Deck the Halls

Every year we decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving. I know this really irritates some people. And they don't think Thanksgiving gets the "recognition" it deserves. But I think that's BANANAS!!! If people want to be excited about trees, hot chocolate, red Starbucks cups, stockings, etc... Why stop them?? People are strangely opinionated about whether or not it's "ok" to decorate before Thanksgiving. 

We love Christmas over here. Our tree is up and Christmas music is playing as soon as possible. But for some reason, this year we didn't. I don't know if it's just because I am overwhelmed and exhausted? Or because we have had hardly any snow? But we I was having a hard time getting into the spirit and we didn't decorate (put our tree up, etc) until after Thanksgiving this year. I didn't even want to put ornaments on the tree!! LOL My husband was like, "are you ok? What's going on?!" Because normally I have an annoying amount of decorations around the entire house. My hubby convinced me to put some of the decorations on the tree. HA! I just know that Ryder is going to knock some off, break them and on top of that... We will have to find time to put all of this stuff AWAY before we know it! So we did decorate, but very little. It was still fun! Blasting Christmas music, drinking hot chocolate, etc. 

Ryder was interested in helping us decorate this year and it was SO cute! He was getting frustrated because it's really hard to put ornaments on branches! But he loves when we're all together, working on projects. No matter what the project is. He's such a little busy body and it's adorable. Blake even helped put a few ornaments on and OMG she's the freaking cutest baby there ever was!!! We were seriously laughing so hard at her holding out these ornaments! :) :) TJ is the best big brother and was so patient helping Ryder figure out how to get the ornaments to stay. He's always wanting to play with Ryder and checking on Blake to make sure she's ok if she's fussy. It's so cute. He's a very attentive brother and I'm so proud of him for taking his "big brother" role so seriously. I think because he is so patient, kind and loving to these babies, they will forever have close bonds and that just warms my heart! I love our family so much! (Ok, sorry. Sometimes I'm cheesy.)

So excited to help decorate the tree!

Best buddies. Seriously, you should see these two together. The best!

OMG, this girl! So freaking cute. (Don't mind my socks! HA!)

So proud of herself holding up that snowflake ornament! I swear this cute moment is forever frozen in my mind. I won't forget it. The cutest thing ever. Lots of laughs and kissed from Mommy and Daddy after she hung her first ornament. :)

Not the best family picture we've taken. HAHA. And I'm pretty sure Tim is taller than our tree! LOL

Ryder and Daddy wrestling. Ryder loves it!

            

Sequin Jogger

Hey guys! These sequin jogger pants are the best!! SO comfy and probably the cutest things ever. I can't wait to rock these things for New Years Eve this year. I love having really comfortable (and still really cute!) pieces to wear on nights out. They also come in black, which are fab. Since the pants are so loud and amazing, I kept the rest of the outfit simple. I'd also love to wear these pants with a T and some flats. I love mixing dressier pieces with really casual pieces. 

These awesome joggers are great for NYE or Holiday parties this time of year! SO festive. :) Oh! And in case you missed it, Denver Street Boutique (where these jogger pants are from) is now available online! YIPEEE! Happy shopping, friends.

Similar black pumps here, here, and here // Similar black clutch here, here and here.

My top is old. Similar here and here // Wrap Bracelet from Benny J Designs

Crystal Drop Bracelet // All diamond rings and earrings from Hadley's House of Diamonds. If you're interested in designing something special, contact me! Or call Hadley's and tell them What's Up Buttarcup sent you. AMAZING!

Dang it, these sequin jogger pants are sold out! Duh, because they are amazing. But here is another sequin pant, also from Denver Street Boutique. Click here to see other sequin options for some fun holiday pieces. 

          

Barre Forte Update

Hey guys! So I am two more weeks into my experience at Barre Forte (a month total). I have been loving it!! The different classes are so much fun and I've had a few friends take classes and/or join me who are also loving it. I'm so glad. Meeting friends at the gym is much better than going alone. So many times I would skip but knowing that a friend is meeting me there makes me go! And I need that accountability partner to push me. Push me to get there and to work harder once I'm there! :) 

These classes, you guys! So hard and amazingly fun!! The Burn at the Barre class almost killed me. Ha! And I mean that in the best way possible. I also LOVED the Barre Sculpt class. Barre Fuzed is also amazing and a friend and I took Cardio Flirt together. They dim the lights in that class and blast music like you're in a club. SOOO much fun!! Oh! The Barre X classes... I had no idea what to expect for this. It was so much fun and the exercises are things I'd never do on my own, because they are hard! LOL But seriously all these classes are so much fun, you don't even care that you're about to die. ;) I still haven't made it to a vertical barre class, but really looking forward to that! Also, if you can squeeze in a quick workout on your lunch hour, they offer Barre Express classes that are 40 minutes and that's definitely enough time to BURN. 

I signed up for six classes in a week (a couple weeks ago). I made it to five and I was so proud of myself! But I do think I pushed myself too hard. Not physically. I loved the push in that way! I love feeling my body shake and change. Oh my gosh, I have missed feeling the BUUURRRRN. It burns so good! But it just felt like too much with my babies. Blakely is only four months old and I miss her so much when I'm away from her. And my Ryder man. I miss him SO much, too. In that fifth class in one week, I cried on the way home because I miss my babies so much. So I skipped the sixth class I had signed up for that week and told myself my new goal is to take three classes or so a week. I am still trying to find a balance! We are all still adjusting to life as a family of five. Sometimes I forget how new it still is and have to remind myself to take it easy. I CRAVE lazy days at home in my pjs snuggling my sweet little babies. I often beg my husband to slow down. Needing more mornings/days that are slow paced where we drink coffee and watch cartoons in bed. Life moves fast with three kids! We are trying to find time and places in the week where we can carve out time to slow down. 

The following week (this past week) I didn't make it to ONE class!!! LOL OOPS! But this week was nuts. My husband worked loooong days all week and I barely saw him. I felt like I was just trying to keep my head above water and the last thing I could find time to do was barre. Dang it. But, it's a new week! I'm really going to shoot for 2-4 classes a week. I think anything more than that right now is just too much. I want to be with my babies. More than anything! And I refuse to feel guilty about that. This time passes by so quickly. These younger years are precious to me and I just want to sit at home at stare at them. Memorizing there faces. 

Speaking of memorizing their faces... I needed (and did) just that this weekend. Blake and I took a nap together. I treasure these moments with her. I wrap my naked babe up in a blanket with me and just take it all in. Inhaling her sweet baby scent and feeling overwhelmed with love. I stare at her eyelashes. Watching her breathe in and out, so peacefully. Sucking on her binki, which just melts me. I tickle her chubby cheeks and neck trying desperately to memorize the curves of her face. And let her hold onto my fingers. I love it. Her tiny little hands in mine. Those itty bitty finger nails. Her rubber band rolls on her arms. That baby soft skin. UGH. I can't. Get. Enough. I love watching her dream and I'm overly aware that before I know it, she'll be grown and these memories will start to fade. I play with her hair, which she loves. Imagining what it's going to be like when she has long hair I can tuck behind her adorable little ears. I wonder if she'll want her ears pierced? What her little voice will sound like. I can't wait to watch her grow but also hate the fact that I can't freeze time. Bottle these moments up so I can revisit this sweetness again later in life. I think this is why I love photography so much. I know I'll love looking back at the thousands of pictures I have!! I wish I had more videos of Ryder and I'm trying to take more now. He is just the cutest! Saying the funniest things and running around carrying 4 balls, a screw driver and his milk. So cute!

Ok, WOW. Side tracked! Anyway, I love barre. And I can't wait to get my body to a place where I feel more comfortable. But for now, I'm going to focus mostly on my babies and if there is time for me to get away for a quick workout, great. If the week or day is too crazy, I'm not going to stress out about it. The great news is, barre is always there! The teachers and owners are the sweetest! And so tough. I hope you try it out and let me know if you do! I'm going to continue going (duh, I love it!) and will keep you updated on my progress and experiences with the different classes, etc. I hope you all love it as much as I do! 

#BURNnowWINElater

And let me leave you with these sweet pictures of my sleeping babe. Oh, my heart!

            

Leopard, Sweater, Diamonds, Baby Girl + More!

I am so excited to tell you guys that Denver Street Boutique (one of my favorites!) is now available online. Yahoo!! And just in time for the holidays. So pumped! This fun, cozy sweater is from DSB and I love it. I love how the neckline feels like I'm wearing a cozy scarf, but it's way less bulky. This amazing clutch is also from DSB and I use it all the time! Such a fun little pop of pattern to add to outfits. 

I'm still loving this vest and wear it with everything! I love the cinched waist. The tightened drawstring look still gives you that curve in your mid section, so you don't look like a box! It's an easy layer to add to pretty much anything. And I love vests on days I want a little extra something, but don't need a huge, puffy coat. Vests with babies are a favorite of mine. I love that I still feel like I have full range of motion in vests. Sometimes big, thick winter coats can't make me feel so stiff and I can't move! Which makes things difficult when I'm carrying a car seat, diaper bag, milk, toys, blankets... Oh, and Ryder. Who requires that I carry him everywhere! UGH. That boy. LOL 

My jeans are a must have for everyone! I grab these things all the time. I love my distressed denim and love that they are the "boyfriend" look without being super big and baggy. I'm short (5'3"), so I often feel that the "boyfriend" denim can make me look bulky and bigger than I am. But not these. These are amazing. So stretchy and comfortable! And these black booties have the cutest gold zipper on the side. I love that detail! The heel height is very realistic for moms who are running around. In both these jeans and booties I feel like I can still run, play, bend, sit on the floor, etc with my babies without being uncomfortable. 

This wrap bracelet set is from Benny J Designs and I pretty much love everything they have! You guys have to check out their site. This jewelry is such a great gift idea. Easy stocking stuffers, great price point and I love getting friends and family members things that I don't have to worry about "fitting" them. Buying clothes for others can be hard when you aren't exactly sure what size they are! I love, love, love the tassels and can't wait to show you some more pieces I recently got on future blog posts. (PS: If you're nursing, these bracelets are great for keeping track of what side you're on. You can get a simple one like this and just switch the bracelet to the other side so you don't have to try and remember which side the baby ate from last! When Ryder was an infant I kept a little hair clip on my tank top and switched the sides so I could remember after each feeding. But this option is MUCH cuter!)

Last, but not least, these earrings! These diamond studs were my push present from my hubby after having Blakely this July. I LOVE them! My right hand ring (push present from Ryder) and engagement/wedding rings are from the same jeweler as well. Mark and Nataliya Hadley own Hadley's House of Diamonds in Cherry Creek and they are amazing!! You can buy the things on display or you can design ANYthing you want! My hubby designed my engagement ring with both Nataliya and Mark and I looooooove it. My earrings were also designed by them. You guys, the options are endless! The price range goes from $100 to ... well, as high as you want to go. Ha! I would love to work with you and help you design anything you're looking for! You can contact me to set up a meeting or call Hadley's House of Diamonds and tell them What's Up Buttarcup sent you. They'll take great care of you and you will not be disappointed!

Finally, Blakely. What a doll. We were both having the hardest time opening our eyes on this sunny day! LOL But that bow! I love. And her moccs. Her cheeks! Everything. She melts me! (Side note: Ryder is somewhere nearby-ish playing in the snow. Ha!) No matter how often you hear people tell you that your love for your kids is insane, you can't truly understand it until it happens. And it's amazing. Am I right?! 

My outfit:

Boyfriend Jeans // Military Vest // Similar Bootie

Clutch and Sweater from Denver Street Boutique

Simple bracelet to keep track of nursing

Bracelets here, here, here and here

Custom Diamonds from Hadley's House of Diamonds. Contact me directly at whatsupbuttarcup@gmail.com or contact company and say What's Up Buttarcup sent you!

Blake:

Leggings + Turtle Neck // FP Moccs // Bow

            

Thanksgiving 2015

Seems like Thanksgiving comes and it's December 1st one second later! I hope you all had a great time with family and friends! This year we were lucky enough to have Tim's dad, Steve, and his wife, Janis out. My hubby is a lover of Thanksgiving and all the food that comes with it. Me... Not so much. Actually, I kind of hate the food! LOL In fact, the first time I spent the holidays with Tim's family I thought his sister was going to kick me out of the house when I admitted I don't like pie! LOL The past three years we have hosted huge meals at our house and it's so overwhelming. Especially with little ones involved. It's a lot of prep work to get that meal prepared! I don't love cooking and I don't love turkey, cranberries, egg nog, stuffing, pie, etc. Call me crazy. (My husband does!) So this year I was really pushing for us to eat out at a nice restaurant for our feast. I kept tempting my husband, "imagine... Everyone can order whatever they want! We can just sit there and catch up with family sipping on drinks while warm food of our (individual) choosing is served to us! And then we can have multiple desserts. Again, without any prep work! Plus, no cleaning up afterwards!!" I mean, how can you argue this?! Tooth accepted this idea for the year (thank heavens!) and we all went out to Del Friscos for an amazing Thanksgiving day feast. Ryder missed his nap and we sat at that table eating and drinking for three and a half hours! Amazingly, both kids were very well behaved... The. Whole. Time. It was a Thanksgiving day miracle!

We all got to order the meal we wanted (side note: NO ONE ordered turkey. Or cranberries. Or stuffing. ...Just had to point that out) and we didn't have to lift a finger. After our huge feast we all went home and everyone napped. Well, everyone but me and the babies. LOL Someones gotta hold down the fort! We took home three desserts (yes, three!!) and ate them while watching movies after the babies were asleep for the night. My father-in-law said, "I have to agree that Stef's idea makes a lot of sense! That was awesome!". I knew I loved him!! ;)

Overall, it was a successful holiday with lots of family time, snow, food, laughs, movies, dessert, napping and everything else amazing. Here are some pics with Grandpa Hubble and Grandma Janis. Cheers!

I really should have edited these pics... We look like tiny specs HA!

It's really hard to get a good picture with kids. Especially when it's just SO tempting to shove your tennis ball in your moms mouth. WTF?! PS this is Lincoln's ball! Good thing I'm not a germaphobe. Wait...

Stop it. That face!

Daddy's way cooler and funnier than Mommy! LOL ;)

We love you Grandpa Hubble and Grandma Janis!

Before our 3.5 hour FEAST! Can you see how happy I am here?! NO cooking = no stress! YAY

And then at the end of the day, this happened. You can find me melting in the corner.

                      

Christmas Gift Guide

Hey guys! Here is a quick round up of some of my favorite gift ideas for the ones you love. It is so hard to choose for the babies and toddlers! The options are endless because they still enjoy getting toys. My hubby and I have a harder time trying to come up with gift ideas for our 11 year old! And of course, shopping for my hubby is the ultimate challenge! Hope some of these ideas help!

Mens:

Moscow Mule Mugs (I got these for Tim years ago and he still loves them!)

Par Three Putting Green // How God Makes Men

Ugg Boots (Tim wears these every day when he gets home from work!)

Wingtip Shoes (Tim loves his!) // Nixon Watch // Lounge Pants

Wool Scarf // Fitbit // The Art of Shaving // Top Golf Gift Card

Whiskey Crate // Retro Gamer (My brother would love this!)

BBQ Tool Set // Spy Lens // F Bomb Paperweight
Kabob Grilling Baskets // Whiskey and Run Making Kit
Custom Cufflinks // Face Mug // iPhone Driftwood Charging Dock

Womens:

Proverbs Journal // Personalized Bracelet // Wool Panama Hat

Plaid Poncho // Tassel Necklace (Pretty much love everything they have!)

Leapard Tote // Everly Vest // Sorel Riding Boot // Wine Glasses

Beaded Clutch // Clarisonic (Every girl needs this!)

SpaVital (Can't go wrong with gift cards to the spa!) // Kimono Robe
MK Jacket // UGG Slipper // Cross Body Purse // Classic Tote
Meditation Box // Flavor Infused Water Bottle
Kitchen Utensil and Tablet Holder // Heart Umbrella

Kids/Teens:

Volcom Check Shirt // Abercrombie Body Spray

Puffer Jacket // Abercrombie Long Sleeve T // Boys PJs // Girls PJs

Boy After God's Own Heart // Pie Face Game (Heard this game is a blast!)

Girls Blanket Sweater // Top Golf Gift Card // PomPom Beanie
Electric Football Game // Bounce-Off Game // Nail Studio
Mini Instant Polaroid Camera // "You Are Beautiful" Room Decor
Custom Coordinate Rings (or place of birth, etc)
Pocket DJ Mixer // Tabletop Corn hole // Game of Phones

Toddlers:

Devotions for Preschoolers // Race Car // Boys Little Tikes Grill (SO cute!)

Girls Stroller Balance Bike // Table and Chair Set // Boys PJs // Girls PJs

4 in 1 Trike // Jumbo Paw Patrol Figure // Cash Register
Girls Dress // Sippy Cup // Boy PJs // Tikes Trampoline
Boy Colored Denim // Train Table // Dino Kit // Wood Puzzles
Beauty Boutique // Girls Skinny Jeans // AlphaPup (Ryder LOVES this!)

Laugh and Learn Car (We have this and all the kids fight over it! Must have.)

Babies:

Learning Walker (this is a must have toy) // Fisher Price Remote

Teething Paci Clip (the cutest!) // Baby Girl Touch Tablet

Bandana Bibs // Play Mat (I got this for Blakely and love it! Use it every single day.)

Stroller Blanket // Beginners Bible // Plush Rocking Horse // FP Moccs

Deluxe Bouncer (Ryder and Blakely have both loved this!) // Winter Hat
Girl Outfit // Boy Outfit // Gender Neutral Hooded Sherpa
Picture Ornament // Bean Bag Chair (Tons of color/pattern options!)

Are there gifts you're excited about giving your loved ones? I would love some more creative gift idea options! Let me know! :)

           

Blakely Gray - 4 Months Old

Oh my gosh! Where has the time gone?! My pretty baby girl is already 4 months old and we love her more every second! She is the sweetest little thing. Such an easy baby and so smiley. She is definitely a morning person (like her Daddy) and is so chatty right when she wakes up. It's the cutest and just melts me. Blake's been in her own room for every nap (when we're home) and every night for the past 2-3 weeks. She does such a great job! Waking up 1-2 times a night to eat. She eats and goes right back to sleep like a champ. She's a snuggly little chub and I can't get enough. She is a people person and loves to be in the middle of the action. She loves sitting in her little bouncer chair in the kitchen where she can see all of us. She loves that chair and Ryder loves turning the music on for her. :) She's great in the car and in the stroller. Only really cries if she has a tummy ache or is over tired (which we really try to avoid). She loves watching Ryder run around playing with his toys. I think Ryder is starting to enjoy her. He's been kissing her more and O.M.G. I can die and go to heaven now. ;) She is great at nursing and taking a bottle. Sometimes she even gets formula and has never been upset about us switching it up. Ryder was the same way. Never complained. As long as his belly was full, he was happy! She's officially grown out of her 3 month old clothes which is so sad to me. I swear a part of my heart dies when my kids grow out of clothes. LOL Seriously though. It's just a reminder of how quick the time is flying by. I am trying desperately to soak up every moment with my babies. A lot of times when Ryder goes down for his nap, I'll lay down with Blake. We snuggle and take a nap together. I love this time with her. She truly is the sweetest baby with the most amazing smile and eyes. And those chubby cheeks! UGHHHHH I LOVE THEM.

TJ is a great big brother to her. Always asking how she's doing and if she's growing. Giving her kisses and having cute baby talks with her. He's so helpful with the younger ones, but specifically Ryder. They have the best relationship! They love each other so much and it's adorable. TJ is more than happy to take Ryder to the basement and play with him. Or play hide and seek with him. Again, adorable. He also enjoys tucking him in at night. So he'll read Ryder bedtime stories, rock him in his rocking chair and sing him songs before putting him in his crib! OMG My heart! I can hear him in there is this high pitched voice singing "twinkle, twinkle little star" and it's hilarious and makes my heart smile! He truly is the best big brother. I pray that their relationship continues to grow as they age.

After we've been out running errands, etc Blake loves coming home, taking off her pants and laying on the floor looking around. I swear I can hear her saying "freeeeedom!!!". HA! She loves to look around and kick and wiggle. The cutest. And Tim. You think you love someone and then you see them with your babies. And with your daughter! Seeing them together does something to my heart. I can't explain it, but it's amazing. Tooth has been so helpful. (He was with Ryder, too. And still is!) He's recently been helping me in the middle of the night (since Blake's been sleeping in her own room) by going to get her for me when she wakes up. Then I can nurse her while laying in bed. This is so helpful to me! Something about getting up out of bed and sitting in a chair for 30 minutes feeding a baby is exhausting. When I nurse her while in bed I can still rest. Then once she's done, I give her a few extra snuggles before I go put her back in her own bed. He's also great about waking up with Ryder in the morning and letting me sleep in another hour. I really appreciate anything that allows me extra Zzz's! I know I've said it before but, wow. He's very helpful. Dinner, grocery store, bed time rituals, laundry, organizing the house, etc. He does it all! On top of working very long hours, he comes home and immediately takes Ryder to play after work. Ryder loves this and I really appreciate getting the time to be alone with Blakely or just get one chore done.

Blakely is so close to giggling, I can feel it! I can't wait to hear her sweet giggles. I need to be better at videoing her "talking" because it's SO cute. But I swear every time I bust out the camera she just stone faces me. LOL! Being a Mommy to a baby girl has been so much fun! I am enjoying it all. And looking forward to the fun we'll have as she grows. Love you, Blakers. Please don't grow up too fast!