Our Easter Weekend

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend! The weather here was amazing...and much cooler than we're used to!

plaid shirt | orange sweater 

The day before was filled with bunny pancakes and Easter egg dying with shaving cream.  The eggs turned out amazing - way better than any eggs I've ever dyed in the past! And, Zoey and I may or may not have been rocking hot-pinkish hands on Easter morning - even after washing our hands with toothpaste and baking soda (which mostly worked and left our hands impossibly soft!).

lolla sippy cup

This was our first big holiday in VB, and our first without any other family around. I gotta say, it was kind of wonderful! (Sorry mom!) We were able to do things on our own schedule, so it was a lazy pj kind of morning. Zoey had two Easter baskets, one from us the Easter Bunny, and one that my mom sent. Lots of Sesame Street and Frozen whatnots, some new art supplies and books, and maybe a taste or two of candy.  But it was the singing Olaf the was the biggest hit - she's been carrying him around ever since!  

pjs | singing olaf | olaf book

We missed the neighborhood egg hunt a couple of Saturdays ago (and desperately wished we were able to beam ourselves to the park in our old neighborhood for the egg hunt there), so we had our own little hunt in the backyard. Zoey was such a cutie, lugging around her big basket and hunting for eggs in our overgrown yard. (A new mower is next on our must-haves list, but the tufts of grass made perfect hiding places.)  

easter basket | tunic (gap-sold out -similar here) | leggings | Chucks

After brunch, cupcakes, and a little Sophia the First, we headed to the beach. Growing up in Florida, more than one Easter was spent with our toes in the warm sand, and although it was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, it was maybe 54 degrees and win-dy at our local beach. I had visions of Z running off her cupcake and Peep sugar rush and playing in the sand, but the poor thing was so cold, she just wanted to be held the whole time. So we went for a walk before heading home. Z, of course, zonked out in the car, so the Hubs and I took the opportunity to explore and went for a drive through the farmland south of our neighborhood. It's crazy that less than a mile from our house and the hustle and bustle of our end of town, there are fields of strawberries and soybeans and who knows what else! Not to mention the Navy airstrip! 

hoodie

Hope you all had a great Easter/Passover! We're still unpacking and getting settled (does it ever end?!), but it was so wonderful to take a couple of days to have fun as a family. 

Stocking Stuffers

Now that we have a kid to shop for, the Hubs and I usually keep it small and simple when it comes to gifts for each other. He's impossible, mostly cuz the usual "dude" gifts don't work for him. He doesn't have the kind of job that requires a tie or cuff links, not into brewing his own beer, doesn't play golf, and he's not a gamer. On top of that, he can get all the gadgets and gizmos he needs for his big hobby (offshore & kayak fishing) at work...with a big discount. That makes it super tough when it comes to gift-giving. If you're headed out to do a little gift shopping this weekend, here are a few ideas. 

For Her: mug | bracelet | Yes Please | Essie polish 

 Peppermint Bark candle | Tassle keychain

For Him: Burt's Bees | Waterproof Journal | The Trident 

 Socks | Dollar Shave Club | Moose Mugs

The Hubs claims I'm the tough one to shop for, but, honestly, I had a hard time narrowing it down. You can't go wrong with a great mug, good book, simple bracelet or keychain, a delicious candle and the perfect shade of holiday red.

For him? Practical with a touch of fun. Hand salve for those wintry fingers, cozy socks for work, a clean shave, a good book, a waterproof journal to keep track of secret fishing spots, and a little something to set the tone for the perfect fun old-fashioned family Christmas. 

What are your great gift ideas? 

Zoey's Christmas List

Is it just me, or is December flying by? Fifteen days till Christmas? Seriously?! Wasn't it just Halloween? In true form, the Hubs and I took forever to come up with a decent list for Zoey. With her birthday in February, we don't want to use up all the great ideas for Christmas, and have nothing left for the old birthday. Plus, we like to over research every idea, reading reviews and other blogs, making sure that our, the grandparents', Santa's dollars are well spent. So here's a few of our best ideas we think Z will be super jazzed to see on Christmas morning. 

BlaBla Bunny

Radio Flyer Trike | Magna Doodle

Alphabet Puzzle | Secret Life of Squirrels

Kind tee

I'm slightly obsessed with BlaBla dolls, but their price tag has kept me from getting one for Z. But now that she's older, and very into stuffed animals, we figured the time was now. Tough deciding on one, we're torn between Pierre the Bunny and a snazzy little fox in a necktie. Too cute! 

While taking a spin through Toy's R Us not too long ago (on a Christmas recon mission-yes we are total dorks!!), the Hubs and I came across this Radio Flyer and the magna doodle. Two toddler-hood essentials. We put Zoey on the trike in the store and she went nuts for it, so I can't wait to have her wheel around in the driveway! She's so artistic and loves to color, paint, and draw...the magna doodle is such an obvious choice.

I love a good puzzle, and Zoey does, too. And she loves "singing" the ABCs with Ernie on her Sesame Street phone. So this puzzle will be perfect. Plus, I love how colorful the chunky letters are. We'll have fun with this one, for sure!

Zoey is majorly into squirrels lately. They're all over our backyard, running around in the coconut palms and burying palm nuts under the holly tree in the front yard, driving Scout bonkers, and she can't get enough of them. So when I saw this book featured on the Today show, I knew it would be a big hit. She even saw it when I was grabbing the picture above and started squealing the way she does when we see the squirrels out side. I know she's gonna love this one!

I love a good tee, and there are so many great ones out there right now for toddlers. Storenvy and Etsy are lousy with them. This Mama Said Tee is one of my favorites...I may even have to get one for myself. (Big dork..I told you!) 

So there you have it.  Throw in some stocking stuffers, maybe some Little People, and few more books, and you have Zoey's second Christmas wrapped up with a bow. 

What's on your toddler's wish list? Any must-haves that we're missing? (we can always add them to the birthday list!)

Our Extra Long Weekend

Happy December, friends!! The holiday season is officially upon us and I couldn't be more excited!  Over here, we're already listening to holiday music and getting ready to start cookie baking! Hope you all had a delicious and relaxing Thanksgiving. If you're like me, you're probably just coming out of the mashed potato and pie haze. 

Our Turkey Day began the way it always does: bright and early in the chilly temps for Bacon Fest.

tunic - Gap (sold out) | skinny jeans - Gap Outlet (in store only) | boots

What's that, you might ask? Well, our street is on the route for the annual Running for the Pies 5K, and one of our neighbors sets up a tailgate tent, brews some coffee, mixes mimosas, and fries up a ton of bacon. Neighbors gather to cheer on the 1500+ runners as they fly by at the start & end of the race. Every year the Hubs & and I swear we're gonna run "next year", and this time was no exception.   Next year is gonna be our year!

Once the runners passed, we headed back to our place for breakfast, peppermint hot chocolate, and the parade, then started prepping for the big meal. We were super excited to have my brother in town for the holiday, since we haven't seen him since Easter. I'm just bummed that I didn't get a pic of all of us together. (I managed to lose my camera charger about a week ago and still need to replace it. I keep hoping it will magically appear before I shell out $$$ for a new one. Grr! That also means no pics of our decor or table and only selfies and one tired iPhone shot of the three of us at the end of the night. Boo.) Zoey pulled a Beyonce and had several wardrobe changes thanks to the changing temps throughout the day. 

bunny dress

Friday was a lazy day for Z and I. The Hubs had to work (boo!), and I'm not much for Black Friday crowds, so the kid, Scout, and I snuggled in and spent most of our morning under a quilt on the sofa before braving the cold wind for a long walk around the hood. 

striped tee - Gap (old) | skinny jeans | gray Chucks

We actually ventured out on Saturday to watch a little Gator football. The game ended terribly (but not surprisingly), but we had such a good time seeing old friends and watching Zoey play with their dog (this kid love loves dogs!) and another little girl her age. She actually cried when her new friend left. It was so sweet!

striped tee - Gap (sold out- similar here)

Sundays usually mean errands, and this weekend was no different. We hit Target, had lunch at Moe's, one of Zo's favorites, hit Home Depot, and started the hunt for our Christmas tree. Along with everyone else in Palm Beach County. 

The weather was beautiful, and the day started out so promising, but this is where it took a turn. We checked two places for trees and came out empty handed. So we decided the tree could wait, and turned our focus to putting lights on the house. In our old house, we really did it up. But the place we're in now is kind of limited, landscaping-wise, as far as places to actually put lights. So we keep it on the simple side, which is tough since we trend more towards the Griswold side of things. And in true Griswold fashion, most of our lights had gone kaput, so we foolishly braved our under-construction walmart in search of a few new strings of lights. And that's the last time I go anywhere near that joint until construction is done, and maybe even after! We got a few strings up before dinner and settled in with a little Christmas Vacation before bedtime. Not a bad way to end a crazy day! 

And today...we finally got our tree!! Zo had way too much fun running between the trees and made it impossible for me to get a decent pic. 

Lights went on tonight, ornaments later this week. Once you get the tree, it really starts feeling (and smelling) like Christmas! We are hosting Christmas this year, so we really had to find the perfect one. Z even helped with the lights! 

pjs - Gap (sold out - similar here)

It's amazing how a lighted tree can make your whole house feel cozy. I think Clark would agree. 

Have you guys started decorating yet? 

Boo to You! and Friday Favorites

Happy Halloween!

This year, I DIYed Z's costume. She's been obsessed with the tutu I made for her first birthday, so I made her a little witchy tutu that's nice and long so she can play dress up for a couple of years. Her b-day tutu looks a bit like Ace Ventura at this point.  And we'll see how long the witch's hat headband stays on. I'm guessing we won't make it out the door. LOL! 

We don't get many trick-or-treaters since most of the kids head to the church down the block. They throw a big fall festival on Halloween, which I guess is better than knocking on a stranger's door and getting free candy? Anyway, since Z isn't quite ready for the whole door-to-door thing, we've decided to walk over and see what the fuss is about. Not sure what to expect, especially with a kid under 2, but we'll see how it goes. 

The weather has been so gorgeous lately, we spend most of our days outside: long morning walks, fun with the water table, and collecting coconuts around the backyard.

But a cold front is coming thru tonight, so we may need to put the water table on hold for a bit. I'm really looking forward to temps in the 70's for a few days. Planning on the first pot of chili for Saturday night. May even have to bust out the fuzzy socks! 

And here are the latest favorites:

I don't know if you guys have seen it all yet, but the holiday stuff is out at Target and it's all so cute! We're hosting Christmas this year, so I'm super excited to start decorating the minute Thanksgiving is over. And I feel the urgent need to head to Target and stock up before all the cutest stuff is gone! 

Have you seen the GapKids/Kate & jack Spade collab? Y'all know I'm a big fan of the Gap, and most of Z's clothes come from there (usually with a really great coupon code!). I'm dying over this bow tie dress with these candy stripe tights. So freaking cute!! A wee bit more than I would spend on toddler clothes, especially since we celebrate the holidays in pretty low-key fashion. But if we were a bit more fabulous, you can bet the kiddo would be decked out in that outfit! 

The Hubs and I enjoy a nice bowl of froyo from time to time, after the kid has gone to bed. These bowls are perfect for a scoop of deliciousness! I've been swooning over them for ages and have visions of the different shades of blue stacked on open shelving in my beautiful spacious white kitchen.  Perhaps I need to spend less time on Pinterest?!

Never have many trick-or-treaters, but we always grab a bag of candy just in case. I sometimes send leftovers to work with the Hubs, but this year, I'm thinking of trying something like these candy bar cookies. There's a ton of ideas for leftover candy on Pinterest (of course). I like the idea of getting to eat a bunch of it all at once!

And as for a post-Halloween breakfast, these apple cider donut holes just might hit the spot. Are they not the most addicting thing in the world? 

And in the spirit of spookiness, have you guys been watching Stalker? Holy cow, is it terrifying! Obviously, you get some great eye candy with Dylan McDermott, but this is the kind of show that I can't watch without the Hubs. It's good, but seriously disturbing. And how about How to Get Away With Murder!!!??? So good! Just when you think you know where it's going, the last line of each episode completely throws it all in another direction. We were so worried that waiting for season 3 of OITNB would be torture, but these new shows are filling the void pretty well.

One more shot of the littlest which before we go...

Hope you all have a spooky and festive Halloween!!!

Our Fourth of July Weekend

Ahh the Fourth. One of my favorite holidays. Sunshine, activities on/in/adjacent to the water, grilling out, and fireworks. Sounds pretty perfect to me (if you ignore the oppressive Florida heat, overwhelming humidity, and bloodthirsty mosquitoes). The Hubs always works on the Fourth (and this year the day after, too), but we usually find a way to enjoy the pool and a delicious dinner before the festivities begin.

But not this year. This year it rained. It rained a lot. All weekend. The monsoon rain started on Friday around lunch time, and I knew that all my plans for festive fun with the bambino before the Hubs made it home from work were not going to happen. Pool time and her first taste of bomb pop would have to be postponed. No biggie. We would try again on Saturday.

No. such. luck. It has rained every damn day since Friday. Nasty "tropical" kinds of rain. Thunder, lightning, and, you guys, just so much rain. In fact, as I type this post, it's raining. And there's more coming tomorrow.

The Fourth started with a festive breakfast. A patriotic waffle. I thought the kid would devour this -waffles are practically the only breakfast food she'll eat. But the cream cheese and strawberry jam, two things she loves btw, really threw Z for a loop. She ate the banana and blueberries, but insisted on her usual waffle toppings - lightly buttered with cinnamon. So I ate the festive waffle and it was delicious!

It wasn't long after breakfast that the clouds rolled in. So we treated the day like every other, hoping that tomorrow would be sunny enough to hit the pool. We got a little punchy...

The Hubs grilled burgers in the rain, and we enjoyed these yummy drinks, and had strawberry shortcake s'mores for dessert. (Grilled poundcake topped with Hershey bars, toasted marshmallows, and sliced strawberries. So amazingly wonderful!)

And although the rain had finally stopped, we decided to skip walking over to the bridge to enjoy the fireworks like we do every year. We figured the humidity hanging in the air would make them tough to see so we kept Z up late and watched some of the Macy's show, dancing along to the music. (Sorry for the poorly lit shot. Such amateur hour here! Jeeze!)

We took another shot at holiday fun on Saturday, and by Sunday, I was going stir-crazy. So between storms we went to lunch and stopped by Jupiter Inlet to run around before the rains started up again. Zoey loved watching the boats and jet skis run by, and of course, all she wanted to do was walk back and forth along the jetty.

On the short ride home, I'm talking ten minutes tops, the Nothing rolled in (ya, I just hit you with a Neverending Story reference!), and we were trapped in our car, in the driveway while a small tropical event happened around us. Once we made it inside, a festive snack made us all feel a little bit better.

Finally, on Monday, the sun was out long enough for the Hubs to get some wood cut for a project we're working on and for me to set up the kid with her new water table. She loved it, as we knew she would, but after about fifteen minutes, the rain started again AGAIN! It was light at first, so we played with the rock box on the porch, but eventually the porch flooded and we were sent inside, where we stayed for the rest of the day. Boo!

So. Not the perfect holiday I had planned. No pool time, sparklers, or fireworks. The bomb pops are still in the freezer (I'm thinking they're more of an outside treat). It was a mommy blogger fail. But we somehow managed to still have a decent weekend, even if we were trapped indoors the whole time. The rain forced us to slow down and just be lazy - something that doesn't happen nearly enough around here. And the good news is, although its rained 28 of the last 31 days, there is sunshine in the forecast later this week. Hallelujah! 

Easter Recap

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend, filled with lots of fun, family, and chocolate bunnies! Our Easter weekend started on Saturday with a pretty awesome egg hunt in the park at the end of our street.  We woke up to a horrible gully-washer of a thunderstorm, and were feeling lazy and pretty bummed that the rain had spoiled our plans. But after a text that the hunt had been postponed, we hustled to get ourselves dressed and walked over to the park just as the clouds disappeared and the sun (and overwhelming humidity) came out.

Before the event started, Z got to see real bunnies (one of her favorites from her baby animals book), but screeched like a banshee when the Hubs picked her up to actually pet one. She was content to look at the pen of bunnies and coo and giggle with the other toddlers.

Although she didn't quite understand the way an Easter egg hunt works, Z had fun clutching her eggs, wandering around, and watching the other toddlers go after the eggs.

Polka Dot Maxi Dress - H&M 

Our Easter Sunday started out pretty low-key. My brother came to spend the weekend, and while he slept in, the Hubs and I had a little early morning lazy time with Z and Scout.

Last year, Z was still new when Easter rolled around. She pretty much just sat there while we carried on about the goodies in her basket. But this year, well, she really still has no idea about Easter, but seemed pretty jazzed about the basket full of fun stuff.

The grandparents come down for brunch (and cupcakes!), but really just spent most of the day watching Z walk circles around the house and act like a little goofball.

Then we attempted our own Easter egg hunt, which went really well... sorta. She's not a big fan of walking in the grass, even with shoes on, so once she made it to the sidewalk, we had a hard time getting her off.

Striped Maxi Skirt - Gap | Tshirt - JCrew

Striped Sundress - Carters | Sandals - Children's Place Outlet - similar here

After the family left, and Z took a nice long nap, we went out back for some pics and bubble time.