Christmas Cards

We stayed loyal to Minted again this year and I'm really happy with the way the picture turned out. 

We had a lot of great options to choose from but this picture to me just exudes happiness - and every time I look at it, it makes me smile.

I love Christmas cards and have been saving ours each year in a Christmas photo album. 

We display the cards we get over our fireplace and then keep up our current card on this cute frame that I found at Marshall's last year.

I also love seeing the way other people "decorate" with their friends cards. I love looking at Christmas cards, even if I don't know the family!

Loving Lately

::: Leo's age...oh my word, I think 14 months might be my favorite yet. He is such a cute little sponge and we are in a really nice sweet spot as far as his routine goes. He is really showing us his love, and it about melts me into a pile of mush everyday.

::: that I'm feeling good again...almost three weeks of a sinus infection had my body - and mind - totally off whack, and its feeling good to feel good again

::: exercising (again)...see above, but because I wasn't feeling well, I couldn't force myself to get my workouts. Working out makes me such a nicer, happier person, and getting back into a slight routine this week has been refreshing for all of us.

::: gilmore girls... Have you watched? I just finished last night (I was one of the few people who didn't binge it) and I loooooved it. I thought it was perfect, fun, and I wish there was more. And the ending?!?!?!?!

::: afternoon coffee breaks...As much as I love spending every second with Leo, everyday I am very thankful for his nap time! I've been trying to spend the first thirty minutes of his nap totally chilling out with a cup of coffee, and I get giddy about the little routine I've created lately. And I can't quit the pumpkin spice coffee just yet either.

::: The Anixety Guy podcast....has been my podcast of choice lately. Most of his episodes are about 17/18 minutes, so I try and take an afternoon walk with Leo and the dog and listen to one complete episode. I listen to Young House Love once a week too, and I'm looking for a few more blog style podcasts, so let me know if you have one that you enjoy.

::: champagne... For some reason, my beloved red wine hasn't been tasting all that amazing to me, and in its place has been champagne.

::: @drawbertson...If you don't follow him on instagram....go right now! My mom and sisters and I LOVE him. This is a great article about who he is, but his artwork, ideals, children, and overall personality are just amazing. I met him last year at his children's book signing and hooked my mom and Leo up with signed copies, and this year for Christmas my mom got my sisters and I this sweatshirt from bloomingdales and I can't take it off. Next up? I want a piece of his artwork!                        

                     

  Hope you're having a great week! How are we only TEN days away from Christmas? 

Christmas-y Weekend

The weekend started with a playdate with Tita and Leo's cousin Carter. They are exactly 7 months apart and Leo is anxiously waiting for her to get on the move so that he has a built in playdate for life.

It was a cousin filled weekend for us because my cousin Amanda came to stay with us for the weekend! Leo and Aunt Nanda were in Heaven with each other.

Friday night both Amanda and I were totally exhausted so after a few glasses of champagne and pizza, we put on the movie Elf and passed out on the couch before minute 19. 

Saturday morning, Amanda, Erin, and I took Leo and Carter for a long walk in Santa Monica, had breakfast at M Street Cafe, and then came back to my house to decorate cookies! 

It was an insanely messy activity - and Leo basically just decorated my carpet with sprinkles - but we had a good photo op! 

A new restaurant opened in Brentwood - Bottlefish - so us girls left the babes behind with their dads and went out to dinner.

Of course when there are no cute babies to photograph, I totally forget to take pictures. 

Amanda left Sunday morning, and that day I hosted a cookie exchange for my girlfriends.

The girls came over at 2pm for champagne, appetizers, and cookies and we had such nice time.

The only proof I have of actual guests because I can't seem to figure out how to take pictures of people anymore!! 

A great time was had by all - and now it's time to sugar detox hard! 

Do I say that every Monday? Tuesday....

Five on Friday

::: 1::: 

Ornament & Cookie Exchange Party

For the last five years I've hosted a holiday party for my girlfriends out here in LA where we each bring a dozen cookies and an ornament to exchange - and this years party lands this Sunday. I plan to set out a few yummy dips, a few bottles of champagne and holiday tea, and just enjoy the second to catch up with my friends before the season totally gets away from us. 

::: 2 ::: 

Cookie Recipes 

 

I always try to find a new cookie recipe to try out, and this year I couldn't find any that totally screamed at me, so I'm going away from the Christmas cookies and trying a birthday cake recipe! I'm also going to do a big batch of Reindeer Chow and decorate sugar cookies with Leo that we will then give away on Sunday too.

::: 3 :::

Christmas Crafts

 

I'm itching to do a few easy Christmas crafts with Leo and these are peaking my interest. We did a hand mold ornament last year with Leo, and it was so fun pulling it out of the box this year and seeing how much bigger he has gotten, that I'm thinking about doing something similar again. I've seen the ornament molds at Marshalls for really cheap, I'm thinking we can mold it to a fun size and make it just a little bit different than last years standard hand print. 

::: 4 :::

We have a special visitor coming to stay with us this weekend and I'm so excited for her company! My cousin Amanda extended her work trip so that she could get a little Leo time, so I'm looking forward to hanging with her all weekend long. 

::: 5 :::

Hope you have a great weekend!! 

 

Our Christmas Season Musts

Tis the Season for Traditions - and as most that know me well can tell you - I love me some good traditions! 

Going back in time 2014 (to be exact), much of our traditions have still stuck, but over the years, we've added a few more.

I truly this its the sense of celebrating the small things that make this season so special.

 

::: Festive Drink-ware! :::

I cannot have my coffee in the morning without using a Christmas mug....and its pretty much turned into a rule. If the dishwasher hasn't been run, I'll hand wash it just to be sure that it's happening! 

::: High Tea :::

We have a lot going on this year, and normally we try to make a reservation at The Peninsula to soak in the Christmas cheer, but we haven't gotten our acts together, so we talked about bringing high tea to our house. Cutting out the cost of a babysitter makes life a lot easier - and since no one will have to drive, we can indulge in more than a few glasses of champagne! 

::: Christmas Jammies :::

 

No other pajamas are allowed on my children from Thanksgiving until New Years Day. It's a new rule that started this year because I. Can't. Get. Enough.

::: Christmas Books :::

I love pulling out books for each holiday, but there is something special about our Christmas books. They are so much fun to read to Leo, because through his eyes, I remember all of the excitement of Santa and elves and reindeer - and it excites me to go through it all again with him. 

 ::: Gingerbread House Decorating :::

Obviously this year, Leo will do more playing with the box then the actual house, but I bought a little starter kit at Target that we are going to cut our teeth on! 

::: Christmas music and candles ::: 

I can get a little stingy with candles - but not this time of year. We have candles lit in the house from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep! They just make the house feel like Christmas so I bought a small fortunes worth! I also have been loving the Harry Connick Jr. station this year and it plays non stop! 

::: Elf :::

Joel and I are die-hard Elf fans, so we're hoping we can find a way to strap Leo down for at least 5 minutes to pretend like this was his first year "watching" Elf. It's always the first Christmas movie we watch together (because I've been binging Hallmark movies since early November) to kick off the Christmas movie season! 

Any small, fun traditions you do at your house that we should add to our list?    

How To Road Trip with a Toddler

For the most part, Leo has always been a pretty good car rider, but I've found a few tricks that have helped keep everyone sane, so I thought I'd share them.

Most of our "road trips" are under three hours, and my thought there is - you can do anything for three hours - but as we were gearing up for our 6.5hr (without traffic and stops) car trip I had to do a little preparing.

The Gear We Use

ipad holder ::: toy organizer ::: car seat tray ::: spin toy ::: car shades ::: lovey ::: hand and face wipes :::

Books - Leo is obsessed and happily will flip through his own board books for a while. He is also learning the sounds animals make, so we spent probably 45 minutes re-reading his animal books. I would have at least 2 on hand. (I get most of our books from Marshalls)

Sassy Spin Toy - This toy is one of the few toys that can hold Leo's attention, so it came with us on the road trip. He gets a kick out of spinning it and it is a nice toy that I try to keep as a novelty so it only comes with us on car trips or to restaurants 

ipad Holder - I love this one because it's normally a mirror, but it also fits an ipad. I don't mind allowing Leo to watch shows, especially on a long car ride, so this is really handy for us! 

 Carseat Tray - This was a gift from my mom, and while we did use it to eat breakfast on, I wouldn't say it's a necessity. Leo likes clapping his hands on the tray part, and I think it might be handier when he is a bit older, but it was a nice distraction to have too. 

Sun Shades - These are not the exact kind we have, I found mine at Marshalls, but I used two on Leo's side since the sun was beating down on him and they were absolutely necessary to have. 

Lovey - Leo's lovey is his favorite thing ever, so that came with us too - and helped him know that it was time to go to sleep again.

Hand and Face Wipes - Not only do I keep these everywhere, Leo loves to play with them. They crinkle and make a loud noise, so they turned into a toy for us as well.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Movie - I found a movie version on itunes that I downloaded and it is basically 4 episodes, but it plays for 2 hours which is nice since the shows themselves are only 24 minutes. 

Toy organizer - I love this one. I keep extra diapers, wipes, more books, cherrios, and a few more toys. It kept everything off the floor and was really handy for me to reach into and give Leo whatever he needed.

The Secrets We Use

1. Leave EARLY. Really, REALLY early.
We woke Leo up at 4:30 in the morning, changed his diaper, kept his room really dark and then gave him a big, warm bottle of milk. He was awake for about 15 minutes, we loaded him into the dark car with his blanket and his lovey, and he was asleep until 8am! We were able to get 3.5hours without even realizing we had a wild toddler in the back seat.

Honestly, if I were to drive alone, I think I would try and leave the house even earlier! A tired baby made for an easy one! 

2. Break Bottle Rules and Have Lots of Snacks
We are down to just two bottles a day, but I decided to bring an extra bottle just in case, and I was really glad I did. It took him some time to drink it (sometimes you gotta buy minutes!) and then he was happy and chill for another 20 minutes after it too!

Between the bottle and pre-cut up snacks (and again, this isn't the time to try and force broccoli) keeping Leo well fed was a good key to happiness! Our favorite snacks to have on the road included lots of soft (because choking ranks high in my fear list) goodies - waffle, bananas, cherrios, apple sauce to-go packets, and fig bars.

3. Don't sit in the backseat
The worst car trip we had, I had to sit in the backseat with Leo because my in-laws were driving. The fact that Leo could see me made it horrible. He knew I was there so he spent the better part of 3 hours screaming his head off for me to put him on my lap/get out of the car seat.

Now, this long car trip, I did end up sitting in the back with him for about 3 hours, and it was ok. I was feeding him snacks and just didn't feel comfortable with him eating alone in the back. Plus, being back there for half of it allowed me to get creative with toys/games/etc.

 4. Overnight Diaper 

5.  Roll with it
Probably the key to everything - and the thing I fail at constantly - but just like with air travel, ya gotta just do it. Even if the baby cries, you are 10 hours late, the baby gets "too much screen time" or "too much milk" or whatever......just roll with it. And maybe bring a roll of paper towels too, now that I'm thinking about it.

Obviously, we are no parenting experts, and I'm positive that someday our second child will throw about 12,000 curve balls to my ways, but this has worked for us so far. I hope some of it helps you too if you are in need! 

Scottsdale Trip

Oh, what a week! So after all three of us getting sick the week of Thanksgiving, I decided to take Leo to the doctor on the Monday before we left for Scottsdale. 

My mom landed in LA, we picked her up and had a quick lunch before the three of us went off to the doctor just to make sure we were in the clear to travel - which we were. So that night, we ordered sushi, loaded up the car, and got ready for our road trip to Scottsdale. 

At 5am, on my mom's birthday no less, her, Leo, and I, took off! We only had to stop once (in Indio), and Leo did fantastically. A 6.5hr car ride for a toddler should not be fun - but it actually was! He's getting an extra Christmas present for being such a gem! 

 

We rented a house in Desert Mountain, north of Scottsdale, so when we got there on Tuesday, we spent most of the day "moving in". Traveling with a toddler changes the name of the game when it comes to "vacationing", but being in a house vs. a hotel is SO much better. 

We met friends for happy hour to celebrate my mom's birthday and then got back to the house, made a frozen pizza, and went to bed on the early side. 

When I woke up on Wednesday morning - I was still sick, and had been for two full weeks, so I decided to go to an urgent care to get an antibiotic. I knew I had a sinus infection and was going to need something, so that was how I spent most of my day! 

 

Wednesday night was the rehearsal dinner, and since I was under the weather, and Leo wouldn't have lasted long, him and I decided to sit it out. We did meet up with the groom's parents for happy hour after my dad's flight landed, and got to capture some beautiful pictures of the sunset. 

 

 

Thursday was great - Leo and I were both finally feeling better - so while my dad was golfing, my mom and I took Leo to the park, and then into Scottsdale for some shopping and lunch! 

 

When we got back up to Desert Mountain, we decided to just go for it and take Leo to a really nice dinner at a steak house in the gates. I was hesitant to take Leo - he likes to move - and isn't quiet, but he proved me wrong. He was an absolute delight and we had the best dinner ever. 

 

The martini's (and view) didn't hurt either! 

   

That night, my sister - Aunt Birdie - landed in Scottsdale. We hung out together and she couldn't wait to get her hands on Leo the next morning. 

 

 

Friday was wedding day and Joel was supposed to get in Friday early afternoon, but his flight was delayed almost four hours so it threw our day off a little bit. I ended up staying back and missing the wedding ceremony so that I could wait for the babysitter - but once she got there, I ubered to meet my family in time to greet the stunning bride and groom.

Joel met us at the ceremony, right before dinner was served and it was so good to see him. 

Of course, at this point, most of my pictures go majorly downhill. As the amount of champagne I drank increased, the picture quality decreased.....

And the sign of a good wedding means the next day hurts and HURT it did. We all bummed around all day, before we joined all of the wedding guests for a country farewell party that I didn't snap one picture of! 

Since we had a sitter for Leo that night, my parents, sister, Joel and I decided to take advantage and go get one more drink at the steak house that we went to on Thursday. I got to indulge in one final French martini and we capped off a really fantastic wedding weekend! 

Joel and I left the next morning at 4:30 am and were back in LA before lunch. Leo did fantastic on the ride home and we only had to stop once for 5 minutes to fill up our gas tank! 

It was a great trip and now it's time to recoup before the holiday crazy begins again!