose Quartz & Serenity. Both colors are beyond beautiful. I wracked my brain for the perfect outfit to match the perfect suit or tux & finally decided on something versatile. Are you guys even surprised? I thought about going all out & getting glamorous & decided that that isn't quite the life I lead... so versatile, comfortable & classy it is. 

This gorgeous dress from Asos stuck in my mind from the first time I saw it. It struck me as sleek, modern, feminine with a classy 80's twist. I couldn't pass it up. 

I paired my Asos dress (a little darker pink in person) with some dark nude heels (similar here) I found at TJMaxx. (Score!)

Depending on the occasion, this dress could be paired with a black heel & darker accessories. Or you could brighten it up and keep it more casual with white heels & a pop of Serenity with a statement necklace.

I chose the Notched Lapel Tuxedo and Peach Linen bow tie for a formal look. It took all my will power to not rent this tux for Matt so I could hire a photographer for a glamorous photoshoot...you know, because that's super necessary! ;)

I loved the Tan Suit for a Summer wedding look. This is definitely a more casual look, which fits into our lifestyle. I would pair the suit with the Navy Neck Tie for some contrast.

Head on over to The Black Tux, if you are ever in need of a great deal on a quality tux.