Easter Basket Blog Hops!

Today, I'm linking up with Darci over at The Good Life and Sarah at Our Journey for super fun blog hops! Head on over to their adorable blogs and check out all the other cute Easter basket ideas for your kiddos! 

So, I struggled with what to put in Tinley's Easter Basket this year. A: Because she's 1. And B: Because if she doesn't already have it, either her Mamaw or Gigi put it in her basket already. Not kidding. I'll post pics of their baskets later. 

But, for now, here's what's in Tinley's Easter basket from "The Easter Bunny"

The basket itself is from Pottery Barn Kids. I'm pretty much obsessed with that website. Of course, we had to have her name on it. :o)

She really does not need any bows, but I bought her 3 new ones anyway: a new red one that is a little bigger than her old one, a fun mint color one for all her new spring outfits, and a black and hot pink Minnie Mouse bow that is too cute for words! Also, from the same store and one of our favorite boutiques, The Fabulous Female, is her first pair of bunny ears, that play music! She's not a fan of them, but I'll try to get at least one pic on Easter of her with them on!

I also put a fun new bath toy in there, the bath crayons. She absolutely loves taking baths, and I can't wait to see her face when she finds out she can scribble all over the tub walls!

I threw in a new pair of jammies; a t-shirt and pants. Most of her pajamas are fleece onesies, so I thought she needed something a little cooler for those hot summer nights. 

Of course, there are a few books in there; one Easter book and an ABC and first words book. She absolutely loves reading, and of course, I love that she loves it, so books are a must!

She loves Minnie Mouse. I mentioned the new bow already, but I also got her some big girl panties (GASP!) and a fun play jewelry set that is safe for babies. She will absolutely LOVE this I think. She loves putting her play bracelets on already and walking around the house in them, so I can't wait to see her in action with all the other jewelry. I'll be sure to have my camera handy!

And, last but not least, a few Easter yummies. An adorable Easter Egg cookie that I will most likely eat most of, a Cadbury Egg, and some Peeps, which she might actually like. 

What's in your Easter basket this year?! Join the link ups! :o)

Trendy Tot Tuesday

I love this link up. I really do. Especially when spring is right around the corner, and I just got the new Lily Pulitzer spring catalog! Can I just have one of everything please?! Thanks! 

I have decided I love the matchy-matchy look, and I can't wait to dress Tinley like me this summer! Here are a few ideas for some inspiration. What do you think? Cute or cheesy?! 

Want to join the link up? We'd love to have you! Follow Kelly, Megan, and  Lindsay, and link up your post! :o) Happy Trendy Tot Tuesday!

Take a seat- Make a friend?

So, the other day, I came across a really cool video on Facebook, and I thought I would share it with everyone. It's called "Take a seat- Make a friend?

 

If I saw a random ball pit in the middle of our town, with a sign that said "Take a seat-Make a frend?" I would be a little hesitant. But, being the open-minded and optimistic person I am, I would probably hop right in. Life's about taking chances, right? You never know, you could meet a new best friend. 

I can relate to it like this: I created a blog for people; complete strangers really, to follow my life story, and I've made many friends. Sure, I might not know what their voice sounds like, or know every detail about them, but I can call them friends. 

So, today, take a chance. Try something new. You never know what might come out of it. 

Happy Friday, keep walkin' on sunshine! :o)

Pee Pee on the Potty!

Okay, so I have to brag on Tinley a little bit. Just for a minute. I don't really like to brag about my child, because let's face it: every parent thinks their little one is the cutest or smartest child ever to walk the Earth. Am I right? I'm so right. And, it's no different for me. Tinley is advanced, that's just all there is to it. ;o) 

No, but really, up until now her potty seat has been a toy. Examine Exhibit A:

I've sat her on the big girl potty ever since she was 6 months old. I was never too active about it, but I read a lot about infant potty training, and thought the sooner I get her out of diapers, the better. I'm definitely not trying to rush her childhood or anything, because Lord knows, she's growing up fast enough. But, we would save so much money on diapers, spend less time waiting in line for the handicapped stall at a restaurant because some idiot decided to put the changing table in THAT stall, and my favorite, get to buy cute big girl panties. :o) So, why not. 

Saturday after breakfast and her chugging almost a whole cup of Pedialite, Justin says "go put her on the potty." So, I did. And what do you know?! She peed! I never thought that trickling sound would make me so happy! I yelled downstairs "She's peeing! She's peeing!" I clapped! Tinley clapped! I don't think she knew what was going on, but she played along with me anyway. I brought her downstairs and gave her a cookie. (Yes I know, I'm treating her like a dog. I know people that give M&M's as treats, but she's still too little for those, so we'll settle for the animal cookie.) A little while later, I put her on again, and she went again! The excitement continued all day, and she ended up going a total of 5 times. She's done it all week, and she now reaches for toilet paper, flushes, and then goes and stands by the pantry door and waits for her cookie. A little under a week and she's trained. Just like that. Granted, she's not in panties yet, I still change poopy diapers (I think that's a whole different story!) and she doesn't pee in public yet, although she did go at our friend's house last weekend, because they had a baby potty seat like our's. But, we're well on our way. I'm thinking she'll be fully potty trained by the time she's 2. Maybe younger, we'll see. All I know is I love seeing her big smile every time she goes. She is so proud of herself. And I'm even more proud. 

For those of you non-believers:

Post St. Patty's

Tinley's Holiday Photo shoot for 1826 Photographic Advertising

So this year for St. Patty's, we didn't really do too much celebrating, which is very unlike us. But, with a baby, it's just different. A lot of our friends were out Saturday night, either at the bars or at the DU Banquet. (Ducks Unlimited for those of you who aren't familiar!) We've gone for the past 2 years and it's always a blast, plus it's great free food and all you can drink! Who would pass that up?! But, this year, we decided to stay in and go to the Lowe's house for Italian night. It was a blast, as usual. After we put the kiddos to bed, Jamy and I did get in the St. Patty's Day spirit, and painted our nails green. :o)

Having fun with Daddy!

Green nails!

Sunday, our group of friends headed downtown to Water Street for an Irish lunch: Reubens and Mint Martinis, yum! Green beer was also involved. Everyone must have been hungover from the night before, because the place was dead! We loved it though, because all the little girls could run around. Isn't it funny how times change?! Anyway, it was the perfect way to spend the afternoon with great friends who truly are like family.

YUM!

What better way to spend lunch?!

Tinley wanted Daddy's beads!

Grandma Jules

All our girls.... we need to add some little boys in the mix! Even the baby twin girls were there!

Sharing Daddy's beads

Our St. Patty's tradition!

Carrie and Ash

Love these girls!

Trendy Tot Tuesday

I know, I know, I already posted about a fabulous giveaway today (I hope you entered!) but, I just can't pass up a chance to participate in my favorite link up, Trendy Tot Tuesday. I'm a sucker for fashion, especially cute baby fashion. So, once again, thanks  to Kelly, Megan, and Lindsay for hosting, and Pam for guest hosting. And, we can't to forget to send our congrats to Kinley from Eaton Party of 3 for being Tot of the Week. She is adorable, and her personalized outfits are almost just as cute! 

This week, since we're still obviously having winter in Ohio (did I mention it's snowing right now?!) I decided to stop wishing spring would come for 5 minutes and focus on Tinley's boot collection. It's mighty impressive for a 14-month old!

Before Tinley was even born, her shoe collection was out on control! She really has no hope, with me as her momma and her Mamaw, who is a shoe-a-holic! That pic above is just her boots people. All of her shoes probably won't fit in the frame. Not kidding. But, we do have such cold, harsh weather for the majority of the time, so boots for us are a necessity. They keep her feet warm and cozy, and look stylish! Here are some of our favorite boots that Tinley wears:

These are her snow boots from Stride Rite. I love the fur around the top and the purple laces! They are also great for walking, which is a big plus.

These pink and grey leopard boots are by Carter's. They're super cute and soft!

Her tan boots with the pink butterflies came from Gymboree. They match so many things, and unlike her Uggs, which are another favorite, they're hard-bottomed, so she can walk in them and not get the bottoms dirty. 

Brandi's Giveaway

Hi sweet friends! So, it's totally crappy out today (yes, still!), and the crud has hit our entire household, so what better way to get this day rolling than an awesome giveaway?! And, I couldn't be more excited, as this is my first giveaway I've sponsored. My friend, Brandi, from Brooklyn State of Mind, achieved her goal of reaching 500 followers before her adorable little girl, BK, turned 1! Great job Brandi! And, so to thank everyone, she, along with myself, Ashley, Erin, Elise, and Kiersten have created a fabulous giveaway for you to win! Kickstart your spring wardrobe and look with these fabulous prizes; just enter below! :o) And, make sure you check out all of the other adorable blogs too, you won't be sorry! Have a great day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bloglovin' Hoop-lah

So, as most of you fellow bloggers know, there was a lot of hype last week about Google Reader going away on July 1st. Being a new blogger myself, I'm not really sure what that means, and I myself don't even use the reader. I just use the blogger dashboard for reading some of my favorite blogs. Anyhow, I've followed the trend to make the transition a little more smoother for all of us, and set up my blog on Bloglovin', so for those of you that read and follow me, you can now follow me on Bloglovin' by clicking on the Eifel Tower below, or the link to the right. See ya there! :o)

Happy St. Patty's Day & Backthatazzup Friday

So, this weekend is St. Patty's Day! It's one of my favorite holidays, aside from New Year's and Christmas. Maybe it's because I'm super Irish on my dad's side. Or, maybe it's because I like to drink. I'm not quite sure why I love it so much, but any excuse to get together with friends and go out always makes for a good time. Of course, it's a little different now that we have a baby, but we can still have fun, right?! Besides, now I have one more person to buy cute green clothes for!

St. Patty's Day 2009 @ Daly's Irish Pub

Tinley's First St. Patty's Day last year. It was also Mommy and Daddy's first outing without her!

I recently signed up on Polyvore, and I now realize what all the hype was about! I'm obsessed! I had so much fun creating St. Patty's Day fashion boards! Maybe a little too much fun!

St. Patty's Day by kelly-slater featuring post earrings

And, of course, I can't forget Miss Tinley:

Tinley's St. Patty's by kelly-slater on Polyvore

What are your St. Patty's Day plans?!




And, of course, it's also "Backthatazzup Friday" with Whitney from I Wore Yoga Pants, so to get in the mood, and since so many of us will be partying it up this weekend, here's a classic old school jam for your enjoyment! 

Everyone have a great weekend, and Happy St. Patty's Day! :o) xoxo