Hannah's Donut Themed 3rd Birthday Party

I'm finally getting around to blogging my sweet little THREE year old's birthday party! Hannah has grown up so much this summer, and this Mama is equal parts beaming with pride, and crying ugly tears because she acts SO big! This girl is spunky, hilarious, creative, equal parts obsessed with Disney Princesses, and Cars & Planes! She is sweet as can be, and we just love her to pieces! She's old enough now to get a say in what kind of party she wants and well--a girl after my own heart--she chose DONUTS! It didn't take much to convince me and I thought it was a pretty cute idea too. I found a ton of really cute/cheap ideas and threw together this little party in the park only a few weeks after Liv's 1st Birthday Party. I grabbed most of the supplies, including the adorable Oh Joy cups at Target, and our favorite donut shop, Lamars, took care of the food! I made a big batch of iced coffee and we were set! All the sources/links are listed at the bottom of the post. 

It was such a fun morning celebrating our sweet girl with friends and family! I took only a handful of pictures, mostly because we were too busy eating yummy donuts, drinking iced coffee, and catching up with dear friends, but also because it was an OUTDOOR party in July and, well, we were all a little sweaty! I did happen to capture a few cute little toddler moments... PRECIOUS! 

DIY Donut Balloons: Studio DIY, Donut garland printable: Oh Happy Day, Table clothes, plates, napkins, straws, & Oh Joy cups: Target, Donuts: Lamars Iced Coffee: Pioneer Woman, Adorable donut bow: Sadie Sky Boutique, White tank: Gap, Mint pedal pushers: Janie & Jack

The Party Shop is OPEN!

I've FINALLY done it ya'll. I have been wanting to start an Etsy shop for a long time now. I feel like I'm a much better Wife/Mama/Friend when I have some sort of creative outlet--and now that my girls are a little older, it was TIME! I absolutely LOVE throwing a good party, and have shared several here on the blog. Well, now you can buy some of my decor--and right now, at a DISCOUNT! Several of the items up right now have been used once at a party or event I've hosted and are listed at discounted prices! I want to get a feel for what you all are looking for, so PLEASE send me your feedback either in a comment here, or an ETSY convo, letting me know what you want to see MORE of! I'm really excited for this new venture and I hope you all will help me spread the word? Most importantly, click the SHOP link above and take a look around! Thanks friends!

Olivia's 1st Birthday: A Pink & Gold Party

I'm so excited to finally share with you my MOST favorite party yet! My sweet Olivia turned ONE on June 4th, and we threw her a glittery, girly party full of all kinds of sweet treats, here at our home.  It was such a great time with friends and family celebrating our littlest love. All sources are listed at the bottom of the post!

Happy Birthday Liv! We love you more than words can say!

All Photos were taken by Freeland Photography. Sources: Tassel garland kit, balloons and tassels, plates, gold glitter cake topper: Shop Sweet Lulu // Party Straws: All 4 Party Time // Bible Verse Print: Teryn Robinson // Cake and Macarons: Natasha's Mulberry & Mott // Pink and gold dress: Little Z Boutique // Gold dot Heirloom Moccasins: Freshly Picked // Gold bow headband: Sadie Sky Boutique // Glitter Olivia garland, table runners, gold glitter frames, gold glitter heart toothpicks, dipped marshmallows, rice crispy treats, pretzels, cake pops and mini cupcakes: Me // DIY chalkboard backdrop and DIY gold glitter cake stand: My wonderful husband! 

Olivia Grace {weeks 49-52}

Oh my goodness how time has flown! I can't believe this is the LAST of the picture project posts! I have been enjoying my sweet Liv more and more everyday and I feel like all the fun with her is just getting started! At 49 weeks she really picked up the speed while walking! She was suddenly ready to be on-the-go at all times! She LOVES "baby Max" the doll that Hannah carried around for a good year. Olivia has to be mothering some sort of doll or stuffed friend at all times. She kisses them and pats them and it is SO STINKIN' PRECIOUS! She also loves Little People and is constantly playing the music on all the little houses we have. She'll push the button and then shake her little booty and dance... kills me! She doesn't have much interest in TV when Hannah is watching something... that is except when Mickey is on! She points and wants to know all the characters' names and watches intently. Good thing we're heading to Disney this fall! 

At 50 weeks, we headed to Mansfield to visit dear friends for a long weekend. Poor girl puked in the car as we pulled into the driveway after the 3 1/2 hour drive down. Then BOTH girls were sick, pukey, and grumpy for most of the weekend. We left early and got home in time for Mama to catch it too... bummer. Liv was still super cute with her bud Vivi though. They are 4mo apart and spent their time stealing each others' dolls and all the attention too! This week our sweet girl got her top two teeth for a total of 4 now, and has began holding her hands up for you to hold her ALL THE TIME. I really don't mind-especially since my baby is growing up too fast! 

At 51 weeks, poor Liv had the sickies still... which usually means lots of extra cuddles! If she has Mama, binky and blanket, she's usually pretty content.  She started doing better in the car when Mama passes her snacks-her favorite are veggie straws. She's trying lots of new foods lately! She wants whatever Hannah has, and can usually eat more than her sister too-ha! She's not very interested in fresh fruit, which is bizarre to us, considering Hannah would eat pints of it at a time. She's into popcorn, Mama's scones, spaghetti, and NURSING. I didn't think her little two-toothed smile could get any cuter, but now that her top teeth are in... oh goodness it's cute!  She usually goes from making a sassy, grumpy face to a big cheesy grin in a split-second- SUCH personality! 

The last week of her first year... so bitter sweet. She had such a good week, was super happy and walking all over the house laughing at everything. She points to everything and wants to know what it is called or hold/touch it. She does several hand gestures for "all done," "open," "ni-night," "bye-bye," etc. She loves to steal whatever I'm eating--especially anything sweet! She may have inherited my sweet tooth :) She uses some new words... Papa, Gramma, "bup" (up), and tries to say "that," "please," and "dance." My FAVORITE thing our Livi does is repeat animal sounds. She'll tell you what the Doggie, Kitty-cat, and Elephant say... in THAT order, and she spits all over when she does the elephant. It's precious! We are so in love with this sweet girl. I still don't know where a whole year went, but I'm so excited for this next one. This is my FAVORITE age, and I'm enjoying everyday with our second little blessing. 

Olivia Grace {weeks 45-48}

At 45 weeks (April 13th) our little Sissy took a few tiny steps, and the next day she took a few more! We were sitting in the nursery and her Daddy was dressing her. With her pants flung over her shoulder, she walked 5 steps with a huge grin on her face! Now she's walking all over! She still prefers to drop down and crawl if she's after something and in a real hurry. I can't believe that she walked the exact same time her sister did! These girlies keep Mama on her toes! 

46 weeks with Liv and she seems so big all the sudden! She says "Uh oh" now when she falls or reaches for something and misses. She also points to Mama and pats me while making a fake cry sound when she wants to nurse... it's pretty funny and I always oblige. She points to everything these days and says "beh?" which I'm assuming means "what's that" because after you tell her, she seems content. She also points to where she wants to go when you're carrying her. She babbles a lot more recently and tries to say "Blanky" since it's her BFF. 

This week, poor little peanut had a  BAD bout of teething. She just cried and nursed and cuddled for 2 days/nights straight. She didn't eat, and she slept with Mama and Daddy. She was still cute as a button though. I'm definitely more aware of how quickly this baby-stage goes now that I've been through it before. I don't want to miss those sweet opportunities to rock her, or cuddle her, or be the comfort she needs. Soon Liv will be running around like her sister and won't need Mama as much. 

Olivia is equal parts feisty and sweet as can be. She LOVES peekaboo, hates teething, and likes to walk and be on-the-go at all times. She likes to eat yogurt, pancakes, scrambled eggs, veggie sticks, and Mama's scones. She doesn't like to eat cut up fruit, or vegetables, or her pouches these days. She has had a little whole milk, and liked it, but still nurses up to 7 times a day. She's making some progress in the car and will now do okay if she's well rested and has a snack and something to distract her, like a movie on the iPad. 

The party planning is in full-swing and I can't wait to celebrate our littlest love! 

Hannah's post HERE. 

My Big Girl {for Hannah Renee - Almost 3}

My sweet Hannah will be THREE years old in just a few short months, and it is bittersweet for sure.  Three seems so very big and grown up. She is becoming the sweetest little girl. So kind, and gentle and polite. She loves to get all dressed up and has recently been requesting a specific bow for her outfit each day. She tells Mama that I look "fancy!" when I get dressed for church (or actually get out of my mom clothes for a date). She loves to put on lip-gloss and carries around her Sofia the First amulet, singing "Let It Go" into a microphone made out of legos. Although she knows every word of the movie Frozen, she doesn't discriminate when Disney is concerned... we watch just as much Cars, Planes, Lion King, and Aladdin as we do princess movies.

She loves ballet, and asks her Daddy before leaving for class each week; "Look Daddy!" as she twirls for him, showing off her tutu and tights. He always tells her how pretty she looks and she beams. She has a deep love for her family and is constantly asking when Papa, Gramma and Auntie are coming over, or whether we're meeting her Pops and Lola for lunch that day. She prays for them all each night before bed. She asks Mama to sing the Cinderella song before going to sleep each night and to leave the door "just a lil' bit open." She sleeps with a huge array of stuffed friends, taking turns cuddling with them each night.

She has a fierce love for her Sissy, and often asks to go home to her, after an outing with just Mama. She prefers for us all to be together, all the time. She gives Liv hugs and kisses all day long, yet also tells her "no no!" if she's getting into something she shouldn't have. She praises her and claps for her each time Liv learns a new skill squealing; "Good Job Sissy! You're doing it!" Hannah would love to be outside all day long. We color with sidewalk chalk, blow bubbles, and take walks in our double stroller to observe all the birds and trees and flowers. She's scared of dogs, and most other animals, but likes to look at them from afar.

Her favorite foods are fruit, yogurt, "appy" (applesauce pouches,) potatoes, sausage, PB&J, pizza, and ice-cream. She also likes to share gummy-bears with her Daddy and munch on "chee-ros" (cheerios) throughout the day. When we ask where she would like to go eat, she usually replies Chick-fil-a (even though she doesn't eat chicken) or Freddy's (because who doesn't love french fries & ice-cream?)

Hannah loves to paint and color and put stickers everywhere! She can almost write her whole name unassisted, and loves to practice. She can count to 30, recognize and recite all her ABC's, and loves to play educational games on her Leapster, and Mama's iPhone. She's starting part-time preschool in the fall at a Christian Academy and she's so excited! She plays "going to school" all the time, and asks "where is my new school? Can I go there?"

She's been potty trained for about a month now, and we decided it was time to be done with her binky, which she kept in her bed for nap and bedtime. We woke up on Saturday morning, and after our special family breakfast (cinnamon rolls), we decided to have a special big-girl date, just her and Mama. She kissed her binky good-bye and put it in her memory box in the closet for safe keeping. We headed to the Plaza and ate a side-walk cafe that was definitely more for adults than children. She did so well, and sat there like a lady eating her lunch. Then we stopped in at Barnes and Noble to pick out a new book. Hannah LOVES to read and kept saying "there's just so many!" when looking around at all her choices. She decided on "Olivia." We went into Gap and tried on so many clothes... she kept saying "look at these! Oh, look at these!" She put on a straw hat and said "Yee Haw! I'm a cowgirl!" When it was time to go, she asked for "just ONE more store!" We stopped into Starbucks for coffee (milk for her) and a pink cake-pop, and just chatted...me and my girl. It was the most PERFECT day, one that I will always remember.

Olivia Grace {weeks 41-44}

I can't believe we're at 41 weeks, but here we are. It seems that with baby number two, it sure goes a whole lot faster, that's for sure! I'm getting a little sad that Liv is quickly moving towards being a toddler, and I'm enjoying her squishy, cuddly little self so much these days. This week was a rough one, as Hannah, Liv and I all caught a nasty cold. Both girls were up every hour most nights for a week. Brian and I took turns sleeping with the girls and taking one downstairs to cuddle so they wouldn't keep waking each other up. Liv is still getting over the yucky cough she had, poor baby. Like Hannah (and Brian,) she'll cough and gag herself and then spit-up. 

We joyfully welcomed 42 weeks, since the weather was gorgeous and we spent a LOT of time outside! We celebrated Papa's birthday at our favorite BBQ restaurant. Liv LOVES french fries and is eating everything we eat now. She devours pasta, bread, veggies, yogurt, fruit... and anything that Hannah has! She gets so excited and flaps her little arms like a bird, or hits Mama in the face. She can STARE you down and it's the most hilarious face! Then she'll laugh. She calls for me and Hannah when when I take her to the potty, and cries or crawls after us. She hates to be all alone, so we take her with us everywhere. 

At 43 weeks, Liv just stood up in the middle of the room without holding onto anything... just like her big sister used to do. She's cruising the furniture and has to be standing as often as possible... why do my kiddos walk so soon?! Our girl LOVES Legos (Duplo) and plays with them for up to an hour at a time! She can even put a few together. She waves 'hi' and 'bye' by opening and closing her hand, and will shoot you a big smile while she does. Liv has SO much personality... she keeps us laughing and brightens our days. We sure love our Sissy. 

Oh goodness this girl is cute... I'm sure I'm a little biased, but seriously. Her two-toothed grin just slays me. She gives kisses now, and loves to give them to her baby dolls and pat them gently. She's always on the go, but when she crashes, she sleeps HARD. She started getting up at 12 & 5 again after her sickies, but I honestly don't mind the cuddles... she falls right back to sleep after nursing and sleeps so sweetly. She LOVES to be outside and even played with sidewalk chalk for the first time... she mostly drew on Daddy, but it was cute. 

I can't believe I'm getting ready to start putting together her big 1st birthday bash, but I'm just loving this girl more and more each day... can't wait to see what she'll be up to next!

Hannah's project HERE.