Gift Guide for the Family

Hey guys! Today I'm sharing a huge Gift Guide for the men, women and kids in your life! I came up with a top 9 for each category and hope this helps you with the person who has everything. Would love to know what's on your wish list!

Everything below is something we have loved or something we are wishing for this year. Hope you enjoy and happy shopping! xo 

MEN

1. Cologne - I absolutely love this scent! Tim has worn it for years

and I can't get enough of it!

2. Wingtip Oxford - Tim has these shoes and they are his favorite!

He has them in two colors and gets compliments on them every time he wears them.

3. Yeti Tumbler - Ok, Tooth is obsessed with his Yeti Tumbler.

I think he has three now! LOL He takes them everywhere he goes and rants and raves about how cool his Yeti's are. Eye roll. But it's been a hit!

4. Laser Rangefinder - Tooth asked for this from Santa this year.

He's had one for the past 4-5 years and it recently broke.

He's dying for a new one and this might be favorite toy ever!

If your hubby/significant other is a big time golfer, this toy is really fun for them.

5. AG Jeans - Tim is tall and has a hard time finding jeans that fit

just right. He tried these on the other day and fell in love with them.

I told him he'd have to wait to see if Santa puts them under the tree! ;)

6. Miracle Man - I try to get Tim a book each year and this one came

highly recommended!

7. Happy Socks - It took me a couple years to get Tim on the

fun-sock band wagon. But now he loves them! These socks are a fun

addition to a guys outfit. Guys don't get to have nearly as much fun with

accessories as women do!

8. Watch Case - This is a great idea for the watch lover!

I love that you can customize it and keep your watches safe and in one place.

9. Beanie - Everyone needs a beanie! I'm digging this bright

red, but it comes in many color options.

......................

WOMEN

1. Tory Burch Tote - I have had my eye on this tote! It comes a

multiple colors and I love them all!

2. Curling Iron - I have heard great things about this
curling iron and I think the white is so pretty.

3. Sequin Dress - This dress is so pretty for holiday parties
and NYE! I love that it's still modest.

4. Studded Heels - I recently got these and looooooove
love them. They are such a great copy of the Valentino.

5. Red Jacket - I have wanted this red jacket from J Crew
for so long! It's so pretty. And love the red for the holidays.

6. Michael Kors Watch - I have this watch and it is a must-have
in my book. I love the oversized look and always gravitate to this watch.

7. Kate Spade Crossbody - I have this bag in red and absolutely
love it. It comes in tons of colors and I totally want it in this
color! So soft and goes with everything.

8. Karen Walker Sunglasses - I have a copy of these sunnies and really
like them. So much that I want the Karen Walkers!

9. Ugg Slippers - I mean, these don't need an explanation.
How do I not already own these?! So cozy.
...............................

KIDS

1. Jellycat Unicorn - I love this oversizes stuffed animal! Blakely loves

stuffed animals and gets so excited whenever we're out and she sees one. :)

This brand is SO soft and my absolute favorite.

2. Play Cash Register - This is so cute! My dream job growing

up was to work at the grocery store sliding the groceries over the scanner.

Dream big, girl! LOL I think Ryd and Blake will both love this toy.

3. Radio Flyer Trike - We got this when Ryder was little

and we have gotten so much use out of it! Blakely loved it last summer

when we were outside and I didn't want her crawling around on the concrete.

This toy is a must!

4. Mini Drone - These come in all sizes, colors and some even have

cameras on them. I guess older kids these days are liking these drones!

5. 3 Minute Devotions for Guys - I got this for TJ this year. Tim has a

similar one (for men) and he loves it. Reads it every morning.

6. Paw Patrol Treat Time - Ryder loooooves Paw Patrol and asked

Santa for "Paw Patrol toys" this year. LOL I think he will really enjoy this toy!

7. Personalized Wood Rattle - Both my kids have these and love

them. They are so well made and beautiful gifts for the babies in your life.

8. Take-Apart-Car - This toy was made for Ryder (or any

car-loving kid!). I can't wait to see him play with this.

9. Freshly Picked Moccs - These are the best moccs!! These are a great gift

and they come in many colors and patterns! Absolutely love these moccs.

Happy holidays! xo

Happy Valentines Day!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! These two just melt me. Ryder's starting to want to "play" with Blakes. She's always looking at him and smiling or laughing. He loves it! Sometimes he'll just lay by her and smile at her. Adorable!! If she cries he gets all worried and says, "mommy! Bwakewy sad. Give binki!" And it's just the sweetest. If we're in the car and I'm trying to get her to fall asleep I will cover her seat with a blanket so she's in the dark (she falls asleep and stays asleep longer if it's dark). He hates this and wants to be able to see her. "Mommy, take off! Can't see Bwakely!" :) 

Ryder is also going through a mommy phase. I have looked forward to this for two years! LOL He's always been a big fan of daddy and would prefer him often. Which I thought was so sweet (they have the best relationship!) but it also kinda broke my heart. Ha! Now when he sees us he will literally run past daddy to give mommy big hugs! "Mommy hold you." I LOOOOVE IT!!!!! LOL :) 

Ryder is still very into tools and balls. He is always carrying around a little collection of random toys. He doesn't like being dirty and says "clean up!" if he makes a mess or spills something. He screams, "GET WIPE!!!" if he gets food on his hands. He doesn't like long sleeves and will usually push them all the way up if he's wearing long sleeves. He hates wearing hoodies, sweaters, jackets. He has accepted that he has to wear them outside in the cold, otherwise he wants it OFF. He recently got interested in dinosaurs and remembers the names of them! He knows a few books from memory and will read them to himself VERBATIM and it's sooooo cute. And impressive! LOL He loves his brother and is always begging TJ to "carry you". Ryder loves playing peek-a-boo with TJ and laughs soooo hard. It's the cutest thing ever. He still loves being sung to at night before bed and begs "one more" at the end of each song (no matter how many I sing). He loves bath time and thinks he's "swimming" when he lays on his tummy in bath. He is very good at playing by himself and will "fix" our walls, the doors, etc with his tools and he's LOVING playing with his new tool bench from Christmas. 

Ok, wow. Random rant about Ryder. Ha! I just love him so much. He's the most fun little boy who is so sweet. Being a mommy is the best thing I've ever done and I'll never find the words to describe how I feel for them. Blakely's first Valentines day was a success!

"I put my arm around Bwakeay, mommy!" UGHHHH SO CUTE!

Goofy girl! She's getting closer to sitting up!

In his mind he was smiling "really big" here. Ha! Goof ball.

"ABC's on there!"

Baby toes make me ohhhh so happy!

That grin. I can't handle it! :)

Hope you all had a great day with your Valentine!

            

Jesus, Born on This Day

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We had a great time and I'm sad that it's all over. My hubby and I have no family living here in Colorado. Which makes the holidays feel less exciting at times. I grew up with no extended family around and hated that the holidays always just kinda felt like regular days, just the four of us. After the excitement of opening all of our gifts, it was just us hanging out like we normally did. There is nothing wrong with that! But I always craved feeling the excitement of the holidays and really want to create wonderful memories and traditions with our family while the kiddos are little. 

Having family in town over the holidays is always exciting! But it is also a lot of work. Whether you're the family traveling out of town/state or you're the family that is hosting... It is just a lot of work. So with our young kids and growing family, we were kind of excited to stay home and have Christmas with just us five. And it was Blake's first Christmas! I was so excited!! 

In order to create that "holiday excitement" I've always dreamed of, we decided to take our little family to the Broadmoor (in Colorado Springs) for a night. We went up before the actual holiday, so we didn't have to pack up all our gifts for the kids! LOL WAY too much work. We had so much fun! Ryder had a blast in the hotel room and thought everything about it was awesome. "Cool! Awesome!" Is his new favorite saying when he likes something. Haha! It's so cute. We have gone to the Broadmoor before on Easter and they really go all out for the holidays! It's so much fun for the kids (and us). We had heard that Christmas time at the Broadmoor would not disappoint, and it's true. They have activities scheduled throughout the day for all different age groups and it's so pretty there! We just hung out the first day we were there and then after dinner, went to Zoo Lights at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. That zoo is awesome. We've been once before, but neither Tim or I had ever been to Zoo Lights. It was great weather. We were lucky it wasn't snowing and it wasn't too cold. So we got hot chocolate and walked around looking at the lights and animals that were still awake. Ryder loved the birds, "LOTS of birdies!" He also loved the alligators and for some reason kept saying, "Looks like Lincoln!" HAHA! (PS Lincoln is our little chihuahua - LOL.) The rhinos and elephants were also a hit. The rhino we saw was picking up a "toy" (I believe it was a large trash can?!) and throwing it around. Ryder loved that. And he loved watching the elephants get the food in their mouths with their trunks. It's so much fun to see the big world through your kids eyes. I never understood what people meant when they said that before I had kids. But it's SO true. Ryder was so cute the entire time we were there! Blakely slept most of the time and I didn't dare take her out of her cozy stroller where she was all bundled up. 

That night we decided to split up with the kids. Tooth slept with Ryder (we've never really slept with him!) and I slept in the other bed with Blake. Ryder had such a hard time falling asleep because everything was "so cool!" and once he did fall asleep he was snoring in Tim's ear all night long. LOL! Blake slept great and it was easy for me to feed her when she woke up in the middle of the night. But it was not a great night of sleep for me because I was so worried about her rolling off the bed! She moves so much (and so fast!) these days. I was overly paranoid about her falling. 

Anywho... Tooth and Ryder went swimming the next morning. Ryder was so excited about this!!! But once he got in, he was over it. The pool wasn't heated enough for him and he was shivering so bad the entire time! Poor little guy. We also did some crafts, made Christmas cookies, met Mrs. Claus (who sang songs and told stories - Ryder loved this!) and played Bingo. All of these things were provided by the Broadmoor. PS - I WON BINGO!!!! BONUS!! Tim and I are so competitive. We have gotten into some serious fights in our relationship over games. HA! But he CHEATS!!!!! Not cool, Tooth. Not cool. I was very proud of my "winner" status and rubbed it in Tim's face all weekend. Ha!

(Sorry in advance for the picture overload!)

Ryder was SO excited about "presents" this year and if you didn't keep a close eye on him, he'd open them all before you knew what happened!

He loved these mini tic-tac-toe boards and carried them around the hotel (and the Zoo) the whole time. "Mommy, where my ABC's?!" MELT ME.

Blakers makes the same big, pouty duck lips that Ryder made when he was a baby. (Ryder still makes these big pouty lips when he says certain words and I freaking love it. Adorable.) I made the same pout as a little baby and was named "duck lips" by my fam. They still call me this! Ha.

Blakes flamingo that I was so excited about. LOL She seriously does love it though. So cute! Ryder never attached to a stuffed animal and has/had little interest in them.

Ryder thought the giraffe's were "SO COOL!"

I swear this giraffe posed. LOL

Horrible picture of the lights, but we all really enjoyed it!

Ryder and I have a picture by this same elephant when he was about one year old. My how times flies!!!

Blakes got a lot of attention from this vest! LOL It was a hit. And she is just a little doll. So much cuteness in one little baby!

Ryder really enjoyed the crafts and colored four trees!

Daddy and his girl. She's really starting to attach to him. When he comes home form work she just stares at him and smiles so big! She's such a little flirt. ;) She follows him everywhere he goes (with her eyes... obvi she doesn't FOLLOW him) and loves when he chats with her.

I may have enjoyed crafting as much as Ryder! LOL

On our way home from the Broadmoor (on Christmas Eve) we went to Maggianos for family dinner. This is another tradition. We don't always go on Christmas Eve, but we go sometime close to Christmas. I was so bummed that TJ couldn't join us. Sharing kids for holidays is hard. We try really hard to focus on the times we do get to spend the holidays with him. Our family never feels complete without him there. And Tim and I don't take the holidays with him for granted!

We got the kids in their PJ's and I realized I never bought cookies or milk for Santa. OOPS! #MomFail Buuuut.... I heard Santa LOVES popcorn and fruit snacks. This is true, right?! So that's what he got! :) Ryder was really excited about leaving him popcorn and thought it was so funny that Santa would make popcorn at our house.

And then... Suddenly, it was Christmas morning! :)

TJ came out ready to open gifts wearing this robe. Which is clearly a few sizes too small. He told me he had to wear it because he wore it every year on Christmas morning when he's with us. I wish I would have known he loved wearing a robe Christmas morning and I would have gotten the poor kid a robe that fit! LOL Either way, he's a stud.

As usual, TJ was very patient with Ryder and let him assist in opening his gifts.

OMG. That profile. And so focused. #Swoon

UGH, this baby girl. She just loves being naked and grabbing her toes (which she just recently discovered).

Ryder was really excited about these hockey sticks. Which kind of surprised us. We didn't think he knew what hockey was? But sure enough, Tooth and Ryder played hockey in the basement and it was like he'd played all his life.

TJ got a chef hat and apron. When he first opened the hat he was like, "...ooooh... Thank you, guys." BAHAHA He was so confused. It was pretty funny. Once he figured out what it was, he was pretty excited about it. Side note: He also got a hover board which he is super stoked about!

We were all spoiled this year and so grateful for our blessings. But above all else, we are thankful for our Savior, Jesus Christ. I love this family of ours so much and look forward to making more family traditions and memories each year. Before we knew it, all the presents were unwrapped and it was time for nap! Tooth let me take a nap with Blake and surprised me by making the entire Christmas dinner while the whole family was sleeping! He's a keeper, that guy. I sure do love him!! He's a better cook than I am anyway. Ha! I pretty much set the table and that was about it! He did all the cooking and dishes. We spent the rest of the day/weekend playing with new toys, hanging out in our pjs, watching movies and drinking hot chocolate. It was perfect.

Overall, this was a wonderful holiday with very little stress! Very little cooking, cleaning, preparations, etc. Just our family together, making memories and I loved every second of it! I hope you all had a wonderful time with your families as well. Love from our family to yours!
           

Sequin Love Affair

Tell me I'm not alone with my obsession with sequins around the holidays! Can't get enough. I love this dress from Denver Street Boutique. I wish I had a better picture of the back (obviously you can't see it because of my jacket). The sequins are just on one panel in the front. So cute. And it's sleeveless so you have full range of motion to dance the night away!! LOL That is, if you wear this for a NYE party. Ha! Or, you know. You can just have a little dance party anywhere, anytime you'd like. ;) 

I'm loving these heels and so tempted to also get them in the maroon. Why is it so hard not to buy things for yourself when you go Christmas shopping for OTHERS? Ha! Anyway, this jacket is old, but I still love it. I'll link similar ones below. 

I can't believe Christmas is 8 days away! I haven't wrapped ONE gift yet and still have shopping to do. Oops. Hope you guys are enjoying the holidays and not too overwhelmed. I know I get majorly overwhelmed this time of year with gifts, family, sickness, traveling, hosting, etc. I was feeling SO overwhelmed and exhausted. So I took two days completely off from life. My babies and I stayed inside in our pjs for TWO DAYS! It was amazing and just what the doctor ordered. Popcorn, coffee, movies, snuggles, coloring, etc. Lots of fun relaxing with my cuties. I told my husband I needed this break and some time to just chill. Yet, he still came home both days saying, "are you still in your pjs???". LOL!!! DUUUUHHHH, that was the whole point! And I loved every minute of it. :)

My jacket is old, similar here, here, here and here.
If you want to add the "fur" to a jacket you already have. Love this and this.
Necklace - on sale!
Shoot! My exact dress is sold out. :( Sorry, guys! But here are others I LOVE:
One, two, three (this would be very forgiving if you have a baby bump you're trying to hide or a post baby belly), and four.
Nude heel. And last, but not least... Hadley's Diamonds. You can design anything you want! And in any price range. Seriously amazing. Contact me or call Hadley's to start designing your dream jewels!